Is Pudding Gluten Free? Should You Include It In Your Diet?

Is pudding gluten free?

Well, I've heard that a lot of people are quite curious if their favorite pudding contains even the slightest gluten. Of course, I understand the endeavor of some to know if the food they are eating contains gluten or none.

After all, gluten intolerance is an issue. If you suffer from this condition, then you have no other choice but to avoid anything that is related to this compound. Otherwise, you'll suffer from uncomfortable consequences.

This time, allow me to explore everything related to pudding and gluten. Let's get started.

Is Pudding Gluten Free?

Does pudding have gluten? If we are going to take a look at the composition of pudding, it is pretty evident that this one contains wheat and cereal as its major ingredients.

Of course, these ingredients, despite their respective health benefits, still contain gluten. Any pudding, except those sweet desserts that have a custard-like texture and undertone, may have gluten. The latter is common in the United States and doesn't have any trace of the pudding. Even though they are thick, sweet, and overall delicious, these puddings that are used as pie fillings have little or no gluten in them.

As long as the pudding doesn't have ingredients like wheat, cereal, or any similar variants, then it will never contain even a hint of gluten.

For instance, if you have spotted a pudding cup in your local market, then there's a good chance that it doesn't contain any gluten. However, if you found the pudding in a restaurant or an ethnic menu, it is better that you ask the waiter how the dessert was made. In this way, you can determine if the pudding they serve contains the substance that you want to avoid.

Is instant pudding gluten free? Like I said, most of the commercial puddings that you can see on your grocery stores or markets don't have gluten. However, I recommend that you check out its label and look for its ingredients. If it contains wheat, then it has trace amounts of gluten.

What Is Gluten Anyway?

Albeit the popular belief, gluten is not man-made. It is not a toxic chemical, either. Specifically, this one is a substance that is produced by plants naturally through varying processes.

The usual composition of gluten is a mixture of different types of proteins that are utilized by grains as a type of storage. You can find gluten barley, rye, oats, wheat, and other similar types of plants. In short, you can say that gluten is typically present in plants that yield grain. If the food is not a type of gran--like sugar, veggies, and meat--then there's a good chance that they don't have gluten.

Of course, such a statement is not absolute anyway. You see, some food can still contain gluten even if they don't have wheat and cereals on them. This is especially true if the food has been subjected to "cross-contamination". When this happens, ingredients are prone to acquiring small amounts of gluten.

If you are particularly sensitive to gluten, you will be worried about the existence of this cross-contamination. However, if your intolerance is not that of a big deal, then your body should be able to deal with small quantities of the said substance.

Generally, gluten is not great for people with celiac disease. For them, this diet should be followed:

What Is Pudding?

Pudding is one of the most universally diverse foods today. One could say that there's no single definition or description for pudding that we could all agree.

For example, the term "pudding" in the United States is the thick food that is commonly consumed as dessert. It is sweet and downright palpable to the tongue. This type of pudding features the combination of gelatin, eggs, and other agents for thickening. If you purchase a cup of pudding in the United States, there's a high probability that it doesn't contain any grains.

Meanwhile, in some parts of the world, "pudding" can refer to a myriad of regional or localized recipes. It may refer to black pudding (a mixture of oats and barley) or Yorkshire pudding (a British delicacy that is quite similar to a muffin or pancake).

While it is true that some puddings don't have gluten, the previous puddings that I mentioned have a lot of gluten on them. Therefore, you should never include them in your menu!

Is Jello Pudding Gluten Free?

"Is Jello instant pudding gluten free?" "Is Jello chocolate pudding gluten free?"

These questions are quite prevalent these days. I commonly spot them on food and cooking forums. After all, Jello is a popular pudding brand. I don't want to create any bias here, but the puddings that this manufacturer creates are genuinely delicious. They are available in different flavors, too!

The only concern that we have here is whether or not their puddings have gluten.

Most of the mix-it-yourself and pre-made variants of Jello pudding may contain gluten but in extremely low quantities. In some cases, it might even have none. A Jello pudding is a dessert that is made without the inclusion of cereals. However, it is noticeable that these Jello puddings are not advertised as "gluten-free" for the reason that they use artificial food coloring.

Well, Jello doesn't have any means to control the production of these colorants because they came from third-party producers. Because of that, it is quite difficult for them to determine if these agents have gluten on them or none.

Fortunately, the manufacturer already claimed that the amount of coloring they used in their puddings is not that extensive. Therefore, if the colorants have gluten, your body might be able to ignore it. It is safe to say that most Jello puddings are safe for people who are suffering from gluten intolerance.

Conclusion

Right now, the best way you can identify the presence of gluten in any particular food is by looking at its ingredients. Generally, food that contains grains like wheat and cereal is rich in gluten. You should avoid them at all costs. But if the delicacy doesn't have any of these food items, then they should not contain any trace of gluten.

That's it for now! If you have questions, feel free to drop them in the comment section below!