Gluten-free On A Budget And Dealing With Family

[susanm]

I'm trying to buy foods that are gluten-free, but everything, especially in the health food sections, is so expensive! I almost bought gluten-free pretzel snacks for $6.00, but put it back. I'm having enough trouble making ends meet. It seems like you have to be financially comfortable not only to be a celiac, but to feed your family who isn't gluten-sensitive.

Except for meat and vegetables, I've been cooking basically 2 meals - one for my son and husband who don't have a gluten sensitivtity and who love bread and pasta (no substitutes), and one for myself. I'm going out of my mind.

How do other people do it, both $$-wise and family-wise?

[samcarter]

I'm trying to buy foods that are gluten-free, but everything, especially in the health food sections, is so expensive! I almost bought gluten-free pretzel snacks for $6.00, but put it back. I'm having enough trouble making ends meet. It seems like you have to be financially comfortable not only to be a celiac, but to feed your family who isn't gluten-sensitive.

Except for meat and vegetables, I've been cooking basically 2 meals - one for my son and husband who don't have a gluten sensitivtity and who love bread and pasta (no substitutes), and one for myself. I'm going out of my mind.

How do other people do it, both $$-wise and family-wise?

The best advice I've found about keeping food costs low is to focus on foods that are naturally gluten-free. Especially for snacks. I'm the only one going gluten-free right now in my household. My husband does the grocery shopping, and I do not want to give him more stress by having him look for gluten free specialty foods. Plus, they're more expensive. As I slowly get used to the gluten-free lifestyle, i will look for gluten free bread and cake mixes, but not just yet.

So, I asked him to get me Hodgson Mill cornmeal, tortilla chips (bless his heart, he made sure the bag said "gluten free", salsa, eggs, corn tortillas, rice, raisins, soy yogurt (again, labeled "gluten free"). Obviously, vegetables and fruit are naturally gluten free!

The cornmeal bag had a recipe for flourless cornbread. I made myself a pan of it, cut it up and froze the individual pieces. I can thaw one out for a snack, or take it on the road. My tortilla chips ("mommy's crackers") are in my "snack basket" in the pantry, along with our popcorn (one of our favorite homemade snacks.

Going gluten free is hard for me. I am a very good baker--i bake our family's bread, and love to bake cakes and cupcakes for special occasions and to have for treats. My husband said that rather than me bake a lot of gluteny treats for the family he would buy cookies, so that I didn't get tempted and overexposed to gluten. I can bake bread without being tempted by it, though. I just have to very carefully wash my hands and the mixer and the counters afterwards.

So here's my list of naturally gluten free foods that won't break the bank:

Dried fruit (check labels, call the companies to make sure they don't dust with wheat flour)

Nuts

cheeses

yogurt (check labels)

eggs (hardboiled eggs are a good snack)

corn tortillas, corn chips

fish and chicken (non-breaded)

other meats

tofu

beans and bean spreads

vegetables

fruit

rice (ooh, rice crackers--the oriental kind--can be good, just check for soy sauce in the ingredients)

rice cakes (I know, but you can spread them with all kinds of stuff)

And let us not forget chocolate--this is a great excuse to splurge a bit on a bar of very fine chocolate (I've heard Dagoba is gluten free and excellent) and savor it!

It's natural to miss pretzels and crackers and want a substitute, but at first I think focusing on what we *can* have, rather than what we can't, helps with the transition and the food cost.

[home-based-mom]

I'm trying to buy foods that are gluten-free, but everything, especially in the health food sections, is so expensive! I almost bought gluten-free pretzel snacks for $6.00, but put it back. I'm having enough trouble making ends meet. It seems like you have to be financially comfortable not only to be a celiac, but to feed your family who isn't gluten-sensitive.

Except for meat and vegetables, I've been cooking basically 2 meals - one for my son and husband who don't have a gluten sensitivtity and who love bread and pasta (no substitutes), and one for myself. I'm going out of my mind.

How do other people do it, both $$-wise and family-wise?

A few do, but most people do not make 2 meals. Most people cook gluten free and feed the family gluten free dinners. People in the family who still eat gluten have 2 choices. They can eat it elsewhere but not at home, or they can understand "The Rules" about how to avoid cross-contamination, and keep their gluteny bread, all condiments used on that bread, and whatever treats they think they can't live without totally isolated in a designated space. They really need to understand the need to keep the crumbs and other dribblings far away from you.

