When my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac, I had no idea what to do. I live in the South where everything is battered and fried. Not an ideal climate for gluten-free diets. All the items I kept on hand for quick breakfasts and snacks, like cereal, included gluten. As we tried to adapt, we hit several snags.
The non-gluten-free members of the family didn’t like the new gluten-free dishes. I received complaints of, “What is this?” And the cost. Wow! Who knew removing an ingredient could add so much to the cost? It gave new meaning to the “whole paycheck” phrase. After several years, I learned to create dishes that no one knew was gluten-free, while saving money in the process.
This week we’ll be sharing how to stock everything you need to prepare gluten-free meals on a budget. Today we’ll be sharing How to Stock A Gluten-Free Kitchen (freezer foods and perishable version.)
How to Stock A Gluten-Free Kitchen
Freezer Foods and Perishable Version
- Stock up on Fresh Fruits. Fresh fruit is naturally gluten-free. Keep a bowl of fresh in-season fruits on the table to grab as snacks. Apples are a good fall choice, while oranges and other citrus fruits are often on sale during the winter. Bananas are a good choice all year. One of my favorite tips is to purchase a bag of overripe bananas, peel them, slice them, and then freeze them. They’re great to add to smoothies, baked goods, or dipped in chocolate for a sweet snack. Use them in our Easy Vegan Nice Cream Recipe or this allergy-friendly Vegan Peach Sherbet.
2. Purchase In-Season Fresh Vegetables. Farmer’s Markets are a great place to purchase vegetables during the spring and summer. One of our favorite summer preparation methods is to sprinkle a little seasoning to the veggies, wrap them in aluminum foil and add them to the grill when you are cooking burgers. We love this Elote recipe (Mexican Street Corn.
* When veggies are on sale, purchase extra, chop them up, and freeze them to have on hand for quick additions to recipes. I do this with onions and peppers all year round.
3. Purchase Cuts of Meat on Sale. Meat is also gluten-free and doesn’t have to cost a fortune Use cheaper cuts of meat like stew cubes that become tender when cooked long and slow-great for soups or stews in the crockpot. Chicken can be purchased whole or in leg quarters. Ask the butcher at your local market if they will cut the whole chicken into pieces, usually they’ll do so for free.
Vegetarian? Tofu is a good substitute for meat. Choose firm tofu to use as a meat substitute and silken tofu to use in smoothies or in baking.
4. Quick Freezer Foods. It’s always a good idea to keep some foods on hand for quick-sides when you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to cook. I keep staples like meatballs, tater tots or hashbrowns, and frozen vegetables on hand at all times.
Tip: Because brands sometimes change their formulas, always check to make sure the ingredients don’t contain wheat. Also, check to make sure they haven’t been processed on a line that also processes wheat to avoid cross-contamination.
5. Dairy Products like cheese, sour cream, and cream are good ingredients to keep on hand to add a touch of flavor.
These are some of the naturally gluten-free foods I keep in our kitchen at all times. They’ve made cooking so much easier; saving me time, space and money! If you are just getting started in the Gluten-Free lifestyle, this is a good start as you build your supplies. Do you have a favorite gluten-free food that is a staple in your kitchen? Let us know in the comments!
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These are great suggestions, I will share this with my Aunt as she is living a gluten-free lifestyle.
These tips are very useful! I eat gluten but also love buying gluten-free products.
My sister-in-law has been doing a gluten-free diet for the past few years! And your tips are handy. I’ll be sharing your post with her & she will love it!
These tips are really beneficial for many of us. Thank you for sharing this list of how to have a gluten free kitchen.
We don’t have any gluten issues in my family, but the pic of the tater tots reminded me that I’m due to make some tater tot casserole pretty soon. lol
Thanks for the great tips, I am not that fully gluten free. but love to treat occasionally with gluten free stuffs.
We don’t eat gluten-free but I have lots of friends that do and I’m definitely sharing this with them.
These are such great tips to how to stock gluten free kitchen! I always try to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables 🙂
My sister in law is gluten-free, I will share this valuable information with her, sometimes it is hard to fnd products for her
We love those tater tots. We love them regularly. They’re just so good for breakfast.
Even though it’s not my diet. Everything that was shared here is great.
