When Mark went gluten-free many, many moons ago, he had a rough time. He truly felt like there was nothing he could eat and enjoy even though he is married to someone who writes recipes and cooks for a living. Over time, as he began to feel more energetic and generally healthier, he fully understood that his old way of eating (a diet of English muffins and cereal) might not be ideal. People go gluten-free for many reasons, for Mark it was a dietary choice rather than a medical necessity.
Cooking for Mark and my children is one of my daily joys, but I don’t like to to have to continually wonder whether I have the right items in my pantry. There are certainly a LOT of gluten-free products on the market—many of them quite good and tasty—but I have always preferred a more whole food, nourishing approach to eating…and leaning towards vegetarian. I do take advantage of some gluten-free convenience items because sometimes dinner has to be brainless and easy like Taco Tuesday or Spaghetti Wednesday.
So here I’m sharing some of the go-to staples that consistently show up on my grocery list…
- Instant Brown Rice – 10 minute brown rice! Perfect for adding to slow cooked soups or as a side for stir-fries or curries.
- Pre-Cooked Lentils – I typically find these at Trader Joe’s. They are cooked and vacuum packed, sold in the refrigerator section. I use them to make French Lentil Salad or add them to taco meat to add some healthy fiber. This is my favorite lentil salad recipe, using pre-cooked lentils saves a ton of time.
- Massel Bouillon – a slow cooker and stove top staple
- Gluten-free Bisquick – Pancakes, drop biscuits to serve with stews, this baking mix has got you covered.
- San-J Tamari – Do you love Asian flavors? If yes, this is the tamari for you.
- Gluten-Free Frozen Meatballs – EZPZ.
- Chex Cereals – 7 Varieties and Cheerios too!
- Barilla Gluten-free Pasta
- Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing – We use this for marinating chicken thighs and for salads, so versatile.
- Blue Diamond Almond Nut Thins – Perfect for snacking and for easy appetizers.
- Steam in the Bag – fresh green beans – Healthy, easy, simple, delicious, and green beans go with just about everything!
I love GFree Overflow for a quick check on gfree ingredients, there are also lots of apps available to make gfree leaving easier.
Gluten-free living doesn’t have to be complicated. Take a deep breath, you’ve got this!
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