• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Helpful GF
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Tips
  • Reviews
  • Work With Sharon
  • Quiz
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Tips
  • Reviews
  • Work With Sharon
  • Quiz
ร—
Home ยป Gluten Free Tips

How to Stay on a Gluten-Free Diet when You're Crazy Busy!

Published: Oct 26, 2018 by Sharon McCaskill ยท Modified: Apr 24, 2023 ยท โœ…Edited and Reviewed by: Sharon McCaskill, MA, RDN ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 6 Comments

Sharing is caring!

1.4K shares
  • Share74
  • Yummly
  • Reddit
  • Flipboard

Learning how to live a gluten-free lifestyle comes with many challenges.ย 

But doing so when you have a super busy schedule feels nearly impossible.ย 

When youโ€™re already juggling a lot, follow these 6 simple tips and see how to live a gluten-free lifestyle with ease!


Are you new here? I also have the following posts to help you implement the gluten-free diet without the stress!

  • The guide to eating out SAFELY when youโ€™re gluten-free
  • 20 of the best gluten-free snacks for on the go
  • How to travel to an all-inclusive resort when youโ€™re gluten-free

โ€ฆand of course, you should join my EXCLUSIVE Facebook communityย โ€œStress-Free Gluten-Freeโ€ by clicking here!


HOW TO LIVE A GLUTEN-FREE LIFESTYLE WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TIME

The gluten-free guide below is based on personal experience and research.ย  Always be sure to discuss any medical changes with your doctor for your personal medical needs.ย Additionally, this post contains affiliate links.ย  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My full disclosure isnโ€™t that interesting,ย but you can find itย here.ย 

When you have a medical need to be gluten free, remaining gluten free even when it is SO difficult is really an act of self love. So take a breath, say some self love affirmations, and use the tips below to keep going!

Make a Plan

I know that meal planning feels like workโ€”but honestly, meal planning is the key for how to live a gluten-free lifestyle!ย 

When youโ€™re juggling multiple responsibilities, you need a plan.ย 

Nothing increases my stress more than coming home after a busy day, with a list of things that still must be done and NO dinner plans.

There are a lot of different ways to meal plan!ย 

I like to plan two weeks of meals at a time, make my shopping list, and do my shopping for those two weeks all at once.ย 

My sister-in-law does her meal plans a whole month at a time and aims to do about 2 grocery hauls a month.ย 

I have a friend who literally has the same meal plan each week for Monday-Friday and then changes it up and tries new things on the weekends. ย 

What kind of plan you have is not importantโ€”but what is important is that you have a plan.

Once you have a plan, keep everything straight using some type of planner! This can be a menu board in your kitchen, something digital, or a printable PLR planner.

Take this quick quiz and uncover the secrets to making your gluten-free lifestyle not just manageable, but truly enjoyable with custom recipes and tips!

in post quiz graphic with image of sharon eating yogurt with text overlay: your custom gluten free blueprint awaits
Take the Quiz Now!

Shop Online

Shopping online saves so much time!ย  I can get my shopping done without ever taking my kidsย anywhere (andย  usually getting a better deal on gluten-free specialty food than my local grocery store).

My three favorite places to purchase gluten-free products online are Amazon.com and ThriveMarket.com (explore Thrive Market and save 25% off your first order by clicking here).

Want to know more about Thrive Market?ย  Click here to read more!

There are also some meal delivery companies such as Green Chef & Hungryroot who provide gluten free meal delivery! Curious about other meal delivery companies? Read this Hello Fresh review.

Stock Grab & Go Snacks

When you do your meal plan and make your shopping listโ€”be sure to get some grab-and-go snacks for when you really donโ€™t have time to cook!ย 

In my family this looks like keeping bars, veggie straws, and fruit in stock for those mornings you wake up too late to eat breakfast or times you need to run out the door. ย 

This is one of my top tips for how to live a gluten-free lifestyle.ย  Youโ€™ll see it repeated in multiple posts throughout my blog!

