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Subjects · Leaving Cert Home Economics

Leaving Cert Home Economics: Special diets

How often Special diets comes up on the Home Economics papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 8 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

OL Asked on 7 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2024. most years

Special diets, Higher Level(8 marks)

Quick ones on Special diets.

(a)Protein that a person with coeliac disease must avoid?
  1. Casein
  2. Gluten
  3. Collagen
(b)Cereals that contain gluten?
  1. Buckwheat, quinoa and sorghum
  2. Rice, maize and millet
  3. Wheat, barley and rye
(c)Nutrient a vegan must get from fortified foods or a supplement?
  1. Vitamin B12
  2. Fibre
  3. Vitamin C
Show the answers

(a) Gluten

(b) Wheat, barley and rye

(c) Vitamin B12

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Special diets.

Higher Level

Asked on 8 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026C4
2025A5, Q2
2024A4
2023Not asked
2022Q2, C4
2021A8, C4
2019A2, A8
2018A5, Q1, Q2
2017Not asked
2016A5

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Special diets questions

Special diets, 3 marks

Why must oats be labelled gluten free before a coeliac eats them?

  1. Oats naturally contain far more gluten than wheat does
  2. Oats lose their gluten only after long cooking
  3. Oats are often contaminated with wheat during milling
Show the answer

Oats are often contaminated with wheat during milling

Oats are usually grown and milled alongside wheat and barley. Some coeliacs also react to avenin, the oat protein, so advice is needed.

Special diets, 3 marks

What is the glycaemic index (GI) of a food?

  1. How much gluten it contains compared with wheat
  2. How fast it raises blood glucose after eating
  3. How much energy it supplies per 100 grams eaten
Show the answer

How fast it raises blood glucose after eating

Low GI foods such as porridge release glucose slowly, which helps people with diabetes keep their blood glucose steady.

Special diets, 3 marks

Difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?

  1. Allergy triggers the immune system; intolerance does not
  2. Intolerance triggers the immune system; allergy does not
  3. They are two names for exactly the same reaction
Show the answer

Allergy triggers the immune system; intolerance does not

An allergy can cause a severe, even fatal, immune reaction. An intolerance, such as lactose intolerance, causes discomfort but is not an immune response.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 7 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2024. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025Not asked
2024A6, Q2
2023C4
2022A1
2021A8, Q1
2019A6
2018Q2
2017Not asked
2016Q2

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Special diets questions

Special diets, 2 marks

What is a person who eats no meat, fish, eggs or dairy called?

  1. A coeliac
  2. A vegetarian
  3. A vegan
Show the answer

A vegan

A vegan eats only plant food, so protein comes from pulses, soya, nuts and seeds, and B12 must be supplied by fortified foods.

Special diets, 3 marks

Which substance must a person with coeliac disease avoid?

  1. Fibre
  2. Gluten
  3. Lactose
Show the answer

Gluten

Gluten is the protein in wheat, barley and rye. It damages the lining of the small intestine in a coeliac.

Special diets, 3 marks

Which food is safe for a person with coeliac disease?

  1. Rice
  2. Wheat bread
  3. Barley soup
Show the answer

Rice

Rice, potatoes, maize and buckwheat contain no gluten. Wheat, barley, rye and most oats must be avoided.

Other Home Economics topics

All of Leaving Cert Home Economics