What to Buy from Azure Standard: My Real Food, Gluten-Free Family Favorites!
Azure Standard Favorites: What I Buy for My Gluten-Free Family
I'm pretty sure I've turned grocery-budget-slashing into a personal olympic sport this year - and it's working!!
Now I have to admit…I put off this HUGE savings opportunity for a long time, because I wasn't entirely sure if it would be worth it for my family.
As a super normal mom in less than 1900 square foot rental house with a teeny builder grade pantry, I wasn't sure if I was cut out for that approach.
We've got a deep freezer, yes, but otherwise our space is limited, so Costco was about the extent of my “bulk-buying” historically.
So… I put off using Azure Standard for way too long. Since we are a gluten-free family with small space, I wasn't completely convinced it would pay off.
BOY, was I wrong!
The first month alone, my grocery spending was $500 less. No joke.
You can see why I'm so excited to pass this on!
Today I’m sharing my Azure Standard haul and the BEST deals from Azure, as well as all the other details around this company - how it works, if it’s worth it, items I don’t buy from Azure, and more!
What Is Azure Standard?
Azure standard is a family owned and run “drop system” of delivering high quality, affordable groceries and natural living supplies to local areas. Their core beliefs include a focus on organic and quality items, fostering learning, community, and accessibility, and promoting healthy food - from the soil and sourcing up to the food itself.
The system is really quite simple! You find a local drop, create an account, check the order cut-off date, and start shopping! Your order is specific to you and comes in pre-labelled boxes on drop day!
(You can see a full step-by step of how Azure Standard drops work, here!)
Because there is no “middle man”, Azure is able to offer incredible quality and sourcing at amazing prices - helping individuals, families, and communities make healthy eating more accessible and affordable (and if you know my heart for this topic, you can see why I LOVE their mission so much!).
And by the way - if you're trying to simplify healthy meals, my Batch cookbook shows exactly how I use pantry staples like these below to prep real food meals ahead of time!
Why I Shop Azure Standard for My Family
I have felt a big call toward stewardship this year, and have been doing everything I can to bring our grocery budget down. Since we are an allergy family that also prioritizes the best quality food possible, our food budget is hands-down our biggest line item! And while I am okay with that balance, I always want to make sure I’m being thoughtful and mindful of our resources.
At the beginning of this year, I started scouring the web to see if I was missing anything in our grocery budget approach. I saw a big drop in spending in getting consistent with meal planning around my cookbooks, along with shopping at Costco and chains like Kroger over health food stores (you can get great quality organic options just about anywhere!), but I felt like the needle needed to move a bit more.
I had been using places like Amazon to save a bit on our gluten-free pantry needs, like flour, etc (I make my own GF flour blend using the recipe in my Nourish book!), and those costs were certainly adding up, not to mention availability and quality were sometimes all over the place.
Azure Standard came up repeatedly as an option for incredible grocery savings, and while I had used it once or twice in the past, I wasn’t sure if it was really worth it as someone who wasn’t buying bulk wheat grains, which is something they’re often known for!
After my very first order - from the seamless buying process, to a new drop location being around the corner, and experiencing the incredible savings and quality of the items offered - I was HOOKED.
Not only do they have affordable options on the best possible brands and items, but I love the heart behind Azure as well - they are a faith-based, family-owned company on a mission. They have strict standards around what ingredients are sold on their site (prohibiting artificial dyes, flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners), and are truly for the good of the earth and it’s people!
My Favorite Azure Standard Pantry Staples
So far, these are the items I’m ordering on repeat! These are things I have price vetted against other options and have found great savings and quality!
Gluten-Free Flours
Oats & Flour
Organic One-Degree Sprouted Quick Oats
Rice & Pasta
Organic Gluten-Free Pasta (Jovial is my favorite!)
Beans & Legumes
Organic Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)
Baking Ingredients & Pantry Goods
Organic Chocolate Chips (allergen-free!)
Organic White Chocolate Chips (allergen-free!)
Organic Loose Leaf Tea (Roobois is my favorite!)
Frozen
Organic Fries (potatoes are the only ingredient!)
Cosmic Bliss Dairy-Free Ice Cream
Straus Grass-Fed Organic Ice Cream
Force of Nature Ancestral Meatballs
And by the way - I haven't even bought massive bags at this point - even the middle-of-the-pack sized options have been great savings!
These ingredients also help form the foundation of many recipes inside my Batch cookbook, where I show exactly how I turn bulk pantry ingredients into simple family meals!
What I Don't Buy from Azure Standard
I have found several things to be cheaper at Costco in particular, to include:
One Degree Oats (not the quick-cook, though!)
Maple Syrup
Most 5lb frozen fruit bags (the ones that aren’t available at Costco are a great Azure buy)
In-season organic produce
Ghee, grass-fed butter, olive oil, and coconut oil
Animal proteins like organic chicken, wild caught salmon, etc.
Allergy-friendly snack options
I also find myself buying our dairy either locally from a farm or from a local chain store!
Azure Standard vs. Costco: Where I Buy Different Foods
While Azure Standard is my go-to for bulk pantry staples and specialty gluten-free ingredients, Costco is still a regular stop for our family. Here's a general breakdown of where I tend to find the best value for different types of foods.
| Azure Standard | Costco |
|---|---|
| Bulk oats | Frozen fruit and berries |
| Rice and grains | Fresh produce |
| Beans and legumes | Meat and poultry |
| Gluten-free flours | Dairy products |
| Specialty baking ingredients | Eggs |
| Bulk herbs and spices | Healthy snack packs |
| Allergy-friendly pantry staples | Household essentials |
| Hard-to-find real food ingredients | Convenience items and bulk beverages |
For our family, Azure Standard and Costco serve different purposes. I rely on Azure Standard to stock our pantry with bulk ingredients, gluten-free baking staples, and allergy-friendly foods that can be difficult to find elsewhere. Costco helps us save on produce, protein, dairy, frozen foods, and household essentials. Using both allows us to keep nourishing food on hand while staying mindful of our grocery budget.
So…Is Azure Standard Worth It?
If you’re willing to clear up some pantry space, have freezer space, and have the bandwidth to attend the drop-pickup, hands-down yes!
Azure is an incredible way to get quality food at a great price.
Azure is good for gluten-free families, allergy-families, or anyone who just cares deeply about their food and wants to eat well!
Want Help Using These Ingredients?
It's one thing to fill your pantry with quality ingredients - it's another to actually use them before they expire 😆.
If you're ready to turn those pantry staples into simple, nourishing meals your family will love, my cookbook Batch was created for exactly that purpose! With make-ahead recipes, batch-prep strategies, and family-friendly meals built around real-food ingredients, you'll have a practical plan for getting healthy food on the table without overcomplicating it.
Azure Standard FAQ’s
-
For many items, yes! The more you buy, the more you save, too. See the details above for which items I’d buy and which I’d skip for ultimate savings!
-
For a long time I wasn’t sure, and as a gluten-free family I can now offer a resounding yes! Their prices on gluten-free flour items can’t be beat!
-
For a family of 5, we have found that every other month works well to top off low items, however, buying in 25lb bags can stretch that timeline further. We have a smaller space to work with, but even every 2-3 months is a great rhythm for mostly 5lb bags!
-
While not every item is organic, you can filter any search by “organic only items”, and Azure also has very high standards for ingredients, banning artificial ingredients, MSG, and more!
-
Azure Standard has amazing deals on allergy friendly items like gluten-free flours, dairy-free ice cream, and more!