For more grab & go gluten-free snack ideas, check out this article!

Find a Couple โ€œSweatpantsโ€ Recipes

Ok, so I know the name of this tip is ridiculous, but if youโ€™re wondering how to live a gluten-free lifestyle when you just.canโ€™t.even. this tip is for you.ย 

A โ€œsweatpantsโ€ recipe is a recipe you can prepare on autopilot.ย  You know, something you can put on the table for dinner when youโ€™re so ravenous you want to cry, or toddlers are pulling on you and SCREAMING.ย 

Have two of these recipes in mindโ€”and keep the items for the recipe stocked and ready at home!

Honestly, learning how to live a gluten-free lifestyle is so much easier when you have a few go-to recipes you can just whip out at a momentโ€™s notice.ย 

We have a couple go-to sweatpants recipes: my 5 ingredients pizza quesadillas recipe, gluten-free noodles with sauce, and scrambled eggs.ย 

We also keep gluten-free soup in the pantry and Aldi's brand Gfree Mac and Cheese for real emergencies!

Make a Slow Cooker and/or Instant Pot your BFF!

Crock-Pots are NOT just for making soup.ย  You can make pasta, dessert, applesauce and much more.ย 

Honestly, I use my Crock-Pot at least twice a week.ย  Itโ€™s the best for simple and easy meals at home.ย  I love it because before I leave for work I can just dump my food in it, turn it on, and when I come home starvingโ€”dinnerโ€™s done and ready to eat.ย 

Some Crock-Pots even have timersโ€”so even if you arrive home later than planned, itโ€™ll switch to warm mode automatically.

InstaPots are great too, because if youโ€™re too busy to prep your food in the morning, you can prepare dinner quickly in the evening.ย 

Most models even have a slow cooking option.ย  An InstaPot is almost like an all-in-one appliance than you can use to make anything.

The other advantages? It makes a giant pot of food, so itโ€™s great for leftovers.ย ย  And clean up is easy too.ย 

Most inserts are dishwasher safe, and for even easier clean up you can purchase these Crock-Pot liners!ย  No stuck-on soup residue anymore.

Make Meals Ahead of Time

Who says you need to cook on the day you eat??ย 

I love making food ahead of time to eat throughout the week.ย  Make a large egg casserole and cook once but have breakfast pre-made for 3 days!ย  You can also prep your lunches for a week in individual containers.

See some of my gluten-free lunch suggestions here!

Bonus tip for how to live a gluten-free lifestyle when youโ€™re super busy:

When getting a meal together for the Crock-Pot or marinating meat for the oven, make an extra!ย  Then put it in a freezer bag.ย 

This way on SUPER crazy weeks, you can just take the prepped meal out of the freezer, thaw it in the fridge overnight, and dump it in your Crock-Pot that morning on low OR itโ€™s ready to toss into the oven.

Donโ€™t Set Unrealistic Expectations

So, you saw this amazing gluten-free recipe on Pinterest with only 15 steps and the picture looks JUST like that thing you used to order at that restaurant back when you ate glutenโ€ฆ.. go ahead and pin it!

But save it for a time when you are not under time constraints.ย  One of the quickest ways to become discouraged when youโ€™re first learning how to live a gluten-free lifestyle is becoming overwhelmed with all these new ideas and recipes.

Listenโ€”I love trying out new, fun recipes (this is why I review cookbooks for you all!ย  See my cookbook reviews here).ย 

But when you have a crazy busy schedule, you just cannot do this every day.ย 

I save fun new recipes for Saturdays at lunch time.ย  This is when we are usually at home and arenโ€™t constrained by long to-do lists or scheduling.ย  Maybe your extra time is a Tuesday evening.ย 

Build it into your meal plan.

And if all else fails, just toss some gluten free frozen waffles into the oven and have breakfast for dinner!

