Shopping for gluten-free groceries can be difficult for some. Now during the COVID 19 pandemic, it may be downright hard to find what you may need.
The first step is to try and stay home to limit your time within the stores. If you don’t typically have backups in your pantry and only shop for what you need each week, this may put you in a tough spot right now.
At a young age, I learned how to shop from my dad. I was always confused when he came home from the store with a case of soup when we only need two cans, or four bottles of shampoo when we clearly only needed one.
He taught me to be prepared while saving money. I still use many of his tips today, which now save me a lot of money on my gluten-free groceries.
My dad taught me to think ahead. When an item is on sale, purchase more than you need. Use what you need now, and put the rest away for later. The only trick here is watching expiration dates. This system also works great when purchasing bulk items – use some now, save the rest for later.
Think about starting to plan your meals
from what you have,
before buying more items.
You can find out how to do that right here with my Free Cheat Sheet: Shop Your Pantry: Gluten-Free Substitutions for Home Bound Times.
This will teach you how to find other substitutions when you are missing an ingredient and how to stretch your meals while we are stuck at home.
Grab your copy right here:
If you typically shop for the week, start thinking about shopping ahead for about two weeks’ time, or more. This will definitely lessen your trips to the store.
Create a list for two weeks’ worth of meals and snacks. Try buying in bulk and purchase sale items to plan meals. Check out the store or site you’re shopping on for sales, and plan your meals around those items. For example, if chicken breast is on sale, buy more than what you need. Use some to plan a dinner or two this week, then freeze the rest to use in the weeks to come.
What to do now for your gluten-free groceries?
Stores like Target, Walmart, and some local grocery stores, now offer home delivery which is a great option right now. People are sharing that this either works really well or possibly is delayed (taking days to get your order), depending on where you live.
You can also order online for home delivery from the following sites to help find your gluten-free groceries without heading to the stores:
- Thrive Market
- Amazon
- Amazon Fresh
- Vitacost
- Whole Foods
- Gluten-Free Mall
If you have a favorite item, check their company site to see if you can have items shipped to you as well.
Of course, we want to support any small businesses that are still operating to share gluten-free products.
Into the Future
Think about keeping your family safe while planning ahead for your meals and snacks. This habit can actually help you continue to save in the future, long past when we are all finally “back to normal” again.
Stay safe my gluten-free friends!
Come join our community for continued support in creating your BEST gluten-free life:
