Let's Go Food Shopping!

[Lawn Toad]

I dred to go shopping for food! and so does my wife! Any Idea's of your own food shopping list to share with me and other's that are gluten free with out the extra cost!

[Eriella]

Here is mine:

lettuce

baby carrots

broccoli

sweet potatoes/yams

apples

bananas

red potatoes

brown rice

garlic

canned tomatoes

salsa

pinto beans

tortilla chips

rice noodles (try notta pasta-- cheap and yummy)

string cheese

cheddar cheese

london broil (cheap beef)

chicken

eggs

peanut butter

So what I eat is an omelet for breakfast, bean dip (rice, beans, and salsa cooked together, covered with cheddar), apples and carrots with peanut butter for my snack, and for dinner I either make spaghetti, grill steak/chicken, or make pot roast.

If you need any of my recipes, let me know.

I hope this helps!

[gymnastjlf]

I've taken the advice of many others on this board in my own shopping. Eat simple-- naturally gluten-free meals.

Ideas:

- Mexican (tacos, nachos)-- McCormicks and Ortega are two taco seasonings I know gluten-free; throw in some salsa, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, taco shells/nachos, corn tortillas (these are really cheap!)

- Stir fry-- Only modification" for a veggie/meat stir fry would be to get the right soy sauce... Wal-Mart or La Choy works for sure.

- Meat and rice casseroles... www.allrecipes.com has entire recipe collections devoted to this (and no substitutions necessary, once again)

- One of my favorite meals.... Mexican lasagna. Combine black beans, salsa, chopped or stewed tomatoes. Layer corn tortillas and the combination, add cheese on top, bake.

- Make lasagna with potato slices instead of noodles.

- Throw together a casserole of potato chunks (or canned potatoes), chopped veggies (my dad who isn't gluten-free likes to use zuccinni, squash, peppers, onions, mushrooms), add tomato sauce and cheese on top. For protein, throw in a meat or bean if you want. Bake till cheese is melted (or longer if you're cooking veggies/potatoes).

- Potato "bread/pancakes"-- Two different ways I've done it. Mix together mashed potato (homemade or instant) with an egg and some milk. Throw in a casserole dish and bake, or else throw in a pan with a tiny bit of oil to fry (pancakes... or bread substitute)

- Then there's your typical lunch meat roll ups (rolled in lettuce or corn tortillas), grilled meats, steamed veggies, baked potatoes

- Salad variations (make it Asian... mandarine oranges, Mexican-- throw on some salsa, spicy, fruity-- add cottage cheese and some sliced fruit on top).

- Lots of fresh fruits and veggies always:-)

I've been diagnosed almost 2 years. I still try to find substitutes but always find myself disappointed. More often than not, anymore, I just forget about the bread/pasta.

Pardon my meal listing... let's try this again. Jess, turn on the brain, read the post. A shopping list. So what's usually in my cart (and will be tomorrow because my closets are bare!). My mom's a diabetic and I spent 12+ hours in the ER with her yesterday when her blood sugar was 676 (yes, 676!). They finally admitted her about 4:30AM this morning and she's still there:-(

Eggs, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese.

Baby carrots, celery, tomato, zuccinni, squash, tomatoes, lettuce mix (and asparagus whenever they're on sale!).

Rice cakes, puffed rice or corn cereal (some people say yuck to this, but I'll eat it morning noon and night. Bowl of cereal with sliced banana and some raisins).

Salsa, nacho chips

Fruit (whatever looks good-- apples, bananas, strawberries)

Chicken cutlets, sometimes some ground chicken/turkey, salmon/fish filets, canned beans.

Plain old rice, plain old potatoes and sweet potatoes!

[Karen B.]

Aside from the obvious fresh fruits, vegatables and meats that I knew were gluten-free, I always used to take along my Hormel list so I could purchase convenience items that I knew were safe.

Open Original Shared Link

Now, I pretty much know what to look for but I always buy turkey sausage, Benecol (butter substitute), Eggland Best eggs (because they taste better and because I'm absorbing all of my cholesterol now). Various condiments. Various juices. Silk soy milk.

I also keep in stock Healthy Choice soups (country vegetable, chicken & rice, and split pea when I can find it) and always Dinty Moore stew. Tortilla chips to go with the soups & stew.

Cans of various beans (always read labels because they change). Corn & green beans for hurry up meals.

Freezer section -- Amy's rice mac & cheese, Amy's cheese enchiladas, Amy's black bean enchiladas and Amy's pizza.

And speciality groceries -- Lundberg Chicken Herb & Sante Fe Grill RiceXpress packages

GFP Favorite Sandwich Bread and GFP French Bread Mixes (I sometimes use these as gluten-free flour substitutes)

Pamela's Wheat Free Bread mix

Pamela's Pancake and Baking mix (like gluten-free Bisquick)

Chebe Mix

Fast & Fresh Hamburger Buns (soon to test their biscuits and pizza crust)

Namaste Spice Cake Mix

Namaste Muffin Mix

Lara bars

ADDED LATER: Cheese! How could I forget Cheddar, Mozzarella and Parmesan

[Guest micah]

I'm very much still learning...but what I did was write down the days of the week and wrote down a meat/fish/bean source, a fruit, and a vegetable for lunch and dinner for each day. (I use mostly canned or frozen fruit and veggies). From that I made a shopping list. I posted my weekly menu in my kitchen so I don't have to think every time I want to eat. It is verry simple eating, nothing too fancy yet because I don't know enough ...this is getting me started though without me going crazy and ending up in some section in the grocery store on the floor crying. That would be embarrassing!

