Just About Out Of My Noodle.. Help?

[MissBlueJ05]

My 11 yr old daughter was diagnosed with celiac about 2 yrs ago. I was stunned as it was an accidental finding while being treated for acid reflux. I left the dr office that day feeling like I had a totally different child. Since then it has been a tremendous struggle, as I'm sure it is for others dealing with celiac. I'm a single mom and my only income is from short term disability from my work. It's gotten to the point that either she has to eat things she's not supposed to have, or not eat at all. It tears me up to know that it's hurting her to eat the things she shouldn't, but I can't make her starve. There is absolutely no assistance where I live in Ohio, or anywhere else I have found, for dealing with the expensive cost for gluten free foods. It has me in a serious depression at this point and I just don't know what to do. I've joined support groups online and tried to check around and find some kind of foods she can have that I can afford, but instead I got shunned by some people in the support group that felt I should just "suck it up and deal with it". I'm trying my best, but I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm barely managing to have food around as it is, much less the outrageously expensive gluten free foods in the local stores. Is there ANY help out there dealing with these expensive foods??? Any help would be greatly appreciated. All I want is to be able to take care of my daughter without causing her harm due to foods she shouldn't have.

Sincerely,

Pam in Ohio

[blueeyedmanda]

Actually, there are a lot of foods which are naturally gluten free. Vegtables, fruits and most meats as long as you don't put sauces/marinades/breading etc on them. If you are good at baking, you can make very yummy cookies/cakes for 1/2 the price of buying them pre-made.

Pasta is expensive, but you can buy bags but only make it for her. It will last longer.

I am running out of ideas, but I know people on here have great ideas and will b a great help.

I understand the strain on the pocket, I am the only celiac but with all the other bills and expenses I have it gets me down. I buy very few gluten-free specialty foods. The ones I have I try to make last. Good Luck.

[tarnalberry]

There isn't a lot of assistance because you don't *need* (physically) those gluten free specialty items. As blueeyed posted, there are lots of inexpensive, naturally gluten free items available from the regular grocery store, and the same basic philosophy for eating healthy inexpensively stands on the gluten free diet.

Stick to nutrient dense, inexpensive, filling staples. Base your meals around these items. Dried beans, brown rice (it's more nutritionally dense and filling than white), sweet potatoes, and lentils are the cheapest. Quinoa and millet are more expensive but also very nutrient dense and filling.

Add to that whatever you can afford of (preferably on-sale) vegetables and fruits, to make the meals more nutritious and more filling. Iceburg lettuce is nutritionally inferior to other lettuces, so don't waste your money on it; likewise, when it's on sale, bunch spinach has a variety of uses, so don't be afraid to use it in many ways. Similarly, when you can, stock up - bell peppers may stay good (in the fridge) for two weeks in a bag, so take advantage of sales.

On top of that, add much smaller quanities of proteins. Eggs are a good cheap source of protein and fat, and can be used in many ways. Whole chickens are also very versatile, and if you keep an eye on the ads, can be found inexpensively some weeks.

Juices and sodas just aren't nutritionally all that valuable, and aren't worth wasting the money on when it's that tight and can be better spend on veggies, fruits, starches, and meats.

[Guhlia]

Breakfast: Eggs and bacon, cheese and tomato omelet, fried potato with onion and green pepper and egg, fresh fruit, omelet with leftover veggies from dinner

Lunch: Oscar Meyer hot dogs (no bun) and fresh fruit, Mission corn tortilla wrap with leftover meat and cheese with a yogurt and some veggie sticks, leftover dinner from the night before

Dinner: meat potato (or rice) and veggies

Snacks: yogurt, nuts, fresh fruit, veggie strips with ranch dressing, peanut butter on various fruits

Sometimes making gluten free meals simply requires opening up your mind to accept new ways of eating. Gluten free can be VERY inexpensive and delicious and nutritious. I know I eat WAY better now than I did pre-diagnosis. It's hard and it takes some getting used to, but it is very possible to eat well on an extremely low budget. Perhaps a local church group could help you with any additional costs you incur?

[StrongerToday]

I don't know if you qualify for any assistance, but see what's available from your local food bank. I'm sure they have peanut butter, cheese and possibly some soups that are gluten-free.

I'm a single mom too, I buy meat in bulk when it's on sale. I make big batches (lasagna, etc.) for leftover lunches and "frozen dinners". I do buy the Tinyada pasta, but other then that - cookies, baking mixes, etc. I buy in bulk when on sale and they are a pretty limited treat in our house. Watch amazon .com, last time they had all items on sale, a $10 coupon and free shipping. I bought cookies and baking mix for literally 1/3 the price if I'd bought it in the store. (Yes, I have a whole case of cookies now... what's wrong with that?

