Gluten free grocery store foods can help you save money

Buying gluten free grocery store foods can save you time and money. Specialty shops are sometimes located miles from your home. And of course it would be way to expensive for most people to buy a full weeks shopping there! This means a trip to the local supermarket would also be necessary. Why not start by looking for gluten free grocery store foods and see what you can find that is safe?

Avoid the forbidden aisles

If everyone in your family needs to follow the gluten free diet you can speed the shopping process up by avoiding the bread and baked goods aisles. Also steer clear of the processed foods or ready meals sections. Why make yourself feel bad by walking past things that would make you ill if you ate them?

Of course if the whole family needs to avoid gluten it can work out really expensive!

This page will give you tips and hints for shopping gluten free, but if actual product information is what you are after then you can't do much better than buying a copy of either theGluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide 2008-2009 or Cecelia's Marketplace Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide. This second book is also known as "The gluten free shoppers bible!" and lists foods by brand name, or shop name, making it super simple to check whether the contents of the box in front of you on the shelf are safe to eat or not.

Safe gluten free grocery store foods

Fresh vegetables, especially those in season, are full of goodness and flavour. Ring the changes so you don't get bored. Why not try something new once in a while. Our local supermarket even has preparation and cooking instructions printed onto the shelf labels. Don't forget to take a pen and notepad to jot these down if your grocery store helps in the same way.

Fresh fruit makes an ideal snack. Add sliced bananas to your cream of rice for breakfast, pop a crisp, juicy apple into your lunch box or stew some apples for a quick dessert.

Meat, poultry and fish form a large part of most diets. (Although there is no reason why you can't be a vegetarian coeliac if you wish.) Check processed meats such as beefburgers for the addition of rusk or wheat flour before buying them. Sausages too need care, as they often have cereal binders in them.

Dairy foods including cheese, milk, cream, and yoghurt (check ingredients) are gluten free. However, when you are first diagnosed with coeliac, you may find you are lactose intolerant, so you may need to steer clear of these for a while. Often dairy foods can be re-introduced to your diet after about one year.

Cereals and grains are not just limited to wheat, barley and rye. There are many gluten free grains that can be eaten safely.

Drinks and beverages include fresh fruit juices, some herbal teas and soya or rice milks if you are lactose intolerant.

Frozen foods, especially vegetables, are normally safe to eat. Do check the potato chips (French fries) however, as they may include a coating that is not gluten free. Frozen ready meals will need careful checking.

Ethnic foods. Many supermarkets now have an ethnic section, where a variety of naturally gluten free flours and grains are on offer. Rice based gluten free grocery store foods such as rice crackers and noodles can be found here. Look out for corn tortillas and breads here too.

Specialty foods. More and more grocery stores now provide a "Free From" section. Although these breads, crackers and cakes are often also available on the internet, buying them locally can save on shipping costs. While you are new to the gluten free diet, it can be easier and cheaper to buy bread etc. than to attempt to make your own. Gluten free baking uses different techniques to ordinary cooking and may take a while to get used to. Mistakes can be costly!

So gluten free grocery store foods can save you money, save you shopping time and be healthy and tasty. What more could you ask?

ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS: Blink Del.icio.us Digg
Furl Google Simpy Spurl Technorati Y! MyWeb

Gluten free flour

read more

A day in the life . .

Living gluten free