I wouldn’t have thought I would have to check the label every time I go out to do my weekly food shop, but now, as a gluten free shopper, I have to proceed with more caution than ever. 

Earlier this year I was diagnosed with coeliac disease, and even today I continue discovering new things I can try and add to my changed diet. Coeliac disease is a serious illness where the body’s immune systems attack its own tissues when gluten is consumed. Affecting 1 in 100 people, it causes damage to the lining of the gut, preventing the body from properly absorbing nutrients from food. For me, gluten and barley are my number one enemies.

From experience, people find talking about coeliac disease an awkward experience, with people viewing me as ‘too high maintenance’. Some people choose to believe eating gluten-free is just a weight loss strategy, but for those with coeliac, the reality is very different. With food being such a common topic of conversation, discussion of it is inescapable, which is why I want to extinguish the misconceptions and taboos associated with coeliac disease and discuss the challenges that gluten-free shoppers face on a daily basis.

A hotspot for buying ingredients on a budget in Selly Oak, Aldi is always bustling with students (mostly stocking up on the 89p pasta I can no longer eat). While usually I will look for logos to help me save time whilst shopping, rather than reading the entirety of labels on products, shopping somewhere like Aldi, with queues that parade across several of its shop aisles at any one time makes for a rushed experience akin to what feels like the Hunger Games. I feel I simply don’t have time to scan every item I come across for various labels and symbols, and at such speed, simple misreadings of phonetic resemblance can make for easy mistakes whilst shopping. 

Only recently I picked up a product that I thought read ‘gluten’ in incredibly small writing. The consequence of which was that I ate something containing gluten, and my body inevitably responded. How did this happen? A ‘guilt-free’ cereal bar. The irony was too good to be true. And I didn’t just eat one. My mum sent me the bars as part of a gluten-free shop she’d packed for me prior to returning to university. Trying to save me some time, picking up my foodshop was such a kind act, and I started indulging assuming everything was fine!

My diagnosis has been a lot of learning for me, and it is hard to always make other people aware of it, but this was an easy mistake. Originally I thought my stomach pain was due to cross contamination, another challenge when living in shared kitchen spaces as a student (I make use of a separate toaster!). After an entire week of tucking into the raspberry and white chocolate bars, I realised. 

It’s not just phonetic mistakes. Retailers need to make labels on products much larger and clearer so that consumers are aware of what is safe for them to consume. Making errors like this makes me doubt myself and wonder if I’m a fool for not reading them properly. Inevitably, checking the backs of labels is time-consuming, but clearly, given the inadequate labelling in stores, a necessity. 

As inconvenient as it is, despite saying goodbye to gluten, my health has been improving. As a newcomer to gluten-free living, the risk of eating wheat, rye barley or oats is tricky to avoid at first. What I have found important is focusing on what you can eat rather than what you can’t.

In a digital age with Siri on standby, one way I like to find the best gluten-free recipes is by using AI. I find I can get inspiration for meals by simply typing ‘give me some recipes that are gluten-free, affordable and quick to make’. Its instant response provides me with new and easy recipes. And, with the development of AI becoming more prevalent than ever, it is collecting new information daily that will help people like me find out how to make meals that are safe to eat and are cost-effective. 

In addition, social media has been a great tool in finding gluten-free communities. Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram share individuals’ experiences and advice, and have taught me that eating gluten-free doesn’t mean you have to live off just vegetables!

TikTok in particular has been a critical resource in educating me, with short videos sharing people’s simple food finds within shops, which they incorporate into cooking videos. There are a lot of accounts that make gluten-free content that isn’t all just about food but how they have changed their lifestyle and habits to feel healthier and stronger living with coeliac disease. 

Other than finding the food itself, there comes the even greater challenge of the high costs associated with free-from food, and with the cost-of-living crisis, eating on a budget seems increasingly difficult. While pricier than Aldi, Sainsbury’s has the most extensive range of free-from products in my experience. Unfortunately, there are no student grants or food parcels for those with coeliac disease which I firmly believe should be implemented. 

Learning from my label reading errors and from educating myself online, I now know that if I want to feel healthy and happier every day, taking time to read products should always be a part of my grocery shopping routine.

Despite taking me many instances of trial and error as I learn to be more cautious, if you do take the time, it is possible to eat wheat-free in a way that is affordable and healthy. What would be useful though, is for retailers to make more of an effort with clear labelling to support those consumers with allergies or intolerances. 

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