[jukie]

Another great resource can be an oriental market if you have one nearby. They usually have great prices on bulk rice and rice-based products including noodles, crackers, wraps, etc.

[lonewolf]

What does she like to eat? Maybe we can help you modify some recipes for things she likes. I have 4 kids and we don't have a lot of extra money for food and we all eat gluten-free at home. We eat a lot of stews, soups, tacos, salads, spaghetti (less expensive at Asian markets or Trader Joe's), meat and potatoes or rice and chili.

[MissBlueJ05]

There is actually an international market nearby, but I haven't found anything more than the regular stores that are more affordable. I have been able to get a pretty good deal on brown rice, but getting her to eat it all the time is another story lol. I'm glad that she likes vegetables but we still have to do things in moderation because she's pre-diabetic. I read how celiacs that do not follow a gluten free lifestyle are at much greater risk of gastrointestinal cancer and it scares the life out of me. The rest of my family refuses to be tested for celiac because they said they'd rather not know, pretty stupid if you ask me. I was tested and was negative. Her father has diverticulitis and may be one that has celiac but he won't get tested either. That's on them, but as for me, I am at my wits end. I just can't afford the gluten free foods. I can barely afford regular foods at this point. I just wish there was some kind of help out there or at least more affordable gluten-free options. A lot of it is mixes and things you have to buy other ingredients for, and those are even more expensive. It's terribly depressing to feel so helpless right now. I'm not giving up, but in the meantime, i'm afraid the damage that will already be done will make things even worse. Thanks for all of the suggestions, I appreciate it.

Pam in Ohio

Another great resource can be an oriental market if you have one nearby. They usually have great prices on bulk rice and rice-based products including noodles, crackers, wraps, etc.

[quantumsugar]

1. If she's pre-diabetic, letting her eat gluten could make her real-diabetic (which would probably be even harder). I'm not trying to sound judgemental... we grew up poor, and I remember how hard it is to find food. Are you eligible for food stamps or something along those lines?

2. When I was diagnosed, I lived off of VERY little money (I still don't have too much). I've lived off of almost nothing but beans and rice for an entire week.

3. I almost never get the "special" gluten-free foods. I eat a lot of beans, rice, potatoes, and you can roll just about anything up in a corn tortilla (Mission white corn I think are still gluten-free). Tuna is good, usually safe, and cheap from a health food place. If she can drink milk, that's usually pretty cheap as well. Stew is great, and super-easy (toss browned meat, garlic, and salt and pepper into a big pot with lots of water; boil for several hours). You can pour that soupy-stew over rice and potatoes and make the meat stretch. Gluten free pasta is a somewhat reasonably priced for an occasional normal-feeling "treat". For a dessert, I sometimes make rice with milk, sugar, and butter. It's a bit like oatmeal or hot cereal.

Hopefully, some of those ideas will help with dealing with the cost. If you need more, feel free to PM me, I'm sure I can think of some more stuff. Good luck, it sounds like a lot for you to be dealing with.

[mscory]

Another single mom here! Here are some staples at our house. Dora Cereal, Coco Pebbles or Fruty Pebbles Puffins cereal. peanut butter with Arrowroot cookies, cheetos, fritos, plain Doritos, Hormel pepperoni, Dinty Moore Beef Stew.

When the Sunday paper has lots of coupons, I buy 5 newspapers. Then I view grocery stores online and use their system to print out only the items I want. Don't forget to look at ach online store for more coupons you print at home. Usually most of the items I need are also on sale. When I find a great deal I buy A LOT! I only do this when I have time and stock up on stuff that doesn't go bad. Walgreen is great for free stuff through rebates.

Contact your local health food store. There is one in the Phx area that is a co-op. I bought a 25 lb bag of rice flour for $25. I shared it with another family who is also gluten-free. I make my own mixes for cookies, muffins and bread. You put all the ingredients in a plastic zip bag and MIX inside the bag VERY WELL.

