Whole Foods, Wegmans, MOMs

When I've needed to shop gluten-free for co-workers at a celebration, I always shop at Whole Foods. They have a lot of great frozen items including breads, cakes, etc.

P.S. I have celiac. The fake meat is not a common consideration but if it's important to your guest then you can follow their lead, I assume they have their reasons.

Wegmans. This isn't even up for debate as far as I'm concerned. I'd ask what they need for the first day and then plan a trip with them asap. Not only do they have a huge selection of convenience food, they also do an amazing job labeling their sauces and other Wegman's brand foods. If your visitor has never been to a Wegman's they will be SO happy to go there. (Also, btw, all their sushi is GF but any tempura rolls are done in a shared fryer so I avoid those.)

Take a look at your kitchen too:
No shared sponge between gluten and GF (unless it's just to give a wipe before putting dishwasher)

No wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards, or porous cookware used for GF food prep

If you are using anything like gluten bread or chips it would be great to keep that to one area of the kitchen so crumbs don't fly to other places

Know that oats are an issue for lots of celiacs--even ones labeled GF

If cooking gluten and GF in separate pots, make sure you don't stir with the gluten spoon in the GF food. A knife used on gluten free bread should not go back in the peanut butter or jam jar. Use parchment paper if cooking on a cooking sheet that's been glutened. Stuff like that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will have a houseguest for 2 weeks, I want to get in some gluten-free staples...bread, cereal, fake meat
What's my best grocery store option in NW DC on close in MD?

That's really sweet of you.

Fwiw my celiac spouse is very particular about a lot of the alternative brands. If there's time, he would prefer a trip to the store so he could buy himself any basics. My mom used to try to stock up before his visits, and he really appreciated the effort but a lot of the stuff she bought wasn't eaten.

In general he doesn't bother eating bread or cereal and would prefer eating yogurt or eggs or gf certified oats for breakfast rather than wheat-free processed foods.

For other meals, having rice or quinoa or corn or potatoes with vegetables and meat or fish is preferable to explicit gluten free foods. Instead of fake meat, he'd prefer beans or chickpeas. Basically he tries to center eating on food that is naturally gluten free rather than substitutes.

Expanding on this, my celiac sister can’t eat even gf certified oats. People with celiac have very specific dietary requirements and brand preferences. Just have fruit and eggs and yogurt and take them to the store or get a grocery list from them.

Anonymous wrote:I will have a houseguest for 2 weeks, I want to get in some gluten-free staples...bread, cereal, fake meat
What's my best grocery store option in NW DC on close in MD?

That's really sweet of you.

Fwiw my celiac spouse is very particular about a lot of the alternative brands. If there's time, he would prefer a trip to the store so he could buy himself any basics. My mom used to try to stock up before his visits, and he really appreciated the effort but a lot of the stuff she bought wasn't eaten.

In general he doesn't bother eating bread or cereal and would prefer eating yogurt or eggs or gf certified oats for breakfast rather than wheat-free processed foods.

For other meals, having rice or quinoa or corn or potatoes with vegetables and meat or fish is preferable to explicit gluten free foods. Instead of fake meat, he'd prefer beans or chickpeas. Basically he tries to center eating on food that is naturally gluten free rather than substitutes.

Not a grocery store but Josephine in downtown Bethesda makes safe fresh and delicious GF French bread and boules.

Wegmans is the best IMO, especially the bigger ones.

Some fake meat is not gluten free as it contains wheat. Impossible burgers are certified gluten free if you need it though. Impossible chicken does have gluten in it.

Chili, tacos on corn tortillas, soup using corn starch, or stir fry using gluten free soy sauce are good meal ideas, in addition to roasted or grilled meat with vegetables and rice.

Please do not buy fake meat unless you know that they eat it.

Just buy plenty of produce and real meat, not the fake stuff.