Quarantine Grocery Check-List: Gluten/Dairy-Free and PCOS Friendly
Hello, Lovelies!
I hope you are all staying healthy and happy! Today I thought it would be fun to share my go-to grocery shopping list that has really helped me during quarantine. I know this post sounds a little strange, but if I go to a grocery store without a list I go a little crazy and often end up purchasing things I don’t need, all the while forgetting about things that I actually went for in the first place. Anyone else do the same thing?
Now, I know the title of this post is a hectic one… but my life is hectic when it comes to my daily diet and I know that many of you struggle with the same things. For the first few weeks of quarantine I felt like I constantly had to run to the store to pick up things I didn’t have. I was cooking/baking WAY more than usual like so many of us are doing at the moment. In trying so many new recipes, I quickly realized that I had been limiting myself SO MUCH just because I felt “restricted” by my gluten/dairy requirements.
I WAS SO WRONG! It turns out, I just needed some free time at home with Pinterest to discover how many delicious and simple recipes there are that I CAN ACTUALLY EAT!!! I now have a pretty good stock pile of pantry goods for any baking cravings, and plenty of fresh veggies. The best part is I only need to pick up the bare essentials when I hit the stores now!
I have created 3 different check-lists that you can download and print out to bring along with you the next time you head to the store. I know it can be overwhelming/difficult to find certain ingredients during quarantine (especially if like me, you have certain dietary restrictions to adhere to) so I hope that these lists act as a helpful guide to make your shopping during quarantine quick and simple!
I have made 3 lists total:
First is a list of Gluten-Free Must-Have products that you need to have in-stock during quarantine
Second is a Dairy-Free Must-Haves list that will be super helpful to have readily available
Third is a thorough PCOS friendly grocery check-list filled with anti-inflammatory, hormone-balancing goodness
List one:
This Gluten-Free Must-Haves list features a selection of products that are great to have on hand in your pantry or freezer during quarantine. Some of my personal favourite gluten-free brands include Catelli (GF pastas), O’Doughs (bread products found in the freezer section of many larger grocery stores in Canada), select Nature Valley products (mostly their GF oatmeal), Kikkoman’s gluten-free soy sauce, Bob’s Red Mill (literally ANYTHING from this brand is amazing), and Good Food for Good (date-sweetened BBQ + Ketchup).
List two:
This list features dairy-free essentials including dairy-alternatives and calcium-rich produce to ensure you get all of the nutrients you need! My ride-or-die milk substitute that I buy in bulk (I literally clear the shelves sometimes…) is Earth’s Own Oat Milk (hands down the best dairy substitute I have EVER tasted…and I have tried A LOT). I am also SOOO in love with the brand Wholly Veggie - my FAVOURITE is their Margherita Pizza (it is dairy-free AND gluten-free as it is made with cauliflower crust and is honestly the only dairy-free cheese I have tried that actually tastes good).
List Three:
This third and final list is extensive but NECESSARY! If you suffer from PCOS… YOU GET IT. It is so hard to maintain a hormone-balanced diet that leaves you feeling healthy and happy. Before I switched up my lifestyle I was CONSTANTLY bloated and felt like I had lead in my stomach… it was awful. Since making the necessary dietary changes I feel light and airy and so good all the time! This list has EVERYTHING I need to have on hand in my kitchen/pantry to get creative and make delicious meals at the drop of a hat (YAS…there will be some overlap with the other two lists, but this is my holy-grail grocery list which also happens to be GF+DF!).
Conclusion…
We are living in a strange new world right now… one that most of us have never experienced in our lifetime, and it is OKAY to feel overwhelmed, stressed, upset, or any other emotion you may be feeling. We are all trying to find a new normal, establish new routines, and find new ways to be happy and stay healthy. The more we help one another (even in the tiniest of ways) the better we will all be. As silly as it may have seemed 3 months ago, going to the grocery store (THE MOST MUNDANE OF TASKS) is now something that can be quite scary and difficult.
My hopes with sharing these lists with you are that you will feel a little bit less stressed having some guidelines to help you get in and out of stores as quickly as possible. A fun little quirk of mine is that I LOVE (like…literally am PASSIONATE about) making lists, but I know that that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea so I hope you either find my lists useful (if you follow the same dietary restrictions as I do) OR find them to be helpful guidelines for creating your own lists! I hope you are all staying healthy and positive, lovelies!
What are some of your fave products? Do you want a post with GF+DF recipies? Share your thoughts & ideas in the comments below!
Yours, happily,
Kristyn xo
