Eating gluten free doesn’t have to be about restriction. In fact, when you step away from highly processed substitutes and focus on real food, a gluten free diet can be abundant, varied and deeply nourishing. From whole grains and legumes to seeds, nuts and traditional pantry staples, there are countless naturally gluten free wholefoods to enjoy. This guide brings them together in one place — a complete, wholefood-first list to help you build a gluten free pantry.
This wholefood-first approach is also commonly used by people managing wheat allergy or conditions such as eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), although individual trigger foods can vary and personal guidance is always recommended.
- Gluten-Free Whole Grains & Pseudo-grains
- Legumes & Pulses
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Root Vegetables & Starchy Vegetables
- Fruits & Vegetables
- Wholefood Flours
- Fermented & Traditional Wholefoods
- Oils, Fats & Pantry Staples
Scroll to the end to download a printable PDF of this list 👇
Many wholefoods (like grains, legumes, seeds and nuts) are naturally gluten free. For people with coeliac disease, the main risk is cross-contamination during harvesting, transport, milling or packing — so it’s often the handling, not the food itself, that determines whether it’s coeliac-safe.
A few foods need extra care, especially oats (often contaminated and not tolerated by everyone with coeliac disease), plus some fermented foods and highly milled products (flours, powders, spice blends). When in doubt, choose certified gluten free options.
Gluten-Free Whole Grains & Pseudo-grains
Grain-like seeds used as staples
- Buckwheat (whole groats / kasha)
- Millet (pearl, foxtail, finger)
- Sorghum
- Teff
- Amaranth
- Quinoa (white, red, black)
- Wild rice
- Brown rice
- Black rice
- Red rice
Coeliac-safe note: Choose only certified gluten free buckwheat, millet, quinoa and rice. Avoid bulk bins entirely. Look for dedicated gluten-free milling and packaging. See a special note about oats at the end.
Legumes & Pulses
Excellent sources of fibre, protein and resistant starch
- Lentils (green, red, brown, black beluga)
- Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- Split peas (yellow, green)
- Black beans
- Kidney beans
- Pinto beans
- Navy beans
- Cannellini beans
- Adzuki beans
- Mung beans
- Lupins
- Dried whole peas
Coeliac-safe note: Legumes are often processed alongside wheat or barley. Choose only certified gluten free. Extra rinsing recommended.
Seeds
Fibre, healthy fats and minerals
- Chia seeds
- Flaxseeds (linseed – brown or golden)
- Hemp seeds (hulled / whole)
- Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- Sunflower seeds
- Sesame seeds (white, black)
- Poppy seeds
- Watermelon seeds
- Basil seeds (sabja)
Nuts
Protein, fats and micronutrients — note allergy considerations
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Hazelnuts
- Macadamias
- Cashews
- Pistachios
- Brazil nuts
- Pine nuts
- Chestnuts
Coeliac-safe note: Avoid bulk bins entirely. Look for dedicated gluten-free roasting and packaging lines.
Root Vegetables & Starchy Vegetables
Naturally gluten free carbohydrate sources
- Sweet potato
- Potato
- Yam
- Taro
- Cassava (yuca)
- Arrowroot
- Jerusalem artichoke
- Lotus root
- Parsnip
Fruits & Vegetables
All fresh, whole fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten free
- Leafy greens (spinach, kale, silverbeet)
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)
- Squash and pumpkin varieties
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes
- Capsicum
- Berries
- Apples
- Citrus fruits
- Stone fruits
Wholefood Flours (made from single ingredients)
These are still wholefoods when minimally processed
- Buckwheat flour
- Sorghum flour
- Millet flour
- Brown rice flour
- Quinoa flour
- Chickpea flour
- Lentil flour
- Green banana flour
- Cassava flour
- Almond meal
- Coconut flour
Coeliac-safe note: Flour dust contamination is high risk. Avoid "may contain" statements. Look for dedicated gluten free facilities.
Fermented & Traditional Wholefoods
Naturally gluten free when made correctly
- Plain yoghurt (dairy or coconut, without additives)
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi (without wheat-based soy sauce)
- Miso made from chickpeas or rice
- Tempeh made from gluten-free legumes
- Kombucha (verified gluten free)
Coeliac-safe note: Be wary that fermentation can involve gluten-based starters. Look for explicit gluten free claims and no barley-derived cultures.
Oils, Fats & Pantry Staples
Naturally gluten free
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil
- Ghee
- Butter
- Vinegar (apple cider, wine, rice)
- Herbs and spices (single ingredient)
Download Gluten Free Wholefoods List (PDF)
⚠️Important note for coeliac disease
While all of the above foods are naturally gluten free, people with coeliac disease should:
- Check for certified gluten free labelling where cross-contamination is possible
- Be cautious with bulk bins, flours, grains and processed legumes
Oats are naturally gluten free, but they are frequently contaminated with wheat or barley during farming and processing. Even certified gluten free oats are not tolerated by everyone with coeliac disease due to a protein called avenin.
For this reason, oats are often treated as a special case and are not included alongside other naturally gluten free wholefoods in this list.
Oats do not contain wheat. For people with a wheat allergy, oats that are genuinely wheat-free are often suitable, provided cross-contamination is avoided.
For people with eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), tolerance to oats varies. Some people tolerate oats well, while others find they trigger symptoms, so individual guidance and careful reintroduction are recommended.
