Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Grocery Shopping while gluten-free

leni kate
 Share

Recommended Posts

leni kate Newbie
leni kate
Posted

Hi everyone, 

I'm soon planning to cut out gluten for medical reasons, but I've been having a hard time with this. I know some products are labeled gluten free, but sometimes I have to really closely examine the ingredients and this takes a lot of time. (I also do not eat only whole foods as I'm a college student on a budget lol). Anyone experience anything similar or have any tips for me?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


trents Grand Master
trents
Posted
(edited)

Welcome, leni kate.

What do you mean by whole foods? Do you mean no processed food as in mixes and things with ingredient lists containing many chemical names? Only fresh meat, fruit and vegetables?

There are apps available that can help with eating gluten free. They scan barcodes. https://www.verywellfit.com/gluten-free-iphone-apps-to-help-you-shop-eat-out-563103

 

Have you been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity? How sensitive to gluten are you?

Edited by trents
Scott Adams Grand Master
Scott Adams
Posted

Welcome to the forum!

Just in case you didn't find our Forbidden List, I've included it below. I think everyone should learn to read ingredient labels, and learn what's safe and what's not. It can take more time, but is worth the investment. Also, keep in mind that allergen labelling laws in the USA do require "wheat" to be declared as an allergen if it is in the product, however this is not true for barley and its derivatives, which are used far less often than wheat derived ingredients.

  

leni kate Newbie
leni kate
Posted
  • Author
1 hour ago, trents said:

Welcome, leni kate.

What do you mean by whole foods? Do you mean no processed food as in mixes and things with ingredient lists containing many chemical names? Only fresh meat, fruit and vegetables?

There are apps available that can help with eating gluten free. They scan barcodes. https://www.verywellfit.com/gluten-free-iphone-apps-to-help-you-shop-eat-out-563103

 

Have you been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity? How sensitive to gluten are you?

Thanks for the app recommendation! Yes that is what I mean, (so to clarify, yes I do eat foods with many ingredients and chemical names sometimes). I do not have celiac disease, I have rheumatoid arthritis and am going to try cutting out gluten to see if my symptoms improve as I know this is a popular diet for many of those with autoimmune diseases.

leni kate Newbie
leni kate
Posted
  • Author
29 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

Welcome to the forum!

Just in case you didn't find our Forbidden List, I've included it below. I think everyone should learn to read ingredient labels, and learn what's safe and what's not. It can take more time, but is worth the investment. Also, keep in mind that allergen labelling laws in the USA do require "wheat" to be declared as an allergen if it is in the product, however this is not true for barley and its derivatives, which are used far less often than wheat derived ingredients.

  

Thank you for this!

GF-Cate Enthusiast
GF-Cate
Posted

It is really time consuming to grocery shop at first, though once you figure out which brands you like and which stores carry which things, it does get easier & quicker. But you'll probably have to dedicate more time to it at first (and unfortunately it is generally more expensive).

Look for the "certified gluten free" labeling and "gluten free" labeling (good to read up on the differences - CGF is under 10ppm (parts per million) & tested for compliance, gluten-free is less than 20ppm and testing protocol is at the discretion of the manufacturer).

Just be aware that if you're eating a lot of servings of packaged food, you may still be getting enough gluten to cause symptoms/reactions and trigger an autoimmune response and you make need to continue to tweak your diet. This is what happened to me. 

I have good luck ordering online and having products delivered to my house - this can be a huge time saver. Stores such as Target let you sort grocery items on the website and narrow down the selection so you only see gluten-free. Free delivery over $35, so no extra cost. If there's a product I use on repeat & it's something that keeps well, I'll get 5+ at once to save time (like boxes of pasta). Amazon and WalMart (which in my area also carries a really good selection of gluten-free products at the store), are also my go-to's for online food ordering.

My household is gluten-free to keep me safe & symptom-free, so I order a lot of stuff this way for family members who eat gluten-free but don't need to medically.

Lots of grocery stores have dedicated gluten-free sections (or "natural" sections where they keep a lot of the gluten-free items), so that can help narrow it down. 

Take pictures of products and brands you like as you try them and make a folder on your phone (or a list in a notes app), so you can refer back (I always think I'm going to remember the gluten-free crackers I like the best and which stores carry them, but I never do).

My strategy is going to 3-4 grocery stores routinely, so in a month I go to a different one each week & stock up for the next 4 weeks with the things I can only get at that store.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,113
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    ArielGartner
    Newest Member
    ArielGartner
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.2k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • StaciField
      My bone structure is disintegrating and I’m having to have my teeth removed

      By StaciField · Posted

      There’s a Cosco in Auckland in New Zealand. It’s a bit away from where I live but it’s worth the travel for me. Very appreciative of your advice.
    • Wheatwacked
      Celiac Maybe a Possibility?

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      It seems you have proven that you cannot eat gluten.  You've done what your doctors have not been able to do in 40 years. That's your low vitamin D, a common symptom with Celiac Disease.  Zinc is also a common defiency.  Its an antiviral.  that's why zinc gluconate lozenges work against airborne viruses.  Vitamin D and the Immune System+ Toe cramps, I find 250 mg of Thiamine helps.   When I started GFD I counted 19 symptoms going back to childhood that improved with Gluten Free Diet and vitamin D. I still take 10,000 IU a day to maintain 80 ng/ml and get it tested 4 times a year. Highest was 93 ng/ml and that was at end of summer.  Any excess is stored in fat or excreted through bile.   The western diet is deficient in many nutrients including choline and iodine.  Thats why processed foods are fortified.  Celiac Disease causes malabsorption of vitamins and minerals from the small intestine damage.  GFD stops the damage, but you will still have symptoms of deficiency until you get your vitamins repleted to normal.  Try to reduce your omega 6:3 ratio.  The Standard American Diet is 14:1 or greater.  Healthy is 3:1.  Wheat flour is 22:1.  Potatoes are 3:1 while sweet potatoes are 14:1.  So those sweet potatos that everyone says is better than Russet: they are increasing your inflammation levels.   
    • Scott Adams
      Weird Symptoms

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      My mother also has celiac disease, and one of her symptoms for many years before her diagnosis was TMJ. I believe it took her many years on a gluten-free diet before this issue went away.
    • Jeff Platt
      Weird Symptoms

      By Jeff Platt · Posted

      Ear pain and ringing your entire life may or may not be TMJ related but could be something else. A good TMJ exam would be helpful to rule that out as a potential cause from a dentist who treats that. I have teens as well as adults of all ages who suffer from TMJ issues so it’s not a certain age when it shows up.   
    • cristiana
      Weird Symptoms

      By cristiana · Posted

      Not sure if related to coeliac disease but my ear ringing  has stepped up a notch since diagnosis.  Even since a child silence really hurts my ears - there is always a really loud noise if there is no other noise in a quiet room - but my brain has learned to filter it out.  Since diagnosis in my forties I also get a metallic ringing in my ears, sometimes just one, sometimes both.  But it comes and goes.   My sister also suffers now, we are both in our fifties, but she is not a coeliac, so for all I know it could just be an age thing.  I do get occasional stabbing pain in my ears but that has been all my life, and I do appear to be vulnerable to outer ear infections too.  So not a particularly helpful reply here, but I suppose what I am trying to say is it might be related but then again it could just be one of those things.   I think in the UK where I live doctors like you to report if you get tinnitus in just the one ear.  I reported mine but no cause was found.  Most of the time it is nothing but sometimes it can have a cause that can be treated, so perhaps worth reporting to your GP.  
×
×
  • Create New...