I Went Gluten-Free, and These Are My Favorite Grocery List Go-Tos

In 2019 I decided to cut out gluten to help with sensitivity and potentially reduce my PsA symptoms. Here are some of my favorite products for meals and snacks.

If I could fix my psoriatic arthritis (PsA) with a simple change in diet or by doing yoga rather than taking medications, I would. I think that’s probably true for a lot (if not most) of us.

When I was first diagnosed, I had read online that some people have success in reducing their symptoms by eliminating gluten from their diet. I remember wondering why neither my rheumatologist nor my dermatologist had told me this or given me any instructions on how I could change my diet to reduce psoriasis or PsA symptoms.

I realize now that, just as we all respond differently to the same medications, we all respond differently to changes in diet. There aren’t clear studies linking specific changes in diet to reduced symptoms, so it would be impossible to recommend what to do outside of the basics: “Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and drink plenty of water.”

Probably one of the most frustrating things about PsA, for me, is that there is no one-size-fits-all fix.

But in 2019 I decided to try going gluten-free anyway. I had been having gastrointestinal (GI) issues since long before PsA came into the picture, so I figured I needed to change something.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking and started Otezla (a psoriasis/PsA medication) the same week I went gluten-free. Because I started both at the same time, it was hard for me to tell how much of a difference cutting out gluten was making in my skin and joint symptoms versus how much of the positive change was just from taking the medication. Either way, my psoriasis plaques lessened and my joint pain started getting better.

Months later, I still wondered whether cutting out gluten was worth it for me. Gluten-free food is expensive (understatement of the year), and I missed being able to order whatever I wanted at restaurants. So, 4 months after going gluten-free, I attempted to add gluten back into my diet slowly.

It wasn’t good. My GI symptoms flared up for an entire week, and I felt bad enough that I went to a quick-care clinic to find out whether something more was wrong. It wasn’t! They just told me to go back to not eating gluten, LOL.

Long story short, I’m not sure how much cutting out gluten helps or has helped my psoriasis/PsA symptoms. What I do know is that I have gluten sensitivity, and cutting out gluten reduces inflammation in my GI tract.

I have to think that doing anything to reduce inflammation anywhere in my body is also good for managing PsA. So I am gluten-free, and I wanted to share with you some of my gluten-free grocery go-tos. This isn’t all of them, but these are some of my staple purchases for making the meals and snacks I love.

Snyder’s Gluten Free Mini Pretzels: Amazing paired with peanut butter. Or one of my very favorite snacks is a little plate of these pretzels, carrots, cucumber, and a handful of cashews. I like to dip the pretzels, carrots, and cucumber in hummus! The combo is too good!

Schar Gluten Free Entertainment Crackers: I used to be a total sucker for Ritz crackers. I mostly don’t like any other gluten-free cracker I have found (which is a bummer), but this one is the closest I’ve come to that classic Ritz cracker taste!

Veggies Made Great Blueberry Muffins: When I was little, blueberry muffins were my favorite. I felt overwhelmed by the idea of trying to make GF blueberry muffins myself if I ever wanted them, so I was very happy when I came across these at the grocery store one day. They come frozen. You just pop them in the microwave and then boom, you’ve got a warm blueberry muffin ready to go!

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix: There are a lot of great gluten-free cookies out there. My favorite type of cookie is chocolate chip, and I’ve found that this brand makes the best (in my opinion). Plus, when you make them yourself, you can get them when they’re fresh out of the oven and still warm!

And finally … here are my staples for bread and pasta. We always have my bread on hand in the freezer and at least three boxes of my gluten-free pasta in the pantry. I love sandwiches and spaghetti.

Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Bread

Barilla Gluten Free Pasta

I’m sorry I can’t give you more of a clear answer on whether changing my diet helped my psoriasis/PsA symptoms much. But my best advice is that if you think something is worth trying and might be helpful for you, then go for it! (But check with your doctor first, of course, if applicable.) I’m always rooting for you!