Plants, Pitties, and Power Foods

I do not care for grocery shopping. It’s one of the many adult responsibilities that I dread. Especially having celiac disease….having to read labels and look for indicators of gluten, the absolute WORST! However, I have learned a lot in the last year. Easiest way to stay away from gluten, shop the outer edges of the grocery stores first and only go into the aisles as needed….for most stores. I love Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, and Reasor’s. Occasionally I will go to Whole Foods and in a dyer time, Wal-Mart. Shopping in the outer edges – let me explain what I mean. Fresh, non-processed, fruits, veggies, & meats, milk, and cheese are typically found on the outer edges of the grocery store. Outside of meats that have been preseasoned and of course the bakery, most if not everything is safe for celiacs. So that’s where I start. I try my best to meal prep and know what I want to eat for the week ahead of time and get in and get out…..hopefully not when I’m hungry. My lists start with veggies, any fruit (I am not a big fruit eating person), meat, and then I go strategically through the aisles that I absolutely need. Typically this is brown rice, corn tortillas, and sometimes, GF chips and dips. I recently started using Thrive Market App to purchase my GF options that are frozen and some dried goods that I cannot find in Oklahoma. So far, I really like it! In a later post I will talk about vegetable egg rolls that I purchased from there for my Toni Tuesday salad! But as far as fresh veggies, fruits, and meats, I still go to the local grocery store. As far as sauces, dips, etc, I always look to see if they have the certified GF stamp on them as cross contamination is a BIG thing for a celiac and is not worth me chancing. Although this means my grocery bill is higher each week, it also means that I am not hurting my body and can function. So shop on the outer edges or even better, go to the local farmer’s market for the fresh produce & meat!