Wheat Allergies
What is an allergy?
A food allergy is an abnormal response of the immune system to an otherwise harmless food. Having a wheat allergy means that your system is hypersensitive to wheat and your immune system reacts against it.
How do you know if you have a wheat allergy?
To get an accurate diagnosis, you need to see an experienced doctor or an allergy specialist. The most common tests are the skin prick and RAST blood test. The most thorough test involves removing all wheat and wheat containing products from your diet for 1-2 weeks. Then reintroduce wheat products in small amounts, noting any symptoms. Keep a food diary throughout the whole process.
Symptoms
A reaction can occur within minutes or a few hours after the food is eaten. Symptoms may include hives, swelling around the mouth, asthma, diarrhoea, vomiting, and eczema.
What to do
If tests show you are allergic to wheat you must completely avoid all wheat products and all foods containing wheat.
Substitutes
Amaranth Flour - produced from ground seeds. High in calcium, protein and iron. Can combine with high starch flours such as tapioca and potato for baking. It can also be puffed and used as a cereal
Arrowroot - A starchy root that is a useful thickening agent in puddings, sauces, cakes
Barley - Has a heavy texture that does not rise well. Can be used for cakes, biscuits, muffins, and pies. Has a mild flavour
Buckwheat - Is a good source of vitamin B. Has a distinctive flavour and combines well with other flours in pancakes, muffins, pasta, bread
Cornflour - a good thickening agent. Can be used for cakes, biscuits, bread, polenta. NB. Make sure that you have maize cornflour and not wheaten cornflour
Millet - Provides B vitamins and iron. Is available as a grain, flake or flour. Can be used in sweet or savoury dishes
Oats - Good nutritional value. A low glycaemic index food. Good for cereal and porridge
Potato flour - A good thickening agent and useful for baking. Works well in bread recipes, biscuits, cakes, pasta, and pizza bases, when combined with other flours. As a pure starch it has little flavour
Quinoa - A seed with a mild nutty flavour. High in protein, B vitamins, vitamin E and fibre. Can be combined with rice in making risotto
Rice- Rice flour, flakes, and ground rice can be used in baking biscuits and puddings. Combines well with other flours to make bread, pasta, and pastries
Rye - flour is quite heavy, does not rise well, and has a strong flavour. Used mainly for making bread and can be combined with other flours
Sago - a good thickener for dessert. No strong flavour
Soya Flour - has a strong flavour which combines well with other flours. Good source of protein, B vitamins and fat
Tapioca - Useful for puddings fruit pie fillers, custards, soups, stews
Xanthan gum - helps hold food together and is a good substitute for gluten in breads
Yam flour - High in starch, and can be used in casseroles, soups and for baking
Checking food labels
You must get in the habit of checking food labels. Look out for things such as bran, cereal filler, and edible starch. Especially check all tinned meat and vegetable cans and packets. You can get resources from Allergy Awareness NZ to help you shop for foods which are wheat-free i.e. Safe shopping cards.
Useful Website
www.allergyclinic.co.nz
Helpful resources
Safe shopping cards
Wheat-free cookbooks
The NZ Therapeutic Database produces commercial food lists of NZ foods that are wheat free:
www.nztd.co.nz | 
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