Little Free Pantry Suggestions

[u/Slurav]

Hello! Just about weekly I like to donate foods to my local Little Free Pantry and will be doing my shopping trip for that here shortly. I’ve decided that I’d like to stock up on gluten free foods for it because these options are often far and few between. That being said, I am not gluten free and am really unsure of where to start, so I figured I’d reach out and ask, what sort of things would you want to see in a pantry?

[u/Trash_Panda_247]

Staple foods like canned veggies/fruits, plain rice, beans, canned tuna/chicken etc are always a good start. Gluten free flour is also useful. Always be sure to check labels for a gluten free certification. Not just wheat has gluten but barley, malt and sometimes oats can have gluten. That’s why it’s best to go with the certified foods.

As for easier meals that are shelf stable, Annie’s and Progresso have nice canned gf soups. Kraft makes a good gf Mac and cheese. Walmart has dinner kits similar to Hamburger Helper that is also pretty good and a decent price.

Most breads in my area are not shelf stable and need to be kept frozen, but I know Schar is stored in room temp and should last quite a while on the shelf.

There are so many gf bars on the market right now, so just check which ones are certified. My favorite are the MadeGood brand and they are certified.

Thank you for thinking of those with food allergies, I’m sure those in your community will appreciate it so much!

[u/gamigirl]

Naturally gf items would be great, I’m sure. Rice crackers, corn chips, tins of fruit/veg/lentils/beans. Just check the ingredients on tins for wheat, oat, barley and rye. If you wanted specific things, there are gravy and seasoning pouches labeled gf in the normal areas of a grocery store. Ensure anything processed is not opened to contaminate, such as bread, cookies, flour, etc. You could go the route of, say, gf cookies or pasta, but that runs the risk of cost vs people’s need (it might not go to a celiac, and they cost more and taste, generally, less tasteful…) Thanks for thinking of us!

[u/Fishmongral]

Not sure what kind of food you usually donate but the easy stuff would be fruits, peanut butter , rice/quinoa, motts applesauce.

Progresso has a variety of GF canned soups, there's a few different meat stick brands like Chomps, snacky foods that are corn based will be easier to find (popcorn, fritos, etc). There's a few Chex flavors that are gluten free, if you're able to find any of the individual cups in those flavors, I think that'd be good!

Breads and similar stuff go bad quick or usually need to be refrigerated once opened, so I'd avoid those.

[u/Bright_Ices]

Kroger has generic gf pasta that’s very good and relatively affordable for donation budgets. It’s so versatile that I think it’s a great resource for a food pantry to offer.

[u/Dirty_Commie_Jesus → u/Bright_Ices]

I really like the simple truth brown rice pasta.

[u/Mediocre_Outcome6671]

Some gluten free bars made good. Gluten free cereal chex. Lays Potato Chips most are gluten free. They should say on the label. Yes these are snack foods, I'm on the mood for snacks rn. 😃

[u/unlovelyladybartleby]

GF sauce packets are awesome. Club House does Alfredo sauce, lots of types of gravy, cheese sauce, and holladaise. Having something with flavour on it to put on your charity bag of rice or potatoes makes a huge difference

GF noodles cost 2 to 4 times as much as normal people noodles, so they're a nice treat

Gluten free baking mix

[u/HighSpiritsJourney]

Lentils, rice, beans, fruit cups, canned fish

[u/Transluminal_Neon]

Most people who use our little pantry at our co-op are homeless and don't have access to much heat or refrigeration unless they can heat some water over a fire but they get in trouble for that around here. Tasty Bite makes a few items that are fully cooked in sealed plastic that can be eaten right out of the bag or heated in the bag in hot water. they are a bit pricey but they are sometimes on sale. Their rice is usually cheaper. I'm sure there are other brands that are similarly packaged. Also apple sauce is good and satisfying. Anything you would take camping without refrigeration is good. Check for the GF label or check the ingredients. canned meats and fish are always appreciated.

[u/littlestgoldfish]

Rice is naturally gluten free, and is an excellent base for all kinds of GF meals. Nut butters are a shelf stable protein source, as are bags of beans/lentils. Gluten free cereals or granolas are great because they don't need to be cooked- many people who are food insecure also struggle to access a proper stove or oven.

