Gluten sensitivities and people with celiac disease are the subject of much research these days. More and more people discover every day that they cannot eat gluten.

One might ask, “what is gluten?” The answer is simple: Gluten is a protein found in certain whole grains like wheat, barley, and rye. However, it is not found in all whole grains.

One whole grain that gluten-free people consider eating is oats. Oats do not contain the same kind of proteins that wheat contains. That makes them inherently gluten-free. However, there is a catch; many people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities have reported problems with eating oats. Further research has revealed that most of the problem lies with contaminated oats, not oats themselves. Oats that have been processed near wheat, barley, or rye are not safe for celiac disease patients to consume.

Many healthy and delicious recipes using oats have been developed for gluten-sensitive people; these recipes are okay to follow as long as the oats used are not contaminated. Oats like these do not include most grocery store brands and probably should be purchased from specialized vendors. Some special brands to look for include Only Oats, and Bob’s Red Mill! Enjoy!

Special thanks to Ashley Fowler, nutrition student at Clemson University, SC for writing this post!