Scared

[mcs1984]

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this but i have been thinking a lot the last couple of days on how we are going to afford going gluten free. Right now the 3 of us live with my parents for another 3 weeks. In that time we will be moving out and with in the same week our 4 year old has his upper and lower GI scope done. After that my husband and I decided that we still need to go gluten free no matter what. I have been trying to go gluten light well we are here at my parents and i have been feeling a little better. But what i am scared about is how are we going to afford it all. We are lower-middle class and some times its just hard to get by. How do you handle this, everyone keeps telling me that our food bill is going to double and that scares the cr** our of me. Anyone have some advise?

[darlindeb25]

Eat whole foods--junk foods are very expensive anyways. Potatoes, chicken, rice--all very inexpensive. Potato chips, Lays Regular, made in Plano, Texas are gluten free, your son will probably like those. Veggies are good for us all, frozen are usually a decent price and much better for you than canned, yet you can usually get canned veggies on sale at times too. Yes, gluten free pasta's are more expensive, but in the beginning of going gluten free, you should stay simple anyways. Most store bought gluten free breads, in my opinion are yucky, but I live quite happily without bread. You may have to find a good recipe to make your own. In the beginning, many find raw veggies hard on the tummy. There are some gluten free cereals, some regular cereals that are now gluten free too. Just have to do some research in the forums now, before you go grocery shopping.

Good luck.

[Respira]

Going gluten free has actually helped my budget. You do a lot more cooking from scratch which is a lot cheaper than ready made and processed foods.

[home-based-mom]

I agree with the above posts. With few exceptions, stay out of the center aisles of the grocery store and just shop around the edges where the fresh and frozen foods are.

Buy meats and veggies fresh or frozen. Do you have a Farmer's Market? Get good deals there. Our ancestors ate what was in season because it was available. You eat what is in season because it is cheap. If it isn't on sale or in season, don't buy it. Eat something else.

The Open Original Shared Link website offers a lot of hints on frugal shopping and eating - lessons learned out of necessity. They are not gluten-free (although IMO they should try it as they have CFS and FM) so you won't be able to follow the advice exactly, but the principles can be applied to your own situation.

Processed foods are convenient - and expensive. Cooking from scratch is much healthier and cheaper. Quite a statement from someone who gets *no* enjoyment from cooking!

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I, too, have found that I have spent way less on food since going gluten-free (though admittedly, I've spent more time in the kitchen!).

Kids are crazy about chicken nuggets, and you can make those from scratch (gluten-free, of course) very easily and much more cheaply than buying frozen.

For example, you can buy chicken tenders in bulk, roll them in seasoned corn meal, crushed gluten-free corn flakes, crushed gluten-free potato chips, put on a cookie sheet, drizzle with melted butter or spray well with PAM, and bake til crispy and golden-brown. Freeze leftovers on a cookie sheet in the freezer, then put in freezer-safe zipper bags when frozen solid. When you want some in a hurry, just bake, or even microwave, and serve with ketchup!

If you have more time, you can first dredge them in cornstarch, then dip them in beaten egg, then roll in the crumbs--it does work better, but takes a little extra time.

Most kids like plain white rice, especially the kind you get at Asian restaurants. Electric rice cookers are about $40, but you'll get a ton of use out of it, and you can make 4-8 cups of rice at a time without having to constantly watch the stove. You can buy rice in bulk at Costco or Sam's Club--it costs more up-front, but the long-term cost savings are ridiculously huge!

Organization is the key here--if you can plan a week's worth of menus in advance, and do the necessary shopping and prep work, you'll find it's way cheaper than last-minute supper planning, especially if you don't eat out or get take-out.

Good luck!

[mcs1984]

Thanks you, I am planning on cooking a lot. I have been getting a lot of practice at home since i cook a lot of my dads meals. I found a book on breads and my mom and I are going to start working on those and see if we like any of them. I have started cutting bread out of my diet and i so far have not missed it. Vincent love pancakes so i was going to look for a recipe for those and then freeze them. I think what scared me the most was looking at the different flours and not know cost it all gets you at once. Thank you for the rice cooker idea i didnt think about that. I do have a bread machine and a pasta maker that my brother is giving me so i hope that helps us. What do you do when your child or children will not eat veggies. Right now i can only get corn down him. He used to like it all and well not so much now. We do have a farmers market and we go there once a week to get our peppers and tomatoes (he loves).

Thanks again for helping......

[Fiddle-Faddle]

From what I have read, the pasta machine is a waste of time for gluten-free use. But you can get rice noodles VERY cheaply at Asian stores. If there isn't one near you, you can probably order through Amazon. The best rice pasta is from Kinnikinnick (a Canadian company)--it isn't as cheap as regular pasta, but if you order in bulk, it's not bad, and you can probably get free shipping. It might be worth it, as it really is indistinguishable from regular gluteny pasta.

If he likes tomato sauce, you can hide veggies in it like carrots, onions, and sweet potatoes--cook'em really well and then mash them and stir them in. Most kids will eat raw carrot sticks and raw sweet red pepper sticksdipped in things like ranch dressing or hummous (tell him it's white ketchup if he's a ketchup lover).

Olives are also good kid food--he can put one on each fingertip and nibble them off.

Frozen peas and carrots, microwaved for 4 minutes with NO water, but with a couple of pats of butter, a drizzle of honey, and a little salt and pepper, are usually good Kid Eats, especially if they get to play with them first, like counting how many there are, and making fces with them, etc.

Bribery can work wonders--a chocolate chip at the end of the meal for each mouthful of veggies, that sort of thing...

[dandelionmom]

For veggies you can try providing dipping sauces (especially if you put the dip in teeny tiny bowls). My girls love veggies in hummus, ranch dressing, ketchup, or melty cheese. And ditto the bribery suggestion! We have a "no dessert until you eat your veggies rule." It works even if dessert is just fruit with a little whipped cream.

