How To Shop For Gluten-Free Food

One of the first skills you will learn when going gluten-free is how to shop for gluten-free food. It’s not always the easiest, but it’s the most important.

Two years ago, we got the call that B had to eliminate fructose from his diet. I was given a list of things to eliminate, and one of the biggest pieces was gluten. At the time, he was two years old and no longer allowed to eat gluten, fruits, and vegetables until we got things on track with his diet.

I was completely lost.

After an hour-long call with a pediatric nutritionist, I thought I had at least a slight grip on things. That night, I went to the grocery store and walked up and down the organic aisles for an hour. I bought many different things and we started figuring out what works in his diet.

Two years later, I’ve gotten the basics down of what it means to shop for gluten-free food. However, you never know when ingredients may change and what brands might throw a curve ball your way. I get excited at the prospect of gluten-free Oreos coming in January, but I also take it with a grain of salt until I see the ingredient list.

One of the biggest questions I get asked when I talk to someone about going gluten-free is, “Where do I start at the grocery store?” Going gluten-free can be extremely overwhelming if you think about all of the foods you need to eliminate. However, many people don’t realize that there are so many foods you GET to eat.

Who Should Eat Gluten-Free Food?

One of the biggest misconceptions about going gluten-free is that it is for weight loss. I see where the misconception comes from. Those with gluten sensitivity generally find that when they no longer eat gluten, weight loss happens. However, that is not why someone should switch to a gluten-free diet.

There are three types of people who should be eating gluten-free:

• Those with an auto-immune condition such as Celiac Disease
• Those who are allergic to wheat
• Those who have gluten sensitivity

If you are someone who thinks you might have gluten sensitivity, it is good to talk to your doctor about it first before eliminating it. There are no medically approved ways to test for gluten sensitivity, but there are so many different symptoms that can be associated with it. The best way to find out if you are sensitive is by eliminating gluten and other specific foods.

Where To Shop For Gluten-Free Food

One of the biggest shocks of going gluten-free was how much our grocery bill exploded. Gluten-free eating is NOT cheap. It took a lot of experimenting to find what we needed at the best price.

Amazon Subscribe & Save – One of the first places I turned to was Amazon. We got lucky and found several B’s snacks on subscribe and save. When you add more than five products to your shipment each month, you get up to 15% off. This came in handy as we started sending his snacks to school. We were able to buy ahead for the month, as well as some gluten-free brownie mixes.

Thrive Market – Honestly, I was hesitant. Thrive does come with a subscription fee, but ultimately, I did find that we were saving a few dollars by using it. Over time, it adds up. They also have their own brand of food, which is cheaper than most of the name brands. So far, we haven’t found anything we don’t like.

Grocery Store Shop – I found that by spending an hour in each of our local grocery stores, I got a much better idea of the average price of things. Some stores increased the price of specialty products, whereas others were in line with what I found at Amazon & Thrive.

What To Shop For?

Now that you know why and where, how about what to buy? As I mentioned, going gluten-free isn’t as scary as it once seemed. There is a lot you can still eat as long as you make sure to read the ingredients.

Instead of making it more overwhelming, I’ve got good news. I put everything you need to know into an eBook to help you get started shopping for gluten-free foods at the grocery store.