Micah

[Karen B.]

I'm very much still learning...but what I did was write down the days of the week and wrote down a meat/fish/bean source, a fruit, and a vegetable for lunch and dinner for each day. (I use mostly canned or frozen fruit and veggies). From that I made a shopping list. I posted my weekly menu in my kitchen so I don't have to think every time I want to eat. It is verry simple eating, nothing too fancy yet because I don't know enough ...this is getting me started though without me going crazy and ending up in some section in the grocery store on the floor crying. That would be embarrassing!

Micah

I can relate! I think I lived on Tasty Bites and Dinty Moore for lunch for the first 6 months. At work, they joke that if we have to shelter in place, go to my office for meals. But I started keeping a few items as backups in a file drawer for those times when lunch falls through or I work late and need to eat something. Everyone else can order out pizza or get a sandwich but since I can't, I have to plan ahead. Take my word for it, it does get easier.

On the other hand, everyone wants one when I'm making bean & cheese tostadas with Taco Bell Fat Free Refried beans (in the can). I hate to store or throw away the leftover beans so I started offering them around while I have the toaster oven warmed up. It's one of the few gluten-free items everyone likes but tamales are still in first place for our favorite group food that I can eat.

[emorgan816]

I'm with ya on what to buy at the grocery! I was in tears the first time I went shopping - gluten in everything! I'm new to this too (end of March).

Now I go with fresh fruits and veggies. From what I can gather, the more you can stay away from anything "processed" the better off you will be. I get fresh carrots, strawberries, grapes, corn, apples, broccoli, asparagus, bananas and lettuce at each trip to the store - Nothing Canned at all! Meats I get turkey and pork - and to splurge sometimes I get Johnsonville Regular Brats. But I haven't found a gluten-free bun yet for the brats so those are few and far between.

I would suggest doing your homework first before buying anything that is not fresh (unprocessed).

I picked up Gluten-Free for Dummies and that really helped me out. I do not eat anything with "artificial flavoring" unless I check it out first. I had a set back drinking some flavored water - ended up in the hospital - so now I read labels, look stuff up and carry around my 3-ring binder with manufactorer's lists so I know what is safe and what isn't. It is getting easier now - I know what to avoid and what is safe.

Also avoid anything that says it is manufactured on machinery that also processes wheat...I had some nuts that made me horribly sick - I didn't even think about how they were processed! From now on I'm getting the nuts in the shell and shelling them myself. Better safe than sorry!

My new motto is: "When in doubt, Go without!"

Elizabeth

[jmd3]

I dred to go shopping for food! and so does my wife! Any Idea's of your own food shopping list to share with me and other's that are gluten free with out the extra cost!

THe fresh veg and fruits are the best, especially if you get the organic.

Get some instant potato flakes that are gluten-free - You can use this instead of breading on your meats. I was making plain fish, or chicken...and my husband wanted a bit more. So you can dip them in an egg wash, or even water for that matter - then the potato flakes...sometimes I double dip egg, then flakes, egg, then flakes again, really good.

I still prefer plain fish but it works for those in the house that have given up gluten for you ) Keeps them happy too!

I also like the Thai soups, and noodles - they are clearly marked gluten-free - not all are so make sure you read the lables.

Also, if you have a cell phone, carry it with you to the store...you can call the 800 number if you are not sure, it may help. It takes a while, but it is better to be safe and check all the label!

I got a gluten-free list of food from the celiac meeting that I just attended, but I haven't had a chance to upload it. Perhaps in the next few days I will get a chance to do that to be able to send it out in an email attachment.

Our Martin's (some places known as - Giant) Grocery store has a machine that has gluten-free receipes - all you have to do is pick one and it will print out for you.

Almond butter is better for you than peanut butter - Almond butter is higher in Omega 3's!! ( more expensive though)

Peanut butter has omega 6's - to high omega 6 gets you unbalenced! Omega 6 is not that healthy - it is actually bad.

Good-Luck...be paitent, it will get easier with time.

[VioletBlue]

I dread to go shopping for food! and so does my wife! Any Idea's of your own food shopping list to share with me and other's that are gluten free with out the extra cost!

Last Shopping trip was expensive. It was a major shop because I hadn't been in a while and the cost of food just keeps going up. Here are the highlights.

Romaine Lettuce

3 bunches Radish

2 Cucumbers

1 Diakon

baby carrots

4italian squash

mushrooms

sugar snap pea pods

apricots

strawberries

lemons

5lb bag potato's

onions

avocados

sour cream

yogurt

cream cheese

milk

18 count eggs

soda water

thai kitchen noodle packets

2 cans tuna

1 london broil

2 whole chickens

half wild salmon

plain frozen chicken wings

plain Jennie O turkey patties

2 bags frozen spinach

bag of frozen sweet cherries

haagan daze chocolate ice cream

large bag shredded cheese

oscar mayer naturals hot dogs

oscar mayer naturals bacon

black olives

green olives

organic ketchup

mayonnaise

5lb bag of rice

diet cf coke

decaf coffee

olive oil

sugar

ground ginger

dried parsley

I don't bother much with gluten-free breads or cereals anymore. I don't care for any of them and they're just too expensive. I'd rather spend that money on a good cut of meat or seafood or grilling veggies. Most of my fiber comes from veggies rice or potatoes and I occasionally make gluten-free muffins with frozen fruits and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies with Pamelas baking mix which is a separate shop at the organic store.

I'm also allergic to corn and sodium nitrate and I'm just feeding me. I usually wind up picking up fresh veggies and milk once a week and limit the big shops for meat and staples to once a month.

Violet