Gosh, I don't mind eating gluten-free food but I sure do mind paying for it! Yikes!!

There is a health food store near me and I've gotten a few things there like crackers, cereal, soups, pasta, etc. and everything is so much more expensive than "regular" food.

And today I went to Meijer's to check out their gluten free stuff and they did have a lot so I got a few more things. One thing in particular, Ian's frozen Chicken Nuggets. Wow. $6.19 for TEN nuggets!! TWO servings is all that's in the box, for $6.19!!! That's terrible!! I won't be buying them again. I did check the price before I bought them, and sucked in my breath when I saw it. But I guess I just expected there would be more nuggets than what there were.

They're okay. I baked them in the oven, but should have left them in a bit longer. Deep fried would be better.

Celery and carrot sticks are a lot cheaper!!

Rice and beans are cheap to help off set the gluten-free bill. You can make your own chicken nuggets or strips, there are many recipes and tips on here.

You may want to check out Angel Food Ministries. They have an allergen free box that usually contains chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, etc. that are gluten free. I have purchased this a couple of times and it is more economical. You can order online. You have to pick it up on a specific date and their website gives all the details and pickup locations. There are many churches that are pickup spots nationwide and anyone can order. My daughter goes to college out of state and I am able to order online and then she picks it up at a church near her college.

When I feel cheated like that I just imagine that I would've spent about that much if not more had I gone for fast food somewhere. It helps ease the pain a little. But only a little.

I can easily eat a box of Ian's chickn nuggets in one sitting. Thankfully they are not quite that expansive here.

You might check this site and see if you can get food through the Angel Ministry. Sadly, I can't get it here.

http://allergyfreefoods.com/

Mostly we try to eat foods that are naturally gluten free. Rice is no longer really a cheap food, but cheaper than some things.

gluten-free pasta is not as cheap as other pasta, but still as foods go, fairly cheap.

Potatoes are cheap. We do eat a lot of those.

I get as much as I can at Costco. I buy chicken breasts, ground beef, lunch meat and a few other things. They do have gluten-free prepared meats such as beef in Zinfandel wine sauce with vegetables. Husband and I liked it okay. Daughter did not. They also have Carne Deshebrada, pulled pork and some other things. I also buy cases of canned vegetables, meats and tuna. They have gluten-free veggie chips and rice chips too.

You can avoid buying all that expensive gluten-free stuff (which I do most of the time) or you can make some of it yourself, which is cheaper. Generally, I just eat naturally gluten-free food. There are also some cheap subs. I wrap stuff in lettuce or corn tortillas for sandwiches and also use corn tortillas as mini pizzas.

richard

Like many of the above responses, I try to eat things that are naturally gluten free - in season fruits and veggies, plain meats, rice, dry beans... but sometimes you just want a cookie. Or a cracker. Finding cheaper gluten free flours is relatively easy - I have found 3lb bags of rice flour at the "international" grocery store in my area and have made banana bread and red velvet cake with it on the cheap. La Tortilla Factory teff wraps aren't too pricey here and I can only eat half of one if I stuff it full of veggies - plus they freeze well so when I have a bit of extra money in my grocery budget I stock up. They also make an excellent pizza crust- they made probably the best bbq chicken pizza I have ever made. Michael Seasons cheese puffs are about the same price as cheetos. Finding gluten free ice cream is pretty easy, too. I try to stay away from the frozen gluten free items because, in my experience, they are WAY expensive and usually don't taste too good to me (plus they are not so good nutritionally). But if you like Amy's products, you can email them and they will send you a HUGE booklet of coupons. Seriously, I think they sent me $15 worth of them and I stocked up on the frozen meals for when I just want something easy.