- 2 min read

Overnight Gluten-Free Oatmeal Bowl

All About Oats:

Gluten-Free or Not?

By Kylie Bressoud

I remember when first going gluten-free how frustrating and confusing it was to discover foods you assumed were gluten-free actually weren’t. Oatmeal was always a comfort food for me as a kid, so could I still eat it safely as an adult with celiac disease? Oats are one of the most confusing foods in the gluten-free community, so I will break it down for you! Keep in mind that every person with celiac disease will have their own boundaries with foods they choose to consume or not; I will share my own personal stance on oats, but what works for me may not work for everyone.

Let’s start with the basics. Naturally, oats are a gluten-free food... but it isn’t that simple! Because of the common farming practices in the US, many oat crops are either nearby wheat fields or processed in the same mills as wheat. Because of this close proximity to wheat, oats are one of the greatest chances for cross-contamination. Most oats that are on the shelves in grocery stores are not safe for a person with celiac disease to consume. Confused yet?

Simply, oats are naturally gluten-free, but the common protocols used to grow oats make them unsafe. So, can a person with celiac disease safely eat oats? Yes! I am a firm believer in “Purity Protocol Oats.” “Pure oats, which they defined as oats that are harvested, transported, stored, processed, and manufactured under good manufacturing practices (GMPs) to minimize the presence of gluten, can safely be consumed by some persons with celiac disease (GFCO).”

As a sensitive Celiac, I was so happy to discover that there was a safe option to eat my favorite comfort meal. My favorite Purity Oats brands are GF Harvest, closely followed by Montana Gluten Free. I also love that Glutenfreeda offers individual oatmeal packets at many grocery stores -- these are perfect for an easy travel/camping meal or for kids! Bobo’s has my favorite oat-bars in a variety of delicious flavors. These products have all treated me (and my stomach) well -- see links below for all purity oat brands.

Although I am able to eat oats without a problem, there is one more thing to mention. Some people with Celiac disease will react to oats regardless of if they are pure oats. Some still experience negative effects because the avenin protein in oats has a similar amino-acid structure to that of gluten.

Because Rosa is aware not all Celiacs are safe to eat oats when developing Raised Gluten Free recipes she chose to exclude oats from all of our products. We want to ensure that every Celiac can safely eat and enjoy our pies!