Since product ingredients can change at any time, we refrain from including “lists” of individual products considered to be gluten-free. Instead, we have listed a few manufacturer websites and suggest you visit them to obtain the most up-to-date GF food & product listings. We listed manufacturers of products most likely to be found on supermarket shelves, and categorized them by Beverages and Food and yet further by “Mainstream” & Others Certified GF & Organic”. We also listed manufacturer websites by a few specific categories (i.e. candy, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, spirits & supplements). Be sure to check out our list of Apps below to help you search for gluten-free products while at the market!
Tips For Shopping at the Market: Familiarize yourself with the current FDA labeling laws (see Help with Label Reading). Shop the perimeter of the store which usually contains the fresh fruits and vegetables, produce, dairy and organic products. Most of the packaged and processed foods, many of which contain gluten, are in the middle aisles. Gluten-free packaged products are often located along-side the organic ones. Be careful not to pick up a box of pasta that is labeled organic, thinking it is gluten-free – read labels carefully. Shop before 5:00 pm, and take your cell phone with you, so you can easily ring the manufacturer to check on ingredients while in the store, and not after you have brought the product home (most companies will have closed after 5 pm). If you have a question about an ingredient, and did not get a clarification from the manufacturer, do not buy it. Also begin to make a list of gluten-free products that you have purchased, enjoyed, and felt well after consuming. Categorize them by beverages, cereals, soups, etc. Have the list with you on your shopping trips so you can guide through the aisles, easily identifying your favorites. Download an APP to help you locate gluten-free products (see list below)! Consider purchasing the comprehensive Gluten-Free Grocery Guide from Triumph Dining which lists hundreds of gluten-free products (see below).
Since the goal now is to become a healthier you,
why not consider purchasing less processed and packaged foods which contain empty calories, carbs and enough salt to fill Death Valley. Select more naturally gluten-free items such as fruits & nuts, vegetables, legumes, and salads. Less high carb pasta, and more protein-packed grains such as quinoa (really a seed), buckwheat and millet. Have a variety of GF rice on hand – brown, jasmine, arborio, and wild (but you may want to consume rice & rice-based snacks in moderation – research “arsenic in rice”). Select breads which are fortified with nutrients, as many gluten-free varieties are not. Indeed, we should be grateful for the ever-growing assortment of gluten-free products now available, but choose wisely. Sure, keep a few frozen box meals on hand so you will have them in a pinch, but look for varieties which contain organic, natural ingredients. Choose snacks for road trips such as raisins, nuts and seeds, or home-made granola, rather than GF pretzels and potato chips. If you are craving something sweet, how about an occasional bar of anti-oxidant filled GF chocolate – you deserve it!
(Before heading to the market please read: What Can I Eat What Can’t I Eat Other Sources of Gluten)
In addition to the great Essential Gluten-Free Grocery Guide which you can order above, there are also applications to download on your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch which list safe gluten-free products. Check out the following:
Allergy & Gluten Free Scanner by Fooducate, Ltd “Discover and discuss gluten, peanuts, soy & other allergens lurking in your groceries”:
GlutenFreeMe (Celiac Sprue Assoc. approved) with over 20,000 gluten-free product listings
Gluten Free Shopping Scanner “Gluten Free Shopping Scanner offers an easy way to shop for gluten-free products.”
ScanAvert “Detection alarm against ingredients harm” which enables you to scan bar codes
Ipiit, The Food Ambassador (scan product bar code)
Read Gluten-Free App Reviews from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: http://www.eatright.org/Media/content.aspx?id=6442467101&terms=gluten+free+apps