Buy an appliance or two from the local thrift store. I just got a perfect condition breadmaker for $2. Use the rapid rise setting for gluten-free bread. Also, baked goods are so much better if you use almond meal. It's really expenside in the health food isle, but if you have Trader Joe's, it's less than $4/lb. It really ads a lot of fiber and protein. I also like my rice cooker. I go to an asian market as well and buy Tamaki rice. It has the germ but not the bran. It tastes GREAT! My rice cooker has the tray that sits on top that you put your veggies in. Hope this helps! Cory and Nate

[katrinamaria]

i can relate to being low in $$...college student here... i agree with everyone else, they've given really great suggestions. potatoes are pretty cheap and i use them in all sorts of ways: baked with various toppings (or plain), mashed, crispy roasted in the oven, etc etc. you can add different flavors to make it feel like you're not eating the same thing over and over. i love potatoes. also i eat a lot of bananas and watch for other fruits and veggies when on sale/are fairly inexpensive. rice is also good. a couple of the gluten-free cereals mentioned above go on sale (just got dora the explorer cinnamon stars for 1.19!). corn tortillas are fairly cheap also and they come a whole bunch in a pack. you can make them with cheese inside and do like a taco/quesadilla type thing or i also add lettuce and some cheese and maybe a little dressing to make it like a lettuce wrap or with peanut butter and roll around a banana. canned green beans i aways keep around...may not be as good as the fresh kind but they're like 69 cents a can. i'm sure other canned veggies are similar. i also eat a lot of popcorn. if you can splurge on an airpopper (my dad got a new one cause his old one was crappy, but still workable so i got that one) and if you buy a bunch kernals i don't think the price is too bad. i also get these "thai kitchen" things that are sort of like raman noodles and they are like 99 cents for one (just from target or whatever) and those are a quick lunch.

i'm a vegetarian so i can't help you in that department. i think the bottom line is that you do not need those gluten-free specialty foods. i don't even eat those store bought gluten-free cookies or cakes or things like that. they are too expensive, and besides i'm better off without them. if i need a sweet treat i usually have a fat free chocolate pudding cup thing (88 cents for a 4-pack in the off brand). good luck! and be creative!!

[kbtoyssni]

I try to use baked potatoes, rice, eggs, and corn tortillas (the mexican-style that come in packs of 36) as a base for my meals. It is much cheaper than bread and pasta. I also shop the sales big time. If something non-perishable is on sale, I buy a lot. Buying frozen veggies is often cheaper than fresh, too.

[MissBlueJ05]

Thanks. I do use a lot of brown rice and I try to buy frozen vegetables as much as I can. Problem is, I have very few meal plans with the things she can eat. With her being pre-diabetic we have to watch the foods that have high sugar content, or turn into sugar in the body. So other than just a plain meat, some vegetables and rice, I have nothing else I know I can make. Since I can't afford much, I can't go buy all of the ingredients for baking and other recipes that call for things I don't have. With such a minimal income, I don't have the opportunity to buy in bulk really. My short term disability is down to $205 a month now, and that is really hard to stretch with bills alone, much less meals and such. I am very thankful that whatever I buy from whole foods market I can return for refund if she doesn't like it, even if it's an empty box, as long as I have the receipt. But even they have a limited amount of gluten free foods. Most she won't even touch other than very basic things that wouldn't be much of a meal. School lunches is another nightmare. The only thing she can eat when they are serving things she can't have is salad. She won't eat salad all the time. I go without as much as I can so I can get her the foods she can have, but it's usually not even enough to last a week.

I try to use baked potatoes, rice, eggs, and corn tortillas (the mexican-style that come in packs of 36) as a base for my meals. It is much cheaper than bread and pasta. I also shop the sales big time. If something non-perishable is on sale, I buy a lot. Buying frozen veggies is often cheaper than fresh, too.

[MissBlueJ05]

Did the dr say it was ok to buy a used bread machine? I was going to try and get one but was told not to buy used because of leftover residue from flour, also was told not to use anything that was previously used for non gluten free foods, even to ask when out to dinner if the food was cooked in the same area as non gluten free foods because of residue. I think that's pretty knit picky but I guess in this situation you have to be? I'd really like to get a bread machine but I'm not sure how much affordable the mixes would be, I haven't found any so far that are more than a few cents less. I agree that coupons are great and I'll be looking out for more of them to use. Every little bit helps!

Another single mom here! Here are some staples at our house. Dora Cereal, Coco Pebbles or Fruty Pebbles Puffins cereal. peanut butter with Arrowroot cookies, cheetos, fritos, plain Doritos, Hormel pepperoni, Dinty Moore Beef Stew.

When the Sunday paper has lots of coupons, I buy 5 newspapers. Then I view grocery stores online and use their system to print out only the items I want. Don't forget to look at ach online store for more coupons you print at home. Usually most of the items I need are also on sale. When I find a great deal I buy A LOT! I only do this when I have time and stock up on stuff that doesn't go bad. Walgreen is great for free stuff through rebates.

Contact your local health food store. There is one in the Phx area that is a co-op. I bought a 25 lb bag of rice flour for $25. I shared it with another family who is also gluten-free. I make my own mixes for cookies, muffins and bread. You put all the ingredients in a plastic zip bag and MIX inside the bag VERY WELL.

