Now that you’ve gone through your kitchen and cleared all the products that contain gluten, the pantry and fridge might be looking a little bare. Time to go shopping! During the Creating a Safe Kitchen video we suggested keeping a list of all the products you gave/threw away that had gluten in them. If you still have that list then you will know which items you need to find substitutions for at the store.
Before you head out, add anything else to the list you need to stock up on. Here are some common items that people need to find a gluten-free option for:
- Pasta
- Bread
- Crackers
- Cereal
- Salad dressing
- Soy sauce
- Frozen meals
- Baking supplies
It might sound like a lot but don’t worry! There are plenty of gluten-free options for all of these! Before you head out to the store, here are a few tips to keep in mind to help with time, taste and money:
- Plan on spending more time at the store than you normally do the first few times you go shopping for gluten-free foods. You’ll be looking for different products than normal so it’s nice to not have to rush. You might have to go to a health food store to find some products, so plan on potentially making two stops.
- Find a shopping buddy. If a family member, friend, co-worker or anyone you know who has been gluten-free for a while and has experience shopping, ask if you can tag along so they can show you their favorite products and the areas in the store to shop. For example, many gluten-free breads are in the freezer section so you could spend a lot of time wandering if someone wasn’t there to show you!
- Adjust your budget. You will probably find that most gluten-free foods are a little more expensive that their glutenous counterparts. Clip coupons!
- Buy one, not two. Until you and your family figure out what gluten-free products you like then don’t stock up on 6 boxes of pasta. Try a couple different kinds until you lock down a favorite and then stock up.
- You may want to print out and bring with you a copy of our Hidden Sources of Gluten to help with label reading. Always make sure a product says “Gluten-Free” somewhere on the label. Click here to learn more about label reading.
- Some stores have added gluten-free labels next to a product’s bar code. Check with your store’s manager to see what steps they’ve taken to alert customers what products are gluten-free.
- Don’t forget your reusable shopping bags!
- Be patient and take your time. Read labels and have fun!