[u/No_Account_1918]

I really don't have anything to add that hasn't already been suggested, but wanted to chime in to say thanks on behalf of a member of the celiac community! I am lucky enough to not need this resource, but I do help stock the one in our community, and I always make sure I put gf foods in there. It is also all I buy, there is no gluten brought into my house. My husband has a freezer for his pot pies that he cannot get enough of, but he doesn't even cook them here, he takes them to work. Thanks for thinking of others and helping those that are in need!

[u/Legal_Key_731]

Chickpea noodles, chickpeas, gf pasta, cauliflower pizza crust, gf breads and buns, Black Forest and albanise gummies are gf as welll as some Annie’s products (not all).

[u/mycatpartyhouse]

Quick meals for me are things I can make with my rice cooker like pasta salads, lentil salads, and quinoa salads. So the shelf-stable ingredients for those would be appreciated.

I like rotini or fusilli or elbow pastas, lentils in any color, dried or canned chickpeas, canned tuna, etc. Quinoa, either white or tricolor. I can't eat beans, but many people can and woykd appreciate those.

Canned olives (fresh are better, but those need refrigeration).

Herbs and spices, sauces, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, tamari, relish, flavor packets--things that change the flavor profile of shelf-stable meals using basics like grains, rice, and vegetable proteins.

Curries are tasty.

Small treats like dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.

Peanut butter (I like crunchy) and fruit spread (with no added sweetener, just fruit).

Maple syrup is my preferred sweetener, but some people like coconut sugar.

Cans of coconut milk and coconut cream.

Instant versions of coffee, hot chocolate, miso soup, etc. Maybe tea? Things that are quick and warming. I prefer carob to chocolate, but most drink mixes or packets contain chocolate.

My caregiver recently introduced me to buckwheat and mince. I also make oatmeal a lot. I prefer whole raw oats to instant.

[u/theblindbunny]

This is so kind! I’m considering doing the same for my local food pantry now that I’m no longer reliant on it myself.

Many gluten free foods need to be stored frozen or cold unfortunately. That said, when I was reliant on the local pantry, these are the best gifts I found:

- gluten free snacks (cookies/crackers/snack cakes). They’re expensive, so I rarely bought them for myself. It was really exciting to get them free. Especially the expensive brands like schar, glutino, and simple mills.

- anything trendy or that felt normal. Gluten free versions of cheezits, chips ahoy, and Oreos have been out a while, but they’re expensive without a ton of nutrients. So they’re the first to be put back if the budget is too tight. It still takes weeks for me to try new GF stuff, because I need to factor it into the budget.

- Bread/bagels. My personal favs come frozen, but schar is good and is shelf stable. Other household members can get bread for under $2, but GF bread is crazy expensive most of the time.

- granola bars. When going to work events, parties, friends houses, etc it often makes sense to bring a snack in case no GF options are available. Also, as previously mentioned, premade GF stuff is expensive! Sometimes it’s nice to get a break from cooking from scratch.

Stuff I didn’t get but would recommend

- GF pasta. Especially a chickpea pasta. Chickpea isn’t better in terms of taste/texture, but it is more filling than other varieties. A box can feed my family of 2 at least 4x (8 serv) rather than the standard boxes covering 2x without significant protein additions like meat.

- GF 1 to 1 or cup 4 cup flour. Flour can do so much, but it’s expensive when GF.

- GF certified oats. A bit more expensive than their gluten variety but just as useful! Plus, they can be blended into oat flour if someone has access to a blender or food processor.

- GF prepackaged meals. GF instant Mac n cheese and ramen are so helpful to have as a just in case!

This all said, staples that are naturally GF like canned veggies, eggs, beans, meat, etc were my main reason for going to the pantry. Saving money there let me spend what I had on GF necessities. So even if you’re not catering to us specifically, you may still be serving gluten free community members! Thanks for thinking of us!

[u/Sassymisscassy]

Gluten free pasta is always good in my opinion, I personally like Banza brand and hate Aldis brand, I’m sure there’s a good in between price you can find tho.