Grocery Store Reviews

One of my favorite memories as a newly-diagnosed celiac is of the first grocery shopping trip my husband and I took. Gluten-free lists in hand, we must have studies the ingredients of 80% of PCC Natural Markets' shelves. It was an incredibly overwhelming feeling to have many items "unsafe" for me to eat, and yet it was balanced by the wholehearted gratitude I felt watching my husband show me the gluten-free food he found for me. His eagerness and willingness to comply with this burden of a lifestyle kept me going through the narrow isles. While grocery shopping remains a more mentally taxing chore than ever before, I have gotten better at it one store at a time. Different needs call for different stores, but my list below might shed some light on who offers what you are looking for. Take a buddy for support, a list of evil ingredients, and a deep breath - you can do this!

Whole Foods (A+)

• Beautiful, satisfying shopping experience - that means something to me, although it shows on my bill
  
• Great deli for sandwich meats
• I've met some incredibly helpful, smart employees who never fail to brighten my day
• A bounty of amazing things I can eat, although it requires some searching, but so many different flavors and cuisines to taste
  

PCC Natural Markets (A)

• Easy-to-find shelf tags of some popular GF items
• Most packaged GF items (chips, crackers, baking ingredients)
• Pricey - I avoid paying that much for produce
• GOOD for newbies
  
• I feel good about shopping here because they have taken the effort to help our GF friends
  

Trader Joe's (A)

• Offers a huge print-out of GF items in the store
• Trader Joe's label items may be produced in a factory with wheat, but go through a 10-step cleaning process to protect from cross-contamination - that's fine by me
• Cheap! Thank you!
• I do not enjoy their produce - blah
  

Janell's Gluten Free Market, in Everett (B)

• Obviously a welcoming feeling to know you can have ANYTHING in the store!
• Hefty price mark-ups
• Many baked-goods mixes
  

Ballard/Greenwood Market (B)

• I adore these stores, always have - good community presence
• GF items not easily identifiable for a newby, but with a few trips you learn what to get

For what it's worth, here are some of my tips for GF grocery shopping:

1. Let go of the idea of bargain shopping. It's over. Save money elsewhere.
2. Plot where you get produce... an organic delivery service may save you money, or stock up at a store you know offers a better price than, say, PCC. High priced spinach does not mean higher vitamin content
3. Stock up of baking ingredients - you'll probably use them all quickly
4. Keep on hand some packaged snacks, bars, and mixes (pancake, etc.) We don't always need to cook from scratch
5. Treat yourself. It's a bummer sometimes and GF chocolate helps
   
6. Don't rush - labels must be read. When in doubt, go without
   
7. If the ingredient list is too long, don't bother anyways. Do you really want to eat that?