Have you tried Tinkyada pasta?

It won't kill them to eat gluten free at home. It's a much healthier way to eat and not buying all that processed food is bound to save money in the long run.

[home-based-mom]

I can bake bread without being tempted by it, though. I just have to very carefully wash my hands and the mixer and the counters afterwards.

If you are using regular gluteny flour to make regular bread, washing your hands, mixer, and counter is NOT enough. Flour dust gets everywhere and you will need to totally decontaminate your kitchen as well as every room you or anyone else tracked flour dust into each and every time you bake.

You may be able to bake without temptation but you cannot bake without cross contamination.

[curlyfries]

Except for meat and vegetables, I've been cooking basically 2 meals - one for my son and husband who don't have a gluten sensitivtity and who love bread and pasta (no substitutes), and one for myself. I'm going out of my mind.

How do other people do it, both $$-wise and family-wise?

I did that at first, and gradually fixed less and less of the gluten stuff. My husband can be very picky, but has no problem with gluten-free pasta. The only kind he is not crazy about is the Thai Kitchen noodles. And he said my lasagna was better than the gluteny one I used to make! He still eats his bread, and buttering and sandwich prep are only done on the island, so crumbs are more isolated from other food prep.

I don't buy much from the health food section....especially snacks. I don't even bother with bread for myself. There are a lot of *regular* groceries you can buy. Since I had to change my diet, I did a total overhaul and now eat a lot healthier..........nothing wrong with meat and veggies. My favorite snacks are raw pea pods (naturally sweet), tortilla chips, sweet potato chips (only when they are on sale) and celery with peanut butter. I used to eat a lot of fruit, but can't do that right now.

One thing I splurge on are ThinkThin protein bars. They are great for an *on the run* breakfast or to carry with you in case you are somewhere with no gluten-free choices.

I am also on a limited budget, so I have to be very conscientious about what specialty items I buy.....and keep them to a minimum.

[Amyleigh0007]

Gluten free specialty food is very expensive! I buy a few items for my son like crackers and an Oreo type cookie, but there is a limit to how much prepacked stuff I will get. At first the gluten free diet is so overwhelming, the prepacked stuff was so much easier. Now I have started making things from mixes such as waffles and cookies instead of buying them prepackaged. That saves money (plus I can sneak healthy stuff into the mixes and my son has no idea). Also, don't make yourself insane trying to cook two meals. Having a gluten free house is so much easier and good for everyone. It's tough at first but it does get easier.

[kbtoyssni]

I agree with the things that have already been mentioned: don't make two meals and don't buy specialty gluten-free products. I buy 99.9% of my food at a regular grocery store. I use a lot of rice and potatoes and corn tortillas (Mission now has a giant package of 2-dozen for ~$2!!!) in place of gluten breads and pastas. And I eat a lot of eggs, those are cheap. I buy in bulk. I buy on sale. I buy giant cans of things and freeze the leftovers.

It does take an adjustment in thinking. It may not have occurred to you that you can do tuna salad on a tortilla or use corn chips to scoop the salad. But eventually it will become second nature. Now it doesn't seem at all odd to take a baked potato or rice with cheese and salsa for lunch. Two years ago it would have seemed really innovative to me to eat something like that.

[blueeyedmanda]

There are so many naturally gluten free items which I choose to buy. We live on a budget and the best advice I can give is to buy as many non-specialty items you can. There are very few cookies/snacks I buy at the health food store. I do buy the pasta which can be pricey but that is one thing I use a lot. I buy some baking mixes and make some desserts but usually I do fruits/veggies or ice cream.

Also you can buy the Walmart brand of items, they do label theirs gluten free. So here is where you can get pasta sauce and dressings and such....

[GFinDC]

I eat a lot of rice and fixins now. I don't buy much of any processed foods except for the Van's gluten-free waffles or Kinickinick bread sometimes. I make a pot of veggies and meat on the weekend and freeze some. Then each weekend I make a different version so I have a variety during the week. I also am learning to make dips for Fritos and trying Waldorf salad.

[susanm]

Thanks for all of your ideas. I didn't even think of tortillas and tortilla chips. I'm just starting this, and it seems overwhelming. My son absolutely loves pasta (as do I), so that's a big adjustment. Making sandwich lunches without wheat rolls is another big adjustment. It's a whole new way of thinking, especially without my favorite foods!

