Gluten-Free Finds Its Way to the Front of the Shelves

There is so much to learn about eating gluten free, especially if someone has no knowledge of what exactly gluten consists of.  What specific ingredients have gluten in them? Where can I find gluten-free foods? What stores sell them? Many different questions, like these, raced through my mind as I realized that this was how I would be eating the rest of my life. I’m sure that you are asking yourself similar, if not the same questions. Don’t panic. Nowadays, the awareness of Celiac Disease has increased greatly and the strides toward creating gluten-free ingredients, foods, and products have made going gluten free a lot easier.

The other day as I was making my bi-monthly trip to the local grocery store Safeway, I decided to pay more attention to the different types of products offered there. Normally, I would walk into Safeway knowing exactly what I want, find it, buy it, and leave, but not this time. I took my time as I walked through each and every aisle of the store. I noticed a lot more in doing so and realized that Safeway really does offer a great expanse of choices, especially gluten-free products.

Many food items are already gluten free, but as a first-time celiac, one may be skeptical about whether or not that bag of chips has gluten in it or if that can of soup is flour based. I know that as I went out shopping for the first time as a celiac, I was very cautious about every single food item I looked at in the store. Safeway, along with many other local food stores, has helped accommodate a celiac’s need for gluten-free products.  A lot of the packaging that gluten-free foods are sold in will now say “certified gluten free,” which allows shoppers so much more ease while figuring out if that food is safe for their body. They sell one of the best tasting sandwich bread called Udi’s, they also sell a whole line of rice and corn pastas by Mr. Leeper’s and a ton of rice or corn based cereals. Five years ago, when I first was diagnosed, I did not have this luxury, and let me tell you, that it is a tremendous help and ease now when I go shopping. Not only does Safeway sell these products but it also displays most of their shelves with Simple Nutrition tags. These will say whether you can find a gluten-free product or not, but also include about 20 other additional health related information as well. Some of these tags express if something is sugar free, organic, low calorie and many others. It is a smart and simple way to help out a celiac shopper.  

As a celiac, I face a more challenging process when it comes to shopping for food. Safeway, and many other grocery stores, has helped lift this burden off everyone’s shoulder while shopping for gluten-free products. Knowing that almost anywhere I go I can find gluten-free foods is less stressful and makes my shopping trips a lot better. So to all you first time celiac shoppers who are scared and anxious about buying something that is not gluten free, don’t worry. The advancements towards making gluten-free products available to everyone have taken away many uncertainties for costumers as they make this transition into a gluten-free world.