Buy an appliance or two from the local thrift store. I just got a perfect condition breadmaker for $2. Use the rapid rise setting for gluten-free bread. Also, baked goods are so much better if you use almond meal. It's really expenside in the health food isle, but if you have Trader Joe's, it's less than $4/lb. It really ads a lot of fiber and protein. I also like my rice cooker. I go to an asian market as well and buy Tamaki rice. It has the germ but not the bran. It tastes GREAT! My rice cooker has the tray that sits on top that you put your veggies in. Hope this helps! Cory and Nate

[happygirl]

What types of things of things are you trying to "replace" for her? We eat very few "specialty" gluten free products in our house. The ones we do use, we just discovered in the past year.

I'm not sure what the diabetic diet requires, but what types of things was she eating before being dx'ed with Celiac? What were her typical meals like before this?

[MissBlueJ05]

With her being pre-diabetic we have to watch the sugar content of everything, as well as fruits and vegetables that break down as sugar in the body. Typically before her dx, dinner would be things like lasagna, steak or chicken with a flavored rice dish, and vegetables, beef stews, chili, fried chicken, stir fry with vegetables and pizza every now and then. It's just that everything I would make normally has some kind of mixture with it or sauce that has gluten. It's easier to watch the sugar than the gluten because some labels can be confusing and have ingredients listed that don't flat out say gluten, yet they have gluten in them. She hates the gluten free breads and doesn't care for most of the other items I have found. She doesn't take it very seriously even with the warnings from her doctor. She's 11 and just at that age where she's being rebellious. I'm really worried that if I don't get her on some kind of a routine where she knows what she can and can't have and sticks with it, she's going to be in really bad shape down the road. We've tried just about everything we would normally eat in gluten free foods but only one out of all of them was even remotely tolerable other than cereals.

What types of things of things are you trying to "replace" for her? We eat very few "specialty" gluten free products in our house. The ones we do use, we just discovered in the past year.

I'm not sure what the diabetic diet requires, but what types of things was she eating before being dx'ed with Celiac? What were her typical meals like before this?

[Mango04]

Typically before her dx, dinner would be things like lasagna, steak or chicken with a flavored rice dish, and vegetables, beef stews, chili, fried chicken, stir fry with vegetables and pizza every now and then. It's just that everything I would make normally has some kind of mixture with it or sauce that has gluten.

That's the key right there. She can still eat almost all of the things you listed. You'll just need to make those things a little bit differently. I know it's a learning process but...you really don't need to spend more money on food. You just need to think differently about the way you cook. It doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming. It's actually probably less expensive to make those things without using the pre-made sauces and mixes. I know it seems incredibly frustrating and unfair at first, but all it takes is a slight shift in the way you think about food.

There are some really great recipes in the recipe forum for things like stews, chilis, stir frys, soups etc. etc. that use really basic, inexpensive ingredients. It might help you to browse through those a bit, and hopefully some of the recipe experts (I don't cook with recipes I just throw things randomly in a pan lol) will chime in and give you more specific suggestions.

The key to keeping this diet cheap is to buy very few things that come in boxes and packages. Stick to the (much less expensive) single-ingredient, whole foods. It saves you time that way too, as you won't have to spend your whole day reading labels

[happygirl]

I made a big batch of chili this weekend that was naturally gluten free:

Brown and drain fat off of two lbs of ground beef. Chop up and add one onion. Drain/rinse one can of light red kidney beans and one can of dark red kidney beans. Add one can (small) of tomato sauce. Add 2 cans of chopped tomatoes. Add seasonings to your taste (we add pepper, garlic powder, 1-2 TBS of chili powder, and some shakes of cayenne pepper). Heat, simmer, etc.

A good easy soup:

Find when the Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters are on sale at your grocery store. They'll do buy one get one free. Cook one, serve chicken for dinner that night. Use extra chicken, frozen vegetables (mixed veggies for soup or stew), chicken broth from the cooked chicken that you saved, and if you want, you could also add rice. Supplement with a safe canned chicken broth, and water. Season to taste.

I make "spanish rice" at home with instant rice and tomato sauce, seasonings, etc.

Stir frys: meat of choice, frozen veggies of choice, rice of choice. La Choy soy sauce is gluten free. (there are other specialty brands, but La Choy is a regular brand).

I hope that some of this is helping give you some ideas and hope!