We also try serving a veggie course while I finish making the rest of dinner. I tell them it is hor devoures.

[mcs1984]

thanks guys, its funny but he loves ketchup, nothing else....He does not like cheese, i think its because he has always been on soy (he has a lactose problem) so i am going to pick up some soy cheese and try that. He only likes noodles plan no sauces and hates raw veggies. So i think whats its going to come down to is eat or dont eat or i am going to have to start using pennies (doing it with chores works great) because the whole "no dessert" he turns around and say ok and does not care. But come to think about it might work with "no choc. milk"...Talking about choc. milk we have been doing ovaltine but i believe when we go gluten-free he can not have this anymore, is there a choc. powder anyone likes the best.....I would buy the Silk in choc but with home and preschool we would be buying a lot more milk and we already buy 4-6 a month of just the plain soy.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Last time I checked, I thought that Nestle chocolate powder was okay. You're right, thoouh--Ovaltine has malt, so it is NOT safe. (Waah--I miss my Ovaltine! )

Are you using milk for his chocolate milk? You might consider taking him off dairy altogether if he has celiac, at least, temporarily. If his villi are damaged, that's what is supposed to produce lactase (the enzyme that digests lactose)--that could be why he has a problem with lactose. He might be fine after his intestines heal from going gluten-free. There are some celiacs who also have a problem with casein (the protein in milk products), though, so keep your eyes open for that possibility.

In the meantime, rice milk is good, as long as you avoid Rice Dream, which says it's gluten-free, but they lie--they use barley enzymes in the processing, which makes it NOT gluten-free (angering many, many celiacs in this country!), as is Dari-Free (which is a powdered potato-based milk substitute, said to be very, very tasty, and available on-line, so much less expensive than other alternatives) and almond milk.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I was thinking he might go for a tomato sauce if it were on the side and he got to dip each noodle in it?

[mcs1984]

Last time I checked, I thought that Nestle chocolate powder was okay. You're right, thoouh--Ovaltine has malt, so it is NOT safe. (Waah--I miss my Ovaltine! )

Are you using milk for his chocolate milk? You might consider taking him off dairy altogether if he has celiac, at least, temporarily. If his villi are damaged, that's what is supposed to produce lactase (the enzyme that digests lactose)--that could be why he has a problem with lactose. He might be fine after his intestines heal from going gluten-free. There are some celiacs who also have a problem with casein (the protein in milk products), though, so keep your eyes open for that possibility.

In the meantime, rice milk is good, as long as you avoid Rice Dream, which says it's gluten-free, but they lie--they use barley enzymes in the processing, which makes it NOT gluten-free (angering many, many celiacs in this country!), as is Dari-Free (which is a powdered potato-based milk substitute, said to be very, very tasty, and available on-line, so much less expensive than other alternatives) and almond milk.

I was thinking he might go for a tomato sauce if it were on the side and he got to dip each noodle in it?

I will try putting the sauce on the side and see what he does. He is on Soy milk not dairy. I cant have dairy either, it makes me very sick to the put if i have it with in 30mins i am sick and will be for a few hours tell everything passes though my system. I wil take a look at Nestle will miss the ovaltine, i like how it adds the extra "good stuff" to his milk.

[AndrewNYC]

The only expensive foods are the specialty items...desserts and crackers and junk you do not necessarily need.

[feedmykids]

DD is the same with veggies - She will NOT eat them. She also does not touch dips, ketchup or sauces. I usually make zuchiini bread, carrot cake, etc. Puree the veggies and add them to the foods they will eat. DD's favorite biscuit she calls "little einsteins biscuits" consisting of a regular biscuit with Pureed Carrots added to the dough. It makes them orange and she thinks they are yummy! For noodles we usually add just the Broccoli tree "Leaves" and then she thinks it is fun. they are small but still good for you!

[taweavmo3]

Hi there! Everyone has given you great tips, but I thought I would chime in too. Once you get used to the inital shock of it all, you really can be on this diet and not drop a fortune on food. Just stay away from the tempting and crazy expensive specialty items like gluten free crackers, pretzels (although these do taste great and are good for an occasional splurge) and ready made cookies. One thing I love to do is search for gluten free blogs to get recipe ideas...much cheaper than buying alot of cookbooks that may or may not be good!

I have four little ones, and we are a gluten/casein free family. We don't have alot to spend on food either, so I really have to watch it. As someone mentioned earlier, organization is a must. I plan out my meals for each two week period, and make a detailed list for the store.

Some staples in our diet are rice and potatoes. Our meals are simple, and we usually have leftovers for lunch. I buy mainstream cereal for easy breakfast days (not the healthiest, but every mom needs a break from the kitchen every now and then!), such as Rice Chex and the new Winnie the Pooh cereal. Otherwise, the kids eat eggs and bacon, or eggs and potatoes. I also fix Quinoa flakes, which are filling, very nutritious, and easy on the tummy. We only have pasta one day a week at the most to keep the cost down. Other than that, all of our meals consist of a meat, starch and a veggie. I too believe that a rice cooker is a gluten-free mom's best friend...I bought a cheapie one for $15 at Walmart, and it's lasted me 3 years so far! The leftover rice is usually really dry the next day, which is ideal for a quick stir fry.

I buy meat at Sam's, produce at farmer's markets when I can, and I buy the rest at Walmart. Oh, and you might find that your child becomes a better eater after being on the diet for a bit. We've been doing this for three years, and my kids have become the most awesome eaters! They'll try anything, and they now love veggies.

I hope that helps! I tend to ramble, so sorry if this is a little long. This diet is hard in the beginning, but if you just stick with it, things will get much easier. Good luck.