The Beginners GF Grocery List

GF Food Shopping 101

One of the most daunting experiences after learning of a Celiac diagnosis is re-navigating your grocery store. Suddenly, you need to look at everything through a new lens, and it can be incredibly overwhelming. I’m here to provide a simplified grocery list to limit confusion and generally get you started for the first few weeks, until you begin to identify products you feel comfortable buying.

For starters, it can be helpful to lean on the Certified GF label you’ll see on products (shown above). As you gain experience, you'll feel more at ease reading ingredient lists and identifying warning signs. To start, simply search for the small GF stamp, and you'll know it's safe!

A good rule of thumb is to lean into known GF favorites (especially for pickier young eaters), load up on whole foods which are naturally GF, and do not feel any guilt serving the same meals over and over. Show yourself some grace. This diagnosis comes with a steep learning curve, and there is no rush to be a pro.

I’d like you to be able to reference this list while shopping, so I’m going to include a few notes at the bottom, so the list itself is easy to read. The items I wrote notes on include a * in the shopping list. I also include some favorite brands in the shopping list in case you aren’t sure where to start. These are by no means the only things you can buy! This is what I personally feel is a strong starting point and includes some of our favorite products. I hope it helps guide you in the early days of a Celiac diagnosis, or gluten free journey.

Shopping List

Produce
Avocados
Apples
Bananas
Sweet potatoes
Kale
Broccoli
Pears
Berries
Butternut squash
Your favorite produce picks

PANTRY/SPECIALTY:
Olive oil
Beans
GF Pasta (Jovial, Barilla GF, Banza)
GF Grains (Rice, Quinoa, Arborio/Risotto Rice)
GF Mac and Cheese (Banza and Annie’s)
Breads (Canyon Bakehouse, Udi’s, Trader Joe’s GF, Schar) Almost all breads will be in the freezer section!
GF Tortillas (Siete or Mission)
GF Ketchup (Heinz)
*Salad Dressing (DIY, My Recipe! Primal Kitchen, Newman’s Own, Brianna’s Home Style)
BBQ Sauce (Primal Kitchen, Bone Suckin’ Sauce, Bachan’s)
*GF Tomato sauce
*GF Baby pouches (Cerebelly, Serenity Kids, Mama Bear)
Applesauce
GF Nut/Seed Butters
GF Jelly (Bon Maman, Welches, Crofters)
GF Oatmeal
GF Cereal

*SNACKS
GF Tortilla chips
GF Corns puffs like Pirates Booty
GF Popcorn (if age appropriate)
Rice Cakes
*GF Granola bars (MadeGood, Glutino, Bobo’s, Cerebelly)
GF Crackers (Marys, Schar, MadeGood, Milton’s Craft Bakers, Simple Mills)
GF Jerky (The New Primal Snack Mates, Chomps)
GF Hummus

SWEETS/CANDY
Yum Earth lollipops
DumDums
Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
Hershey Kisses
Junior Mints
Peppermint Patties
GF Baking Mixes (GF Bobs Red Mill, GF King Arthur Flour, Simple Mills)
Icing and Sprinkles (Betty Crocker)

DAIRY
Milk
Butter
Cheese
GF Yogurt (Gogo Squeeze Yogurtz, Stonyfield)

MEAT/SEAFOOD
Any cut of unmarinated meat
Ground Meat
*Hotdogs or Sausages
Seafood (double check anything seasoned or marinated)

FREEZER
GF Waffles and pancakes (Vans GF, or Banza)
GF Veggie Bites (Dr. Praegers)
GF French Fries and Tots (Ore-Ida)
GF pizza crust (Banza, Schar, Trader Joe’s GF Crust)
Frozen fruit and veggies

Again, I want to reiterate there is SO - MUCH - MORE to buy! This is only the beginning. But if you find yourself new to the Gluten Free world, confused and overwhelmed, my hope is this list can be a guiding light as you figure out this new reality and favorite products to buy. Please see below for some notes.

*Salad Dressing: Always check each flavor for GF labeling, as ingredient can vary.

*Tomato Sauce: Rao’s does not have a label, but we use this brand. Primal Kitchen, Fody, and Prego are all GF.

*Baby Pouches: Always check each flavor for GF labeling, as ingredient can vary.

*Snacks: There are plenty of snacks in the snack aisle that are labeled certified GF. Often there is an entire dedicated section or aisle for GF! So do not despair if you don’t see GF in your usual snack area. To begin, this certification is very helpful because it takes the guesswork out of label reading (which, to be clear, is an important skill!) But start slow, and check for that GF certification.

*Granola Bars: Always check GF label/ingredients. Many brands that carry GF flavors also carry similar bars that contain gluten.

*Meat: For processed meat, I only buy labeled GF hot dogs or sausages, such as Applegate Farms. There can be many ingredients in processed meat, so to be on the safe side, I go by the certification.

Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments. Happy Shopping!