Susan

[Phyllis28]

I do not cook two meals nor do I use a lot of specialty gluten free products. I went gluten free before there were many specialty gluten free products and most of those were only barely edible. I adapted meals to use rice, corn tortillas or potatoes. My objective was to create a good tasting meal not recreate a gluten meal. Spaghetti Sauce with meat is one example. I eat it over rice, over rice pasta, over spaghetti squash, over mashed potatoes, stuffed in baked potatoes, and layered with cheese in corn tortillas.

Also, many ethnic foods are naturally gluten free. Mexican and Asian are the two that come to my mind. If you are cooking Asian food make sure to use gluten free soy sauce

There are lots of recipes on this site and the web.

[sickchick]

I eat a lot of hummus...sometimes I use different beans, depending on my mood. I like to keep cans of organic black beans on the shelf, organic pinto beans (they are the same $ as the non-organic) organic garbanzos. I keep sesame oil (it add good flavor to foods) I can't have soy or dairy so...

I keep brown rice cakes and nuts I eat sweet potatoes a lot. Sweet potato chips are to die for... I keep organic brown rice chips too- the 'sea salt' flavor.

It took me about 6 months to emotionally 'adjust' ... you'll relax in your own time promise!!!

And you always have us to rant to in a bind! I am a recipe writing nut too so keep your eyes open and visit the cooking tips area

lovelove

[GlutenGalAZ]

My husband and I make our own breakfast and lunch. In regards to dinner we either make our own meals or we make a gluten free meal -- this is usually figured out by how busy that day is.

Stuff that I buy at the health food store are normally 1 bag of pretzels which lasts me about a month or more and couple bags of animal cookies that each last 2-3weeks. For me gluten snacks fill me up more and I don't crave a lot at one time. I buy a case at a time of noodles for spaghetti (get a discount for buying a case =12 small noodle boxes). Flours some I get at the health food store and some local grocery store.

Kroger aka Smith's and Ralphs also carry a lot of gluten free foods. WalMart has their Great Value brand and list Gluten Free near the ingredients -- Some items are gluten free but if they are processed in a plant that also does wheat they will not list it gluten free they will put the note about Produced in a facility that also processes wheat (and will list other things like tree nuts etc)

We do our main shopping at our local WalMart Super Center. Chicken, Ground Beef, frozen or fresh vegetables, Uncle Ben's Brown Rice (they have one they label gluten free on the back) and other safe items we can buy there. All of our meals are gluten free. We like Hamburgers (sometimes my husband gets buns and sometimes not - I eat mine almost like meatloaf haha), Tacos (McCormicks Chili Powder, tomato sauce and pepper with Mission corn tortialls or hard tacos), Chicken with rice or vegetables etc.

We spend less now on our food bill then previous b/c we are eating better choices and are more cautious about what we are eating....plus we don't really eat out or get take out anymore.

Took me about a year to get into baking/cooking from recipies and mixes but I am now having so much fun trying new things. This also saves a lot of money making your bread at home as well as muffins and other things you can freeze.

GOOD LUCK with everything.

[gfpaperdoll]

All great suggestions, also when you do start baking gluten-free, if there is an Asian grocery near you, they will have very inexpensive rice flours, tapioca flours, potato flour etc.

any brand of gluten-free lasagna noodles will taste as good as any wheat ones. So get the cheapest brand of those. No one will be able to tell the difference. In a pinch you could also make the "lasagna" with a layer of cooked rice instead of the noodles.

& definitely make all meals gluten-free, cheaper in the long run & better for the whole family. Nothing wrong with a huge pot of beans, with or without meat, rice & a pan of cornbread.

[tinkonthebrink]

I don't buy substitute foods, or "convenience" foods. I work, I have a household, I don't own a microwave and I eat gluten-free. I don't think that slows me down at all or costs more. In the time it takes my neighbor to drive to the fast food restaurant and wait in line and get back home, we've already made and nearly eaten gorgeous salads full of yumminess. I rarely buy "foods with ingredients" as a friend describes them. I buy fruit (no prep time there at all), veggies, beans, rice, a little cheese (dairy doesn't affect me, or at least not cheese and yogurt), nuts, seeds, veg oils a little, eggs and occasionally some meat, which I only buy at the whole foods store and may phase out. I don't eat pasta, bread, pizza, pretzels, etc, even gluten free ones. It isn't necessary. The food that I make and eat is beautiful, delicious, healthy for everyone and real whole foods full of color and flavor. And I don't spend much on groceries even though I eat mostly organic. I have a rice cooker (highly recommended), a gluten-free household and I don't have to worry about different utensils, cutting boards, etc. This really doesn't have to be deprivation, difficult, expensive or complicated. It can be the turning point to just making better, more whole food choices and eating less unnecessary stuff.

