According to an Irish proverb, “Laughter is brightest where food is best.” This quote is relatable to most people as food is an essential part of life, and when it’s good, it makes a whole lot of difference. Even snacks, which are unhealthy, would make any dull moments better. Unfortunately, some people with dietary restrictions need to ask themselves questions that seem trivial to other people, like, “Are Fritos gluten-free?” before they can indulge in the experience.
While most people can just straight away open a bag of chips and snack away, it’s going to be different for other people, especially those with Celiac disease or gluten-sensitive enteropathy. This disease is an immune reaction a person could get when eating food with gluten.
So, if you’ve never had to ask yourself questions like, “Are Fritos gluten-free?” consider yourself lucky because you can enjoy food without worrying about any serious consequences. But what exactly is gluten-free? Are people with specific reactions to gluten the only ones who should avoid them? Read on if you’re curious to know more.
A Quick Look At Gluten
Unfortunately, Gluten Is Not For Everybody!
You’ve probably heard “gluten” dropped in many random conversations about food, and there’s a reason for that. If you never had to avoid gluten to know much about food that has it, you should know that it’s a type of structural protein found in wheat, spelt, rye, barley, and other grains. Wheat, by far, has the most common grain that has gluten. Gluten has two primary proteins: glutenin and gliadin – the latter is the one that causes the majority of gluten’s adverse health effects.
In certain people, gluten can cause inflammatory reactions. In worse cases, it can also cause severe immunological and autoimmune responses. While gluten-related illnesses like celiac disease affect only 1 to 2% of the population, non-celiac gluten sensitivity could affect up to 13%. Other diseases like dermatitis, gluten ataxia, herpetiformis, and other neurological problems are also gluten-related diseases.
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Gluten Is Mostly Found In Bread, Which Sucks!
People with these types of diseases mean that they need to watch what they eat, which means they would often need to check and ask, “Is sour cream gluten-free?” or “Are funyuns gluten-free?”. For the record, they are, but you might need to check the ingredients to be sure. While they wouldn’t be able to enjoy food like bread, crackers, pastries, certain beverages, and more, a gluten-free diet could help make the situation better. Still, imagine a diet without the simple pleasures that these everyday foods can bring.
Five Facts About Gluten-Free Diets You Should Know About
It’s a common misconception that a gluten-free diet is only for people with gluten sensitivity, wheat allergies, and other gluten-related illnesses. Living gluten-free can help everyone have a healthier diet with improved cholesterol levels, better digestion, and increased energy. But before you ditch bread and go gluten-free diet, wait until you hear about the benefits of living a gluten-free life. Of course, there are some myths about it that you should know aren’t true. Here are some you should know about:
Gluten-Free Food Does Not Have To Be Bland Or Tasteless
Gluten-free foods can be tasty and fun! Source: glutenfreeliving.com
Meats, fish, poultry, and seafood are the most well-known gluten-free food, and there is so much you can do to make tasty meals out of them. Of course, there are also eggs, fruits, and vegetables, tofu, which are perfect for side dishes and desserts. If you love snacking – who doesn’t? – you should know that nuts, seeds, potatoes, and corn are all naturally gluten-free.
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Not All Alcoholic Drinks Are Gluten-Free
Is it wine o’clock yet? Source: masterclass.com
Whether you’re an occasional drinker or happy hour is your favorite time of the day, we have bad news for you: beer is not gluten-free. But of course, with every bad news comes a good one: wine and distilled alcohol are 100% gluten-free. Even if distilled alcohol comes from gluten-containing grains, it does not contain any dangerous gluten peptides. The gluten peptide is too big to carry over in the distillation process, making the final product gluten-free.
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Losing Weight Is Not An Effect Of A Gluten-Free Diet
Fritos may be gluten-free, but it’s still junk food. Source: thedailymeal.com
You’ve probably been hearing that avoiding gluten will help you lose weight, but unfortunately, it’s a myth. Actually, you may even gain weight on a gluten-free diet if you have celiac disease because your intestines will begin to heal, and you will be able to absorb nutrients again. Furthermore, gluten-free bread, cookies, pasta, pizzas, and other gluten-free versions of these foods have a higher fat and sugar content, unlike whey products.
Gluten Can Be Found In The Most Unusual Food
Double-checking the ingredients of your food can help you avoid accidental gluten intake. Source: southernliving.com
If you want to avoid gluten, you need to double-check the ingredients of every food you buy, especially if you have a gluten-related illness. Unfortunately, gluten is in the foods you wouldn’t suspect of having it, like soy sauce, dressings, licorice, gravies, and more. Even if a product is labeled “gluten-free,” you should still double-check it to be safe. But, most of the time, these products tagged as such guarantee that the food contains no more than 20 parts per million of gluten, which is safe for people with celiac disease.
One more thing you have to be wary of is the label “wheat-free” because it doesn’t necessarily mean the product. Even if an item says it’s wheat-free, it may still include rye or barley, which doesn’t make it gluten-free.
Gluten-Free Diet Could Lead To Deficiencies
Some gluten-free whole grains could help you avoid any problems with your gluten-free journey. Source: admet.net
Due to a lack of fortified foods, a gluten-free diet may cause a drop in your B vitamins, amino acids, and iron levels. So, if you’re planning on going gluten-free, you have to make sure you’re still consuming proteins along with fruits, vegetables, and gluten-free whole grains like buckwheat and millet. These foods should provide a proper amount of fiber, amino acids, iron, and B vitamins to compensate for the nutrients that most gluten-free food lack. You should also consult your doctor to ensure that you’re getting all of the nutrients and vitamins if you’re switching to a gluten-free diet.
So, Are Fritos Gluten-Free?
So, going back to the question that got us here, “Are Fritos gluten-free?” the answer is yes! But unfortunately, gluten-free junk food is still junk food at the end of the day, so if your diet is full of these types of food, you wouldn’t lose weight or achieve a healthy weight. Of course, no one loses weight if you replace gluten-filled carbs with gluten-free ones.
You Probably Don’t Need to Be on that Gluten-free Diet
Going Gluten-Free Is Not For Everybody
Go gluten-free if you need to, not because you want to. Source: hopkinsmedicine.org
If you’re the kind of person who asks, “Are Fritos gluten-free?” even if you have no reason to go gluten-free, you might want to ask yourself a different question. The better question to ask is, “Am I doing a gluten-free diet for a reason or am I doing it to join the bandwagon?” If you’re saying yes to the latter, you need to double-check if this diet is helping you because it might not. Going gluten-free could be beneficial if done correctly, so make sure you do yours the right way. You can probably enjoy the next Fritos pack without the need to worry about its gluten.
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