Traversing the Grocery Store Gluten-Free

Traversing the Grocery Store Gluten-Free
By Maureen Stanley, Associate Editor

I remember when I first went gluten-free; I would spend hours at the grocery store. Fear not! You can easily tackle gluten-free food shopping with some important tips in mind:

Do your research and create a list before you shop. Compile a “cheat sheet” of what is gluten-free before hitting the supermarket and bring your reference guide with you.

Stop by the customer service desk. Many grocery stores are now providing a list of gluten-free products they carry in store. Some stores even have a downloadable version you can access online.

Shop the perimeter of the store. Naturally gluten-free fruits and veggies, meats, poultry, fish and dairy products can be found in the outer aisles of most grocery stores.

Explore the inner aisles for gluten-free finds such as canned goods, rice, corn tortillas, Chex gluten-free cereal, Betty Crocker gluten-free cake, cookie and brownie mixes, and gluten-free Bisquick.

Speak to the store manager. Is there a certain gluten-free food that you are wishing your store would carry? Talk to the manager and ask to fill out a product request form.

Read all labels. As time consuming as it may be, reading ingredient labels is the one way you can make absolutely certain if a product is gluten-free.

Shop during non-peak times. If at all possible, plan to do your shopping during a time when your grocery store is not busy (early morning, late evening, weekdays). You’ll feel less pressured when the aisles aren’t jam packed with frenzied shoppers.

Posted on Mon, December 19, 2011 by Maureen Stanley filed under

5 comments (Add your own)

1. Rachel wrote:: I must have spent 3-4 hours the first time I was doing GF grocery shopping! Great article.
Thu, December 22, 2011 @ 6:22 PM
2. Sharon wrote:: Unfortunately, CHEX is laden with sugar and low in fibre. This is often the problem. However, just picked up gluten-free rice krispies.Now the Bisquick I will check out..had to withdraw from tea biscuits when diagnosed with celiac. Thanks
Thu, March 1, 2012 @ 5:21 PM
3. John wrote:: Call me wind bescuae I am absolutely blown away.
Thu, March 22, 2012 @ 8:00 PM
4. Gluten Martyr! wrote:: There's no doubt about it the real challenge is the time required to trawl thru the supermarkets & grocers, reading labels generally fighig uphill battle to find gluten free. That's why I use the internet.
Thu, November 8, 2012 @ 9:05 AM
5. susan_az wrote:: The best tip is this one:
Shop the perimeter of the store. Naturally gluten-free fruits and veggies, meats, poultry, fish and dairy products can be found in the outer aisles of most grocery stores.

YES!!! This is what I tell everyone when they say they're gluten-free and don't know what to eat or where to start. I also tell people who ask me, "what can you eat?" This is the safest and healthiest way to go - eat what God created naturally (along the perimeter - fruits, vegetables, lean meats, poultry and fish). Before all these processed GF products came out, that is what I did and still do.
Sat, December 22, 2012 @ 3:20 PM

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