Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Where Do I Buy gluten-free, Soy Free Ingredients Cheap?

Noura

Recommended Posts

Noura Rookie
Noura
Posted

I am new to gluten-free and now it looks like I might have a problem with soy as well. So I am going gluten and soy free. I want to make more things from scratch but I don't know where to buy them without destroying the grocery budget. Does anyone know of a co-op or something that I can buy bulk or just cheaper? My grocery bill has more than doubled and I can't sustain that for long.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted

I am new to gluten-free and now it looks like I might have a problem with soy as well. So I am going gluten and soy free. I want to make more things from scratch but I don't know where to buy them without destroying the grocery budget. Does anyone know of a co-op or something that I can buy bulk or just cheaper? My grocery bill has more than doubled and I can't sustain that for long.

I buy all my flours directly from www.bobsredmill.com If you buy the flours in bulk, it's soooo much cheaper (like ~1$/pound)! Other than that, I basically buy only whole foods-fruits, veggies, organic milks and cheeses for my kids (I'm vegan). Quinoa noodles, rice, etc... I actually find that I spend a lot less on food than I used to, but we also cut down eating out from 2-3x a week to 2-3x a month. I feed a family of 4 for ~100$ a week and it's almost all organic.

lcbannon Apprentice
lcbannon
Posted

Depending on how sensitive you are you can shop other places. I buy my Potato Starch and Tapicoa Starch and White rice flour at an asian market- MUCH cheaper. I buy millet and sorguhm flour at an Indian Market- Jowar is name for sorguhm flour. I do however order on auto ship from amazon my Brown Rice Flour. I grind my own Teff Flour from the tiny seeds. I also make my own potato flour from grinding Instant Potato Flakes.

Eating gluten-free can be expensive but some things you really need to get the good stuff- we have to do without so much so saving in areas where I can really helps.

Good luck.

missy'smom Collaborator
missy'smom
Posted

Like others, we stick with basics as much as possible. Lots of veggies and fruit. I make my own yogurt starting it with a small, good quality plain yogurt, it's easy and cheaper, even if I buy the organic milk. We get brown rice pasta from Trader Joes but it's not something we use daily. The bulk of our starch consumption is rice that is purchased in 20 lb. bags at the asian market. We invested in a middle line asian rice cooker over 10 years ago and it is still going strong and we use it nearly everyday, not just for white rice but occasionally brown or pilafs too. I do buy flours at the asian market too and use it for basics like pancakes and muffins and pizza. I just don't provide as many baked goods as I used to. Kiddo likes Pamela's Bread Mix and I'm happy with the convenience so I order it in bulk online at the famous retailer that starts with an "A". It saves me maybe $1-$2 per loaf. He can only eat so much so fast so I freeze the mixes in their packages until I need one. I'm big on homemade "convenience foods"-making or purchasing things in batches, portioning them out and freezing them-either cooked or partially prepared and uncooked. Taking along meals or snacks when we are out saves too, even if it's just a drink. Some things take extra planning and organization and energy at first but it becomes part of the rhythm of life in time. And like others, we are not eating out like we used to. By spending wisely or saving in some areas, we can afford a few more costly or specialty products.

Noura Rookie
Noura
Posted
  • Author

Thank you so much everyone! This is very helpful! I can't wait to get going! I was wondering too if anyone knows of mixes you can make from scratch that are gluten free. I don't have a lot of other areas to cut costs really. We hardly eat out since I was diagnosed. I was glutened eating out at a place that even had a gluten free menu. They meant well and really went to a lot of trouble to do it right but in the end they just didn't know. We will try Outback the next time my husband and I go out. I hear they are pretty good and we have a gift card to there! We have 5 children so you know where the money is going. But I think all your tips will really help! Thanks! And if anyone does know about mixes let me know!

missy'smom Collaborator
missy'smom
Posted

Thank you so much everyone! This is very helpful! I can't wait to get going! I was wondering too if anyone knows of mixes you can make from scratch that are gluten free. I don't have a lot of other areas to cut costs really. We hardly eat out since I was diagnosed. I was glutened eating out at a place that even had a gluten free menu. They meant well and really went to a lot of trouble to do it right but in the end they just didn't know. We will try Outback the next time my husband and I go out. I hear they are pretty good and we have a gift card to there! We have 5 children so you know where the money is going. But I think all your tips will really help! Thanks! And if anyone does know about mixes let me know!

Carol Fenster wrote a cookbook called something like, Gluten-Free Quick and Easy-white background, green trim and a glamor shot of a pizza on the cover. It has recipes for homemade mixes. We use the pancake one most often. You mix up the main dry ingredients and store in containers then measure out the amount of mix and add your wet ingredients. She gives suggestions for dairy-free subs. and maybe others allergens. A tip for homemade mixes is to portion it out into ziplocks and write the rest of the ingredients and amounts on each bag with a sharpie. Then re-use the bags the next time you make a batch of mix.

If you are interested in making yogurt there is a thread on this forum as to how to do it.