[tarnalberry]

yep, she can still have almost all of those things, you just have to make them gluten free, and it's only a very minor change. being pre-diabetic, it's *far* better that she doesn't have most of the gluten free breads anyway, as they are high carb, low-fiber/protein and likely to just spike her blood sugar anyway. eating natural foods is better for keeping her blood sugar under control anyway - lentils and beans (depending on the bean) have a high enough protein and fiber content that they may be fine for use in her diet. (also get her exercising, as that can help pre-diabetics as well.)

[debmidge]

RE: Breadmachine

It isn't a necessity ....you can make a loaf of bread by hand by either following a receipe or getting a Gluten Free Pantry bread mix. Mix in a bowl, place in bread pan, let rise and bake. Slice when cool and freeze the slices for future use.

Used food appliances are a bad idea unless you are prepared to purchase a new "bucket and paddles" that the gluten free bread is made in. And the used appliance could be embedded with gluten to the point it won't wipe clean.

Also tuna fish is a good protein choice...can be made in casserole with gluten-free noodles.....and then there's mac & cheese casserole (using gluten-free ingredients of course). and mac and cheese casserole with a little cooked ground meat baked in it.

Breakfast could be repetitious as there are so few cold cereals in regular supermarket that are gluten-free. Some were named in a prior post. But for hot cereal "cream of rice." Then there's potatoes with scrambled eggs, or omlettes. For color add chopped green and red bell pepper.

Plain yogurt with fresh berries or boil and strain berries add sugar and you have your own "fruit" part of the fruited yogurt.

Premade and processed foods tend to be more expensive anyway and less nutritious in long run anyway. Since you are home (temp disability) you can experiment with the receipes which can take time to prepare. For instance crockpot meals from scratch...bread from scratch...casseroles, etc. It's good then that you would have time to make these foods and when you are back working you'll know what foods are fastest to prepare, etc. around a working schedule.

Take care...

[kbabe1968]

Hi there. I can feel the pain in your voice! As a mom of three, I know how much it must be hurting you to see your child suffer, and feeling powerless to stop it.

Another suggestions (I'm not going to repeat all the great ones you've gotten so far):

Do you have a super Walmart near you? The kind with the grocery store? Walmart matches advertised prices, even grocery stores. When I lived in Phx. i lived right near one, and they honored grocery ads from 5 different chains in the area. I could sometimes walk out of the store - with 12 to 15 FULL bags of groceries for $50-80!!!!

I would say, too, do some main stream searching. There are a lot of companies that are "mainstream" that sell foods that are gluten free, and we just don't realize they are (i.e. Kraft, Progresso, etc.) Watch for sales.

As far as brown rice being hard to get her to eat....hide it! Instead of buying rice pasta, use the brown rice as a base for spagetti sauce...chili...etc.

Do you have an Aldi near you? They have LOTS of produce that is just dirt dirt cheap. I'm carefully trying thier foods. They do seem to label allergens now, but I'm not trusting any labels that have nothing on them.

I have to feed a family of 5, and not only do I have celiac, but my husband has gout so I have to cut out a lot of foods.

Hoping things get better.

OH...also check out Angel Food Ministries? I don't know if they have anything in OH. I know once a month you can buy groceries for like $25 for a weeks worth of food. Now, yes, it is going to contain gluten containing items. BUT it also does contain fruits, veggies and meats that should be fine. Maybe you could find a friend or neighbor who would barter with you - or give you afew bucks for the foods you can't use. (I'll see if I can find the website for you and post when I can).

ALSO...find a freecycle.org in your area (ours here is set up like a yahoo group and I get emails when people have things). We have gotten so much for free from them from clothes to shoes to a bread machine, food, etc.....we've gotten a lot. The bread machine had only been used twice, I washed it really really well, and I made bread the other day, it was fine.

Hope I helped a little.

[kbabe1968]

Open Original Shared Link

Here's the Ohio list for the Angel Food Ministries.

I'm not sure where you are, but hopefully there is one near you.

[kbtoyssni]

You could try asking the manager at your local grocery store if they ever sell the "ugly" fruit or dented cans for cheaper. Usually they'll just throw this stuff out. Local farmers markets are good places to get cheap produce, too.

[Phyllis28]

Below is the link to information regarding school lunches from the USDA Nutrition Assistance Programs website. There is a section on providing meals for special dietary needs.

Open Original Shared Link

I use tomato sauce and browned hamburger to strech the budget. Brown hamburger with dried onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add tomato sauce. Then I add beans and chili powder for Chili. For spegetti I add Italian seasoning spice, without an anticaking ingredient. The spice I am talking about is not from the envelopes but bottled spice you find with salt and pepper. I serve the sauce over rice. Tacos, I add bottled Mexican spice with corn tortillas and a side of rice or refried beans.

Add salad, cooked or raw vegetables

I wish you well.