Diabetes and Gluten Free Meal Planning

Important information:

Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease are connected. This resource is for patients with diabetes who also have celiac disease and need to follow a gluten free meal plan.

• Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, like type 1 diabetes. People with celiac disease are not able to digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. It is more common in people with diabetes.

• Symptoms of celiac disease may be stomachaches, diarrhea or constipation, poor growth, anemia, osteoporosis, and problems with teeth. Many of the children with diabetes and celiac disease have no symptoms of celiac disease.

• Your child will have a blood test every year to check for celiac disease. If the blood test is positive, your team will refer you to a gastroenterologist. This is a doctor who can diagnose whether your child has celiac disease.

• People with diabetes and celiac disease can live a healthy life by eating a gluten free diet and taking insulin.

Safe gluten free foods and grains	Unsafe Gluten containing grains and ingredients to avoid
Meat Poultry Fish Pork Milk Cheese Fruit Corn Vegetables Beans Nuts Potatoes Rice Quinoa Chia Amaranth Arrowroot Sorghum Buckwheat Cornmeal Flax Kasha Legume flours (bean, garbanzo, fava, lentil, pea) Millet Soy Tapioca Teff	Wheat Wheat bran Wheat starch Wheat germ Wheat flour Malt/malt flavor Barley/barley malt Malt extract Couscous Rye Semolina Brewer’s yeast Durum Oats not labeled gluten free Bulgar Spelt Graham flour Matzo Kamut Faro Hydrolyzed wheat protein Seitan Einkorn Triticale Emmer Farina

Carbohydrate counting for gluten free foods

• Read the food labels for gluten free products. Locate the grams of carbohydrates contained in the product.

• Some gluten free foods can contain higher carbohydrates and fat than non-gluten free foods.

• Meet with your child's diabetes dietitian to discuss how many carbohydrates can be in your diet.

Dietary supplements

Fiber

• Eating foods high in fiber helps to control blood sugar, bowel regulation, and healthy cholesterol levels.

• A gluten free diet can be low in fiber.

• Gluten free grains that contain fiber include: gluten-free oats, millet, buckwheat, brown rice, teff, amaranth, and quinoa.

• Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans are also excellent sources of fiber.

Vitamins

• Vitamin and mineral supplements may be necessary.

• Children newly diagnosed with celiac disease can lack iron, folate, B-vitamins, zinc, calcium, and vitamin D.

• These nutrients need to be added in your child's diet along with a daily multivitamin.

• Speak with your child's celiac dietitian for recommendations.

Gluten free supplements

Multivitamins

• Freeda

• Nature Made

Fiber

• Metamucil-powder and caplets only

• Konsyl

Sample meals

Breakfast: 30-45 grams

1 scrambled egg with cheese ... 0 g 1 slice of GF bread ... 11 g 1 slice of Canadian bacon ... 0 g ½ cup hash brown potatoes ... 15 g 4 ounces orange juice ... 15 g Total ... 41 g	½ toasted GF bagel ... 23 g 1 Tbsp. of peanut butter ... 3 g 8 ounces low-fat milk ... 12 g Total ... 38 g
1 hard-boiled egg ... 0 g 1/2 cup corn grits ... 15 g 1 cup melon ... 15 g 8 ounces low-fat milk ... 12 g Total ... 42 g

Lunch: 30-45 grams

1 slice cheddar cheese ... 0 g 1 slice lean turkey ... 0 g 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise ... 0 g 1 corn tortilla ... 12 g 8 ounces low-fat milk ... 12 g 15 grapes ... 15 g Total ... 39 g	1 cup egg salad ... 0 g 2 slices of GF bread ... 22 g 1 small bag of baked chips ... 15 g 8 ounces water ... 0 g Total ... 37 g
2 GF slices of bread ... 22g 1 slice lean turkey ... 0 g 1 slice cheese ... 0 g 1 cup low-fat milk ... 12 g 1 clementine ... 9 g Total ... 43g

Dinner: 30-45 grams

½ cup of cooked rice pasta ... 22 g ½ cup tomato sauce with ground turkey meat ... 10 g 1 cup tossed greens ... 5 g 1 Tbsp. dressing ... 3 g 8 ounces water ... 0 g Total ... 40 g	2-3 oz. grilled chicken, fish, or steak ... 0 g ½ cup of roasted potatoes ... 12 g ½ cup of cooked green vegetable ... 5 g ½ cup unsweetened applesauce ... 15 g 8 ounces low fat milk ... 12 g Total ... 44 g
2 corn taco shells with ground beef or turkey meat ... 16 g Topped with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, cheese ... 0 g ½ cup brown rice ... 22 g 8 ounces water ... 0 g Total ... 38 g

 

Reviewed April 2025 by Kara Feigenbaum, RD