Simple Healthy Life

Lauren Sharpe, foodie extraordinaire behind Simple Healthy Life, gave us some handy hints for how to shop while avoiding gluten

Congratulations! You’re gluten free… not thinking about it as a good thing as you head into the grocery store? It doesn’t have to be so scary and overwhelming. Yes it does start that way, what can I actually eat? How do I know if it’s gluten free? TEMPTATIONS. I promise grocery life gets easier, especially with gluten free living being such a trend these days.

Gluten free living can be this life altering negative eating event if it’s something that is thrust upon you, and you let it. However, it definitely does not need to be. Now that I’m eating a gluten free diet I am so much more aware of how things taste, and don’t waste my time on mediocre foods. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS MENTALITY. I know that sounds like a command, but for reals why waste your time on bad food? Enjoy life, and enjoy mealtime.

When I first went gluten free grocery shopping, I thought I had to focus on the replacement items I would be missing. Breads, cookies, crackers—mainly the carbs and I was not thinking about veggies. Gluten free living let’s you try produce you may not have previously, like beets for example. My new thing for BBQs, especially with it being the summer season, is making veggie salad kabobs. Beets bring a beautiful color to the kabob, and obviously taste delicious. About a year ago I discovered Love Beets and it was life changing. I love making fresh beets, but don’t always have time which is most people’s issues. I feel like every time I talk about beets with people (yes it happens more than you would think!) they say they don’t know how to cook them. Love Beets makes it easy to buy prepared beets (making life more simple) and gluten free.

Props to Love Beets for also labeling their Gluten-Free label on the front of the packaging, this is something that’s going to draw me in because I don’t have to search for it. When I’m gluten free shopping I don’t want to have to search through the ingredients. Yes you must do this when you first start incorporating gluten free food items into your diet, and you will spend AWHILE in the market but as life goes on look for items like Love Beets with clear packaging. Keep life simple.

Back to my breads, cookies, crackers blunder… alright so there are foods out there that are NOT good. These will make gluten free living feel like a chore. My advice? Don’t eat the bad foods! It’s that easy. Food standards should not be lowered because you’re living gluten free. Please keep that in mind. So what should you do? Go produce, go easy packaging, look for the gluten free section in your grocery store.

– Lauren Sharpe