What's they key to loving your gluten free life? Get your personalized plan with the guide you need to thrive!

in post quiz graphic with image of sharon eating yogurt with text overlay: your custom gluten free blueprint awaits
Take the Quiz Now!

Experimenting with new recipes keeps things funโ€”but donโ€™t let it add to your daily stress.ย  Keep it simple in the day to day!

Do you have any tips on how to live a gluten-free lifestyle when youโ€™re crazy busy and donโ€™t have time?ย  Comment below and share them with us.

Did you like these tips? Share this post with your friends and pin it for later using the social sharing buttons below!

How to Live a Gluten Free Lifestyle_ Pin3

Other Posts on Gluten-Free Living You May Like:

  • Top tips for EATING OUT gluten-free
  • How to make ANY recipe gluten-free
  • How to prevent CROSS CONTAMINATION in the kitchen
  • Top tips for GRILLING and COOKOUTS

Top Tips for Simple and Easy Gluten-Free Living

More Gluten Free Tips

  • gluten free birthday cake flavors thumbnail image
    Gluten-Free Birthday Cake Flavors Everyone Will Love
  • How to Plan a Gluten-Free Wedding Without Stressing Your Guests (or Yourself)
  • coffee cup with collagen creamer
    Unlocking Wellness: The Benefits of Collagen on a Gluten-Free Diet
  • thumbnail image for college celiac guide
    Gluten-Free in College: How the Celiac College Guide Makes It Easier

Sharing is caring!

1.4K shares
  • Share74
  • Yummly
  • Reddit
  • Flipboard

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brooke

    November 14, 2018 at 4:49 pm

    I am not gluten free, but I will sometimes do some recipes that are for family members or friends. These are great tips and will be sure to share with those individuals! Great post!

    Reply
    • thehelpfulgf

      November 15, 2018 at 8:52 am

      Great! I'm happy you found it helpful!

      Reply
  2. Sara | mshealthesteem.com

    November 14, 2018 at 10:25 pm

    Yes to all this goodness! I especially love your sweatpants recipe tip. I'll be calling it that from now on! Sometimes life gets crazy and we need a simple, healthy meal we can put together in minutes with little effort. It's a lifesaver! Thanks for sharing โ™ก

    Reply
    • thehelpfulgf

      November 15, 2018 at 8:52 am

      Yes! Somewhere along the way sweatpants recipes have become 75% of our dinners! haha

      Reply
  3. Jamie

    November 14, 2018 at 11:04 pm

    So many great ideas. Iโ€™m gluten free and it can be rough not having as many convenience options at your finger tips but it doesnโ€™t have to be impossible either (we do GF Mac n cheese with tuna, chicken, or ground turkey as our favorite easy meal). Thanks for sharing <3 Jamie

    Reply
    • thehelpfulgf

      November 15, 2018 at 8:51 am

      yes! I'm hoping to do a round up soon comparing the different gluten-free mac and cheese available!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi! Iโ€™m Sharon McCaskill, RDN and I'm so happy you are here! Welcome to The Helpful GF where I help you live gluten-free with confidence and without the stress. โ™ฅ

More about me โ†’

Trending Articles & Recipes

  • thumbnail image of gluten free dairy free brunch recipes
    19 Gluten Free Dairy Free Brunch Recipes
  • pin image for low fodmap ideas and recipes
    16 Greatest Low FODMAP Gluten Free Recipes
  • Ruffle chips in a green bowl with text heading that says the best gluten free potato chips
    Best Gluten Free Potato Chips
  • thumbnail for gluten free comfort food post
    28 Gluten Free Comfort Food Recipes to Try

Footer

โ†‘ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Quiz
  • Shop

Please note that some of The Helpful GF's links are affiliate links, and TheHelpfulGF.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. My full disclosure isnโ€™t that interesting, but you can find it here.

Copyright ยฉ 2025 The Helpful GF Sharon McCaskill, LLC

1430 shares
  • 74