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Gluten Free and Dairy Free Food or Vegan Grocery Stores in SLO

Posted by San Luis Obispo Mom on Monday, November 22, 2021 Under: Vegan
As I'm getting more familiar with finding things that are gluten-free and dairy-free for a family member, I feel so fortunate that San Luis Obispo is so understanding on dietary needs at restaurants and grocery stores. I think if I were in a different town, in a different state, it would be a very different and difficult journey.

Here's a list of grocery stores that I've found to have gluten-free snacks in San Luis Obispo County so far:

  1. Grocery Outlet - The Grocery Outlet that we frequent is in Arroyo Grande and they have a whole side of an aisle dedicated to gluten-free products! I was so amazed and everything was priced right. You can find almond flour and other special flours for the best deals here. There were really cool products that I've never heard before that were gluten-free.

    Currently there are several Grocery Outlet locations in San Luis Obispo County and they are located in the following cities: Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Los Osos, Paso Robles, and San Luis Obispo.
  2. California Fresh Market - I feel that when I am looking up recipes for wheat substitutions, I can always rely on California Fresh Market to find random things like arrowroot powder and gluten-free pasta. These substitutions can be pricey here at California Fresh Market, however.

    They also carry a lot of vegan options like vegan butter, and other vegan snacks for those who are on a plant-based diet. Pro-tip: find more gluten free bread in their freezer section! Our favorite snacks there for our family member who has to stay away from gluten are cookies by a brand called Enjoy Life. There are currently two California Fresh Market locations in San Luis Obispo County: Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo City.
  3. VONS - Amazingly, VONS also offer an array of different gluten-free vegan snacks as well. Best of all, you can usually find one in many cities in San Luis Obispo County. The one I usually frequent even has an area dedicated to Gluten-Free food items labeled with a clear big sign. I'm so appreciative of this. A lot of the items under this area are also vegan.
  4. CVS - I know this seems like such a random place here on my top places for gluten-free snacks but I've found this one particular brand called MADE GOOD that has these amazing granola snacks that are individually wrapped and I've always been able to find them at CVS. It's free from nuts, gluten-free and organic. These are great to carry on the go or on the plane (must be unopened to go through the TSA line). I find it very hard to find boxes of vegan or gluten-free snacks that have them individually wrapped inside. This is especially important if you want to make sure you're giving the correct snacks to kids who are allergic to particular food items.
  5. Target - Target is a really great and reliable place to find gluten-free and vegan food products and a convenient place if you're looking for other things besides groceries. What I especially like about Target is you can find many of these products online and have them deliver to your home! This makes it very easy when you can't get to the store, especially with a busy schedule. No physically scavenging around a whole grocery store required! There are 2 Target locations: one is San Luis Obispo City and the other is located in Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County.

Local San Luis Obispo Vegan or Plant-based Products:

  1. We've found a frozen dessert company recently that creates dairy-free ice cream and uses coconut milk instead of cow's milk. These "ice cream" are vegan as well and naturally these don't have gluten as an ingredient. The name of the company is Scoop the Magic. We've tried mint chip and chocolate sea salt and they are both delicious. In all honestly, I actually prefer it over the normal ice cream and they're so easy to scoop right out of the freezer! Most importantly, my lactose intolerant son approves! They are based in San Luis Obispo. (2024 Update: I went to the local California Fresh Market to see if they had their dairy-free ice cream because that's where I used to buy them and I didn't see any. I hope they did not go out of business.) 
  2. Paleolicious Bread Co. is a great local San Luis Obispo business that focuses on vegan alternatives. We've tried a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie that's vegan that they packaged and it's comparable to the best cookie I've ever had. They also make other creative items like Coconut Bacon, which is vegan but has the smokey flavor like bacon. (2024 Update: Their most recent social media post was June 2023. I hope they did not go out of business.)
  3. Harvestly is a time-saving San Luis Obispo based business that can send you local and fresh vegetables and fruits to your home periodically! I've had a delivery before and it's so convenient. There are also other produce delivery services and that are delivered by local farms around San Luis Obispo (SLO) County.

In : Vegan 


Tags: vegan grocery store san luis obispo  slo  gluten free snacks for kids  gluten free food  gluten free grocery store 

About Me


San Luis Obispo Mom Originally from San Diego, California, I'm a San Diego State University alumna, veteran's wife and mom of two kids who were born two years apart. After living on the East Coast for 6 years, we now reside in San Luis Obispo County and here, the exploration continues.
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