How Much Money?

[ando]

hi,

i myself don't have celiac disease, although i am helping out a close one with the disease. she would like to know the approx cost of living on a gluten free diet for a middle aged women for about a month.

thank you very much,

ando

[KayJay]

I don't think it cost that much more than usual. I live on a tight budget so I don't buy bread. I get a pack of rice noodles but mostly I just eat a lot of fresh meat, veggies, and fruits. I find that we are saving money... no more junk food crackers, chips, cookies...no more doctor visits...and lot of energy...priceless

[plantime]

Kayjay is right. Sticking to fruits, veggies, and meats, I saved more on junk food than I spent on real food. Now that I know for certain that I have to remain gluten-free for life, I went to the GlutenFree Mall and spent 70.00 on flours and pasta and such, but it has already lasted over 7 weeks. Just keep the flours in the fridge to keep them fresh. Good luck to you. I hope you get the answers you are looking for!

[tarnalberry]

I concur. Buy fresh foods, avoid the packaged stuff, and cook, and it doesn't have to be a lot more expensive. Of course, you want to plan reasonably... Minimizing high-ticket items (out of season fruits and vegetables, meats, speciality grains) is important, but there's still a lot to be had even when doing that. If she doesn't bother with most of the complicated baking, it'll be even cheaper.

[plantime]

I have learned that I can live quite well without bread! I use corn chips for pizza crust, even my kids love to eat that. Everyone in my house eats better, because I just fix healthier food all the way around. We eat meat and vegetables, with fruit for snacks. My kids do buy poptarts and such for themselves, but they do not have a gluten problem. I thank God they got that from their dad! It also does not take that long, really, to cook proper meals from scratch. If you cook double and freeze, it cuts down for later time used, too. A good microwave can be used, with glass casserole dishes, to cook meat. Time and money-wise, I still come out cheaper.

[travelthomas]

Not only is a diet void of gluten healthier (for everyone) and cheaper, it is also good for traveling around the world. Every place I travel to has rice, fresh vegetables, and some kind of meat. I do not eat fruit, so I don

[oreyes]

Dessa...........

You said you make pizza crust out of corn chips. Do you have a certain recipe that you have made up to use them? That's a great idea that I'd never thought of. I love Mexican food and thank goodness, most of it is permissable but I do miss a good pizza. I know you can buy gluten free frozen ones but they leave a lot to be desired. I don't eat bread any more, just gluten free crackers and chips. I'd appreciate any suggestions

Thanks........................Judy

[plantime]

I use Tostitos Bite Size chips, leave them whole, just spread them out on a plate and put my toppings on. Microwave for a minute 15 secs, and eat with my fingers, one yummy, loaded chip at a time. The ones in the center get soggy, so I use a fork for them. Quick, easy, and tastes like pizza! I use Ragu spaghetti sauce and mozzarella for my toppings, with sometimes ham or pepperoni, tomatoes and green bell peppers. It just takes minutes to make.

[YankeeDB]

I spent a lot of money initially buying gluten-free "convenience" goods (from online gluten-free stores) but I'm gradually learning how to shop more economically although I still indulge in the "goodies" somewhat. Point being, the first month gluten-free may be the most expensive as you learn the diet and try to adjust by mapping your old habits to the new approach.

One helpful tip I have is to shop more often so you can emphasize fresh fruits and vegetables and also take advantage of specials. I joined a food co-op that is smaller than the mega-grocery stores and it seems like much less of a chore (even a pleasure) to walk through it. I still hit the big stores once every 3 weeks or so for some things.

Eating healthy can also be seen as an investment in long term good health which is in the long run cheaper than getting sick!

[celiac3270]

It depends. If you shop around, certain stores sell certain products for much less. In addition, if you buy the normal stuff in grocery stores it'll be the same cost, but if you start going to a lot of health food stores and buying things such as gluten-free bagels or gluten-free brownies it'll start racking up.

[Susan123]

Is Ragu gluten-free? (from above) because I hate Prego but have been eating it because I thought it was the only one commercially.

[Thomas]

Ragu is gluten-free, as well as Classico Sauces. I know the 4 cheeses is gluten-free, as well as the garlic one However,email them or maybe check the website I am sure you can get a list of all the sauces that are gluten-free.

[Clarisa]

I love Mexican food and thank goodness, most of it is permissable but I do miss a good pizza. I know you can buy gluten free frozen ones but they leave a lot to be desired. I don't eat bread any more, just gluten free crackers and chips. I'd appreciate any suggestions

Thanks........................Judy

Hi Judy,

I don't know if you've ever tried the Country French Bread and Pizza Mix by The Gluten-Free Pantry. I made a pizza crust a couple of weeks ago out of it -- I loved it. I put my favorite toppings on it. I also added some basil and garlic to the crust for a little zing! It was so nice to be able to eat pizza again. I had not had any in nearly two years!

Clarisa

[celiac3270]

You said you make pizza crust out of corn chips. Do you have a certain recipe that you have made up to use them? That's a great idea that I'd never thought of. I love Mexican food and thank goodness, most of it is permissable but I do miss a good pizza. I know you can buy gluten free frozen ones but they leave a lot to be desired. I don't eat bread any more, just gluten free crackers and chips. I'd appreciate any suggestions

Try "Chebe" for a good pizza crust. You can't buy it in stores, so you have to get it online, but it is amazing. Don't buy their pizza crust, but get the package for making the bread (it works better) and follow the recipe, then "smushing" it out onto a round "thing". Put it in the oven and when the crust itself has cooked, add sauce (gluten-free, of course), cheese, put it in for another minute or two so the cheese can melt, and it's done. When I started the gluten-free diet, I thought I'd miss my NYC bagels the most. It turned out that the pizza was what I really missed, but this is an amazing replacement. I think it's like five dollars for a package, but then you don't need to deal with gluten-free flours and stuff. Try it.

As for cost: I guess it just depends, like people have mentioned, whether or not you buy the special gluten-free items or not. If you stick to your grocery store and buy the Frito-Lays chips, potatoes, meats, rice, fruits, vegetables, etc. it's no more than what you'd usually spend, maybe less because you're not buying the processed foods. Once in the health food stores, it gets expensive.