When you first start eating gluten-free, you quickly realize just how much gluten you had in your kitchen and on your shopping list. It can be overwhelming. Once you learn a few basic shopping tips, like learning how to identify alternative sources of gluten, and what contains vs may contain means, it starts to fall into place. Don’t get me wrong – you always have to have your gluten-free guard-up. Whether you are grocery shopping or dining out, you always have to be on gluten alert, but it does get easier with the help of a well-stocked pantry. Having a well-stocked pantry full of the best gluten-free pantry staples is where it all starts. It’s truly the foundation of your gluten-free journey.
The goal is to create a safe food environment where all the traditional food items you are used to using/cooking with/enjoying, are still available to you, but in its gluten-free form. A well-stocked pantry is also necessary if living gluten-free on a budget as it will help minimize the number of higher-priced gluten-free convenience foods you purchase.
Free Inventory Tracking Printable
To help you stay on top of your pantry inventory, and ensure it is stocked with only fresh (read: non-expired) food items, we have created a free printable inventory list for you. There are 4 columns to track key information – see below an explanation of each column:
| COLUMN NAME | COLUMN DESCRIPTION |
| ITEM | List the name/type of each individual pantry item being tracked |
| DATE | The date that the pantry item(s) was/were last tracked |
| QTY | The number of units on hand |
| EXP | The expiry date of the pantry item |
Click/tap the button below to GO TO the Printable Inventory List and then view/print/download. Easy-peasy.
Basic Gluten-Free Pantry Staples for Gluten-Free Foodees
We included a few brand suggestions based on our personal experience but feel free to choose your own favourite brands.
Gluten-free flours, Starches and Agents:
- Gluten-Free Flour (Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking flour and Robin Hood Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Blend are great options as they are readily available)
- Rice Flours (white, brown, and glutenous)
- Almond Flour
- Potato Starch
- Tapioca Flour
- Corn Starch
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Xanatham Gum*
- Cream of tarter
*In gluten-free baking, we rely on xanthan gum to provide elasticity and stickiness in our doughs and batters. Since we don't have gluten present, we need something that acts as the binding agent for the flour, helps hold onto some moisture, and helps give the baked good some structure.
Gluten-Free Rice, Grains, and Pasta:
- Rice (brown, white, aborio, minute rice, wild)
- Quinoa
- GF Oats
- Buckwheat
- Gluten-Free Pasta (like Catelli, Tinkyada, or Rummo for example)
- Rice Noodles
Gluten-Free Bread and Cereal
- Gluten-Free Bread and/or Buns
- Gluten-free bread crumbs
- Gluten-Free Dry Cereal (Chex Gluten- Free Cereal is delicious)
- Gluten-Free Oats
Dry and Canned Goods
Spices and Sweeteners
- Salt, pepper, and all the individual herbs and species that you prefer
- gluten-free taco seasoning (seasonings need to be confirmed gluten-free – be sure to read the label of all seasonings)
- Pure Maple Syrup
- Sugar(s) (white, or brown, etc)
Oils, Vinegar, Sauces, and Condiments
- Grapeseed Oil
- Olive Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Gluten-Free Soup Base
- Gluten-Free stock (dried or liquid)
- Bragg’s Liquid Amino
- Gluten-Free soy sauce
- Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce (The Wizard’s™ Organic Gluten Free Vegan Worcestershire)
- Ketchup
- Mustard (Grain and yellow)
- Salsa
- Gluten-free mayo
- Gluten-free barbecue sauce
Snacks, Treats and Misc.
- Raw Nuts and Seeds
- Dried Fruit
- GF Cookies like Oreos and Great Value GF Maple Cookies
- Popcorn kernels or Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop
- Pretzels
- Crackers
- Corn Chips
- Hard corn taco shells
- Soft corn taco shells
- Pickles
If you are new to gluten-free living, we hope this list helps get you started. If you have more experience with living gluten-free, what do you think about our list of gluten-free pantry staples? Are there others that should be added? Please share your thoughts in the comments so we can all benefit from our collective experience. That’s how we all grow and live better. It takes a village, remember 😊
Happy shopping, my fellow GFF’s 🛒
