Whole Foods Market and the Gluten Free Celiac
Since I started college, I've learned a lot of things, from the impact of gender on political power to the realization that trying to sneak in kittens by hoisting them through a second-story dorm window will result in more fines than success. One of my last lessons before Christmas break, though, was all about food. Whole Foods Market that is.
For those of you who don't know, Whole Foods is, according to their website, "the largest retailer of natural and organic foods." Or, in celiac speak, it's both tasty and safe. Can you say score?
It was the middle of finals week and a few friends and I decided to escape studying (and the cafeteria food) by having dinner out Wednesday night. I had never heard of Whole Foods before, but my friend K. swore it was food allergy heaven. As soon as she started mentioning a gluten free salad, soup, Mexican food, deli, pizza and sushi bar, I said yes as quickly as I could while drowning in drool.
When I first stepped into the store, I was immediately assaulted by thousands of delicious smells and sights. We snagged a table at one of the in-market bars and for the hour we spent "working on homework" (I couldn't eat without consulting Instagram for inspiration, now could I?), my stomach begged for the huge platters of stacked hamburgers and fries.
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| My lovely theatre book kept me company |
As soon as we entered the hot food bar, though, my craving for hamburgers disappeared. The buffet area seemed to stretch on forever, separate islands of food fighting for my attention. I was so hungry and excited, I even forgot to take a picture! :( Grabbing my food carton (each person fills up their own box or tray and pays according to weight), I started with the salads. With endless kinds of greens, salad toppings and proteins to choose from, I couldn't resist a green dinner.
The amazing aspect of Whole Foods, though, is that, unlike many other restaurants, celiacs aren't limited to flimsy salads. Even though I didn't feel like it the night I visited, I saw gluten free soups (edit: years later, my personal favorite for Whole Foods gluten free soup is the white bean and kale), mashed potatoes, quinoa mixes, grilled vegetables, and I'm sure there were many other options that I missed. And to make it even easier, above every food is an ingredient list (even the lettuce specifics it, indeed, contains only lettuce).
The dinner Whole Foods had my taste buds dancing with its fresh ingredients, quality chicken and enough options to make my head spin. Knowing every ingredient in my meal made my dinner even better! So if you're looking for somewhere to safely snack, Whole Foods is a great place to go! I'd give it a 9/10 (mainly because I haven't explored the more unique gluten free foods - yet).
What's your favorite celiac-friendly restaurant? Have you ever visited Whole Foods? Comment below!
Loved this post! It is so ironic that I went to Whole Foods today for like the second time ever (it is 20 min from my house), just to stop quick and grab some ginger candies that I love. I went with my friends after we had gone ice skating, and I was starving! My friend who is also Celiac and my other friend loved looking through all the aisles at Whole Foods- we were so overwhelmed and excited by the variety of larabars! I wish we would've stayed for lunch, but we had to get home to drop my friend off quickly. I will definitely be going back to Whole Foods again soon!! It is seriously like a small slice of heaven for us gluten free foodies. :)
ReplyDeleteIf you go to the Whole Foods web site and follow the dots to your local store, you can find a list of all the GF products that store carries. So if you read about XYZ GF Burritos or somebody's lamb vindaloo, you don't have to go to the store to see if they have them. And as you may have seen, they have LOTS of GF stuff, spread all over the store. Much of it is on the expensive side, though.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Wholefoods. A new one opened near me and we were there like magnets. I'm going up and down aisles looking for stuff and rating the selection. I even learned if you ask them for products that other ones carry, they will bring them in! :) Yay Against the Grain Rolls will be there soon.
ReplyDeleteI was in Las Vegas for a convention, my flight was long and I was exhausted. On my way to the hotel I stopped at the Whole Foods; I talked to the guys at the hot bar, they helped me pick out what I could have, I picked up some beer, and continued on to my hotel, It was a great meal in kinda night!
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Your review of Whole Foods Market and their gluten-free options is so helpful! It's great to see such a comprehensive overview of the products available. As someone who follows a gluten-free diet, I really appreciate your insights and recommendations. Thank you for sharing your experience!
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