The pizza mix recipe that I use is posted on this thread. https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=64626&mode=linear

Noura Rookie
Noura
Posted
  • Author

Thank you so much! This is very helpful! I look forward to trying the pizza mix!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

You can also get Betty Crocker gluten-free cake mixes at a pretty reasonable price in many grocery stores. For making your own mixes you also would want to get some zanthan gum or guar gum. Or some Orgran GFG that they sell on the Gluten Free Mall. It has good reviews.

Noura Rookie
Noura
Posted
  • Author

Sounds good! I did try breading my chicken breasts with Almond meal and rice flour and spices. That one turned out pretty good!

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

You can also get Betty Crocker gluten-free cake mixes at a pretty reasonable price in many grocery stores. For making your own mixes you also would want to get some zanthan gum or guar gum. Or some Orgran GFG that they sell on the Gluten Free Mall. It has good reviews.

I am confused: I thought I read the Betty Crocker mixes had soy??? Or maybe it was potato starch??? I just know I crossed them off :(

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

If you live near a Costco, you can get plenty of "regular" things there. Like meat, cheese, plain rice, fresh and canned vegetables and fruit. We also get olives and some kinds of broth and spices. Of course you do need to check labels.

I am lucky in that the little health food store just around the corner from me is owned by a celiac and has the best prices on pretty much everything. I buy as much as I can from them because they are good to order things specially for us when they can. They carry Tinkyada as well as a corn and quinoa pasta. They don't carry all of the shapes though. So once in a while I go to another store or order the shapes that I want online. Most of the time we just make do with what they sell there.

I find Target has really good prices on food! Ours does not have a complete grocery section but they do have several aisles. There we buy chips, cheese sauce, salsa, bean dip, milk, cheese, some cereals (Trix and Pebbles), lunch meat and some other things.

Walmart also has good prices but really has less things we can buy. Again, our Walmart does not have a true grocery dept. Last summer they had some rice chips that my daughter loved. Alas, they haven't had them since. I have also bought canned chicken, rice, canned olives and the same cereals as above from them.

My daughter likes Ener-G bread. I know not all people like it, but she really likes the Rice Starch Loaf. Because she generally only eats 4 slices per week, I buy it directly from them in 2 slice packets. While this does seem expensive, I find it pays off in the long run.

I order some things from this website. When I do place an order, I try to get as much as I can at once because I have to pay so much postage. But I also try not to order too much.

When we first learned of our food allergies, I went off the deep end buying stuff. I would buy something simply because it was gluten free! I can't believe how much flour I wound up throwing out. Now I try to buy it on an as needed basis. I do use Sweet Rice flour reguarly for thickening gravies and sauces. I can get this very cheaply in the Asian section of my grocery store or at Trader Joe's. TJ's is another cheap source of food and they do have gluten-free pasta, but... You have to check all labels because much of what they sell could be cross contaminated. Because the store is not near us, I find I don't shop there very often any more.

I buy a plain white or brown rice flour (depending on whatever recipe I'm making calls for). And I buy a four flour bean blend that I use for general baking. I do occasionally buy some other kind of specialty flour as the need arises. But I find I just don't do much baking any more.

Daughter likes Enjoy Life cookies. I can get them by the box at several grocery stores around here, as well as the chocolate chips. I know of two stores where I can get the chocolate bars. But often I buy the bars by the case online as well as the 2 pack cookies. She likes those in her lunch. I also watch for sales. Also, many places will give you a small discount if you buy by the case. I put up a set of shelves just for those special foods that we stock up on.

I know it seems overwhelming at first. But after a couple of years you'll probably find as we did, that you don't need so many specialty things. We find much of what we eat now is just regular stuff. And perhaps we are lucky, but we can find a great many gluten-free products at the various grocery stores around here. Like Ian's chicken nuggets and fish sticks.

Tomorrow I am having my dinner away from home. It's going to be a salad. All of the vegetables are things that regular people eat. For protein I will have some walnuts and canned kidney beans on top. I'll also have black olives. I don't eat dressing so that makes it easier. I use lemon slices to squeeze over the to and I use a little salt and pepper. Dressing is hard to find without soy. But there are a few that you can get now in the regular grocery stores, or you can make a quick Italian dressing with vinegar and oil.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

I am confused: I thought I read the Betty Crocker mixes had soy??? Or maybe it was potato starch??? I just know I crossed them off :(

I believe they have soy lecithin. I am pretty sure that the chocolate chip cookies does. Not really sure if the others do, but I kind of think so.

Noura Rookie
Noura
Posted
  • Author

The cake says "may contain soy" and the cookies and brownies both contain soy. But I know of a great recipe for cake with frosting that is just amazing! I found it in this book called "The Guide to a Gluten Free Diet". I made it. Amazingly it didn't take long and then I was afraid to eat it because I knew what it was made out of but since I went to the trouble of making it I knew I had to at least try it or there was no point. I could not believe how good it was! One of the main ingredients was chickpeas!!! Can you believe it?!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,548
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Lunaluv
    Newest Member
    Lunaluv
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Taken Seriously

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      Looking for a gluten-free roomie in Denver CO

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Allergy medication: cetirizine by the HealthA2Z is it gluten free?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Protein or fat?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.