When I first had to go on a gluten-free diet, grocery shopping was an extremely intimidating task.  Now, three-plus years into the diet, I once again enjoy shopping and go way too often.  I love trying new recipes & gluten-free products & sharing my finds. 

Larger grocery chains are great for getting your regular grocery items, such as meats or seafood, fruits, veggies, dairy products & grains like rice or quinoa.  Some of these chains also carry a small selection of gluten-free specialty items for your convenience.  These areas in these stores are becoming much larger and have a much better selection than they did 3.5 years ago when I started the diet. 

There are several places that I count on for my gluten-free specialty items. Raisin Rack is probably the closest location for me.   Raisin Rack is located in Westerville, right at the corner of Cleveland Ave. & Schrock Rd.  Raisin Rack was founded by Don and Paulette Caster in 1978 and has one of the largest gluten-free sections that I have seen.  They have 2 large aisles of dry goods (cereals, breads, cookies, energy/snack bars, candy, spices, pastas, soups, pizza crust, chips, snacks) and 1 large aisle of frozen goods (waffles, pancakes, donuts, pies, cakes, pizzas, soups, rolls, bread, English muffins, bagels, hot soft pretzels, frozen entrees, flour tortillas).  They also have many organic & vegan selections.  I could spend a lot of time in this store!  They run monthly specials and have a rewards program.  If you are living gluten-free in the Columbus area, this is one place you don't want to miss.

Whole Foods is another place that I frequent for gluten-free specialty items.  They have a list of items that they carry that are gluten-free that can be found here.  Additionally,Whole Foods Bakehouse makes wonderful gluten-free bakery items that can be found in the freezer at whole foods.  They have an extensive list here.  I love to look at the selection of nut butters here, too.  Whole Foods also has a great cafe that you can dine-in or take out.  The staff is very knowledgeable about gluten & cross contamination.  There are 2 locations here in Columbus, one off of Sawmill and one on W. Lane Ave (This used to be Wild Oats). 

Trader Joe's is the third place that I shop for my gluten-free specialty items.  They have lots of gluten-free items scattered throughout their store.  They have a list of their gluten-free items here.  I love their house brand French Rolls, Fruit Leathers, Red Pepper Spread, Edamame Crackers & much more. The best thing about Trader Joe's?  4 Buck Chuck!  That is right, wine!  Trader Joe's has an amazing, very reasonably priced, wine selection.  Wine is naturally gluten-free, so that always makes me smile.  There are 2 locations here in Columbus, one on Sawmill and one at Easton. 

As you can see, there is no shortage of stores in which to find your gluten-free specialty items here in Columbus.  A number of mainstream grocery stores also have many gluten-free specialty products available.  Kroger, Meijer, Giant Eagle & Wal-mart all have some of those items, plus your typical naturally gluten-free items such as fruit, veggies, meats, seafood, etc.  If you have to follow a gluten-free diet, this is probably one of the best cities to do it in.  Happy shopping!

For more information: Visit Gluten-Free is Life.