I need to show this to my niece. She is gluten free and is always looking for items to eat. This is a wonderful list too. I’m going to show this to her.
I just had my friend come visit from MN. She is gluten free. This is a great list of items. I would add sweet potatoes. She lives off them.
I am sharing this with my friend that is gluten-free! Thank you!!
This post is really informative. Thanks for sharing these tips.
This is helpful for those who are gluten-free. I am not, so I am all about the gluten, but I know many people who can’t have it.
These are all really good suggestions. Although we are not gluten intolerant we have friends that are so it’s good to know what items I can purchase to use in meals when they visit without spending a fortune.
I didn’t know they had Gluten free baking flour! That’s awesome to know! These are some good ones to keep your pantry stocked with.
A lot of people have this idea that everything healthy is pricey! I think it just takes a little research and that’s it. I think these are great tips too.
We don’t eat Gluten Free. GF products are expensive. I think it’s better to make it at home.
Personally, Our kitchen is sugar free. It can be hard but worth it!
Gone are the days when gluten free ARE KIND OF BLAND. YOU CAN PRETTY MAKE A LOT OF DELICIOUS GLUTEN FREE GOODIES nowadays.
Thanks for these tips! Every time I’ve tried to switch us over to GF, it’s cost a fortune.
This advice is super useful. Gluten free eating is very good for you.
We aren’t a gluten free household, but the more and more GF items I try they are amazing. I would love to do more with GF. This is great! – Jeanine
My family does not have sensitivity to gluten, but we do enjoy having some gluten free meals once in a while. I think it is a good idea to stock up on gluten free ingredients and/or baking products. We might have guests who cannot tolerate gluten and I hate making them feel left out. If I have the right ingredients, then we all can enjoy a gluten free meal, whether we have sensitivities to it or not.
I am lucky no one in my immediate family needs gluten free. I do need to know how to cook gluten free for some friends we have, thanks for these helpful ideas.
I have used gluten free cake mixes in the past and I was AMAZED at how awesome they taste!! I highly recommend them and there’s some that’s hard to tell the difference!
Great tips! I can’t imagine how hard it must be to create gluten free dishes the whole family likes. We have been trying to eat healthier and cut back on gluten, and I will have to try some of these tips to make it easier.
This is such a great post! My son is gluten free so I am always looking for new snacks for him!
This is such a helpful post! I’m not gluten free but I’m totally saving this for the future if need be!
This post is just too helpful for those people who look gluten-free food. Even people who don’t have celiac are looking for information like this.
Thanks for these tips. We do not have any special dietary restrictions, however, it would still be good to have this information on hand. Sometimes I get to host a small party and it would be nice to have gluten free food for guests with sensitivities to gluten.
This is great and very handy to have because sometimes we have friends over and one or to need to eat gluten free, so saving this for future reference.
These are some really good suggestions. Fruits and vegetables are our favourites, I will try your tips about freezing Bananas and using them for smoothies.
I have a friend who has a gluten intolerance and I tried to make a dessert she could eat for a party and wow, you’re right, the price is high!
This post will come in very handy for those who have to follow a gf diet. I like the idea of doctoring up the cake mixes to make them tastier.
I am the first to admit that I don’t know much about living gluten free but this is a great introductory post! These sound like yummy items to me!!
I eat gluten free and it can be really expensive. Luckily for us, it is just me who eats gluten free so I can make things last a long time!
I was gluten-free for a short while, and it can be quite pricy! Thanks for sharing your money saving tips!
Ah, these will be good to stock up on for when my daughter comes over for dinner. It would be nice to be able to make more desserts that she’ll eat.
These sound like some really good tips, I’m knowing more and more people who are having to go gluten free so I will have to share these tips with them.
A friend of mine is gluten-free and I think she struggles with what to get. I’m going to share this post because I think this would help a lot.
We always have potatoes on hand, as well as rice. I have also found that gluten-free instant potatoes work well to replace certain things in recipes.
We don’t have to eat gluten free but sometimes I need to make dishes for other people who are gluten free. This was very helpful in know what to keep on hand.
We don’t have anyone in our family that has to eat gluten free, so I admit that I don’t know that much about a gluten free diet. Thanks for giving me information on what is naturally gluten free.