Sunday, March 20, 2011

A Plethora of Gluten Free Items . . .

but no one store has them all. I am so grateful for the new gluten free items available in the marketplace. Even a year and a half ago, my choices were limited and not necessarily good.

Today, I can find such a wide variety of items it is almost mind boggling. There is gluten free bread (and GOOD bread), cookies, pasta, frozen dinners, muffins, bagels, waffles, cakes, tortillas, pizza, pretzels and so much more! Yum.

I was delighted when shopping at Whole Foods today and found the new chocolate and yogurt covered pretzels from Glutino. I had seem them on the Internet but mistakenly assumed that I wouldn't find them locally. But that joy soon turned to disappointment when I realized that Whole Foods didn't carry Dr. Praeger's gluten free fish sticks. They were on my shopping list and I had hoped to get everything I needed for the week in one stop. Instead, I now needed to also stop at Vitamin Cottage if I wanted fish sticks this week.

After I had complimented King Soopers on its selection of gluten free items on a comment card, a manager called me to thank me and find out what else they could do to make my shopping easier. She said they wanted to carry more items for people like me so we didn't have to shop at multiple stores. And while I greatly appreciated that call, I now realize that it may never be possible to get everything I want and need in one store.

I love the Out of the Bread Box hamburger buns that I get at Vitamin Cottage but Whole Foods and King Soopers don't carry them. Same for those previously mentioned fish sticks. But Whole Foods has a really large selection of Glutino products, carrying many more than the other stores.

King Soopers is our grocery store of choice for its everyday prices and ability to buy "regular" grocery store items like Coke, Lay's Naturals, Colgate toothpaste, and Skippy Natural Peanut Butter. Luckily the store also has a nice selection of Udi's products, Rudi's breads, waffles and other gluten free "essentials" so I can do my weekly shopping at King Soopers. This means I can stop at Vitamin Cottage and Whole Foods less frequently saving me time and money (who can get out of Whole Foods for less than $100 anyway?)

Look at me! Complaining because I have too many places to shop with too many great gluten free items. So instead I say THANK YOU King Soopers, Whole Foods and Vitamin Cottage for supporting my gluten free needs!