[Chrissyb]

I never cook 2 meals, my son and husband eat the same dinner I do and they love them. I buy gluten free pasta which does cost more but we don't eat it every week. Rice is not expensive and you can get that at Walmart and so are potatoes. My dh and ds have their own bread and snacks and when I bake I either use Pamelas mix which I pay $12 for the large bag which last me months or I make my own flour mix. I use it for breading meats also. Gluten free bread is expensive so are the buns but I can buy me a package of buns with 8 in the for $5 and they will last me at least 6 month ( I don't use them that much). I can get a loaf of bread (and yes it is a smaller loaf then we are use to) from any where $4-$6 depending on where I buy it and what brand and that will last me 2-4 weeks or longer in the freezer depending on how fast I eat it if I am craving bread. Sometimes I will treat myself to premade cookies or a pie from one of the gluten free bakerys here in our town but that is a special treat. Some to the stuff is pricey and being on a budget does make it harder I know that all to well but it can work.

[slmprofesseur]

I occasionally cook 2 meals. However, there are usually leftovers. We eat a lot of gluten free foods such as meats, veggies, and rice, potatoes... I make bread for my husband and older son. My younger son and I eat Gluten-free. Beans and rice is cheap and Gluten-free. 15 bean soup..

It takes a while to adapt, as for snacks tortilla chips, fruit, and cheese are good ones. I looked at the first year as the experimental hour and now I am set! Good luck!

I also plan all meals according to the grocery sales ad. (My son is also allergic to eggs, nuts, and fish...)

[missy'smom]

You can buy a box of Rice Chex(make sure it says gluten-free on the box). Process it in the food processor or blender, and use it for crumbs in meatloaf, meatballs, etc. I found some at Walmart for $2 a box. Much more economical than the pre-made gluten-free breadcrumbs.

We buy our rice in 20 pound bags at the asian market. Much more economical that way and like many others we eat more potatoes and rice and pasta only occasionally.

Like others have said, I make southern style cornbread in a cast iron skillet-traditional recipe with no modifications-originally called for no flour, only cornmeal. I serve it for breakfast as well as with chili etc.

I don't buy many packaged snacks for my son, for various reasons, but it also saves money. I make popcorn on the stove or in the air popper quite often. It's an inexpensive, healthy snack that always has appeal.

[susanm]

Wow! Lots of good ideas.

I agree. Gluteny snacks fill me up. This is my first week of eating gluten-free, and I feel hungry in the evenings a lot. I'm just dying to crunch on some of my son's cookies or bread. For snacks at night, I've been having cantaloupe (a whole one), a bowl of Rice Chex and milk (oops! forgot about the barley malt), and I'm still starving. I guess I'll get used to it once all the gluten-toxins are out of my system.

Thanks so much for the great ideas!

Susan

[sickchick]

Wow! Lots of good ideas.

I agree. Gluteny snacks fill me up. This is my first week of eating gluten-free, and I feel hungry in the evenings a lot. I'm just dying to crunch on some of my son's cookies or bread. For snacks at night, I've been having cantaloupe (a whole one), a bowl of Rice Chex and milk (oops! forgot about the barley malt), and I'm still starving. I guess I'll get used to it once all the gluten-toxins are out of my system.

Thanks so much for the great ideas!

Susan

Funny I ate an entire pineapple today!

[gheidie]

I have been gluten free for 2 years (aug 1st) and the first 6 months were the toughest. I do not buy any premade stuff except for an occasional pack of hamburger buns (I have not tried to make thos yet) and I do use tinkyada pasta I order online and pamelas. I mix my flours (buy when on sale) and I bake a ton!! (probably too much)

I love to cook, and bake tho, I only make one meal, and make left overs for the lunches. My family loves my meals, I make pizzas, lasagna, meatloaf, stuffed peppers, fish, hamburgers, everything else too. I love corn bread in place of garlic bread. But I just made a loaf of rosemary garlic sourdough bread that has potential!! It smelled fantastic when I was cooking it (in my bread machine no doubt). I found it to be a bit dense, although that didn't stop my family from eating it I will post the recipe as soon I perfect it.