Making Gluten Free Affordable

[Chris04626]

Here where i am gluten free is limited to a tiny space on the supermarket shelf, and what there is, is very expensive.

 

How do you eat Gluten Free and be able to afford it? Any suggestions?        When someone in your household was diagnosed did you just switch them to gluten free or did your whole household switch to gluten free?

[kareng]

There are lots of foods at are naturally gluten-free or easy to make gluten-free. Homemade soups, chili ( Williams chili seasoning has no flour filler), tacos, baked chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, etc. I don't make too many meals that revolve around bread.

Use the google function at the top for " budget" or " cheap" etc . We have had a lot of threads with inexpensive gluten-free ideas.

I do only make gluten-free pasta for my family. It was too hard with 2 pots going. I would forget and use the spoon from one to the other, etc. too much stress.

If you find a gluten-free product you really like, sometimes its cheaper to buy in bulk on- line.

[mommida]

My daughter was a toddler when the diagnoses happened.  A 2 year old just shouldn't have temptation around.  The whole household went gluten free.

Now no one can eat it anymore in this house.  10 years gluten free.

 

If there are gluten free products you like, consider buying in bulk over the internet.  Buy a case from the company if possible and cut out the middle man mark up.

[Chris04626]

I have look on amazon, due to i have a prime mebership and can get free shipping which helps alot when buying online. Its gonna be a big change for my son, he is big on pop tarts  and has a major sweet tooth which he got from me lol.

[shadowicewolf]

You can make poptarts at home. There is a company (that has recently been mentioned in this section of the forum) that makes poptarts.

 

It really isn't all too bad. The most i spend on gluten free stuff is a small percentage every month (chex, pasta, and corn tortillas). You'd be surprised how little bread you eat after a while.

 

I'm a major pasta fan so it isn't uncommon for me to have it once or twice a week. I find that the pasta i use sits better with me than the gluteny stuff ever did.

[Chris04626]

oh really great , i will have to took into them. Thanks

[Adalaide]

I don't consider some of my changes to be "gluten free" changes that cost money. So I buy Chex or Pebbles, I did occasionally before too. It just is more frequent now since I'm not buying so many other cereals and doesn't cost more than cereal did before.

 

Where I used to eat, by myself, probably 2 loaves of bread a week, I now go through 1 loaf of gluten free bread a month. Frequently less. A great and cheap replacement is corn tortillas. Grilled cheese? Quesadilla! It is exactly the same thing, only with a flat bread made of corn. Tortillas aren't some magical food that is made to be gluten free, they're just born that way because that is what they are. A local store sells pasta in bulk and offers a 10% discount if you buy it in the boxes. I just buy that way so people haven't been touching it and crap, it's all wrapped up in it's box still when I bring it home and even cheaper than regular bulk.

 

Mostly I watch for sales and don't buy "gluten free" food. The food that is good for you is naturally gluten free anyway. Meats, fruits, vegetables. In cans and frozen you'll want to still read labels to make sure of sauces or seasons, but if we just stick to the basics it isn't expensive at all.

[kareng]

oh really great , i will have to took into them. Thanks

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/100018-glutino-poptarts/

[Chris04626]

thanks. That was one of his first questions. Can i still have pop tarts? lol

[mommida]

If you are going to buy online, check into ebates.com.  They offer 4% cash back on purchases from amazon as an example.  (I don't know if the percentage rate will change and how much.)  I started using the program for Christmas shopping and already received more than $50 cash back!  So I am pretty happy with it. 

[Chris04626]

oh wow thanks