Sponsors

[Guest AmandasMommy]

just wondering, my 2 year old has celiac disease. we are not able to afford $5 for a half a loaf of bread. does anyone know about people sponsoring celiac disease kids or fundraising. how can i afford to feed my child now????

[jenvan]

I am sorry to hear about the money struggle. It can be really hard at times if someone was on a tight budget before going gluten-free. I honestly don't know about sponsoring... Perhaps someone else will. Some other ideas--- make your own bread in bulk and freeze. Stores like Walmart and Meijer especially do sell some products that are gluten free--such as gluten-free flours. Buy what you can there. Is there a Celiac group in your area by chance? They would have ideas as to the cheapest places to shop. My local group is starting up a co-op that makes buying foods MUCH cheaper! ie.--a bread mix that cost $10, costs $6 through the co-op. You could also try buying flours from local asian/chinese markets. They can really have cheaply priced products as well (such as rice flour, rice noodles). Wish I had more... Good luck to you!

[tarnalberry]

one option is simply to forgo the expensive items. you don't need bread to have a healthy diet. or special cookies for that matter. it may take some creativity and time, but you can make a healthful, well rounded died from fresh, natural ingredients.

corn tortillas can take the place of bread in many instances, and are cheaper, per calorie, than bread.

rice and beans are good carbohydrate sources as well as vitamin/mineral sources (in the case of beans, particularly), and are cheaper, per calorie, than bread.

fruits and vegetables, frozen if the fresh stuff isn't on sale, potatoes, and all the rest of the produce section also provide more nutrition.

nuts and seeds - especially when on sale - can also be an important, less expensive nutrient and energy source.

sweet treats can still be made (hot cocoa, rice pudding, baked apples, etc.) without having to buy specialty flours and ingredients.

[jenvan]

Tiffany, Good call on the rice and beans. We eat those a lot at my house. And you can definitely buy those cheap at Walmart etc. Our preferences are brown rice, black beans, black-eyed peas, lentils... We also like sweet potatoes, which I believe are pretty cheap. Lots of chicken. If you have time and want to get chicken the cheapest... I will buy a whole chicken, clean/cut it up and simmer it in a pot with veggies/spices to make stock, then clean the meat off the bones after simmering. I will have several meals worth of soup stock and several meals worth of cooked chicken too to use in other meals. I will eat some and freeze some.

[Guest AmandasMommy]

i just want to say thank you all soo much for your honest replies. i dont know what i would do with out this forum. you all have been so helpful. just to go on to any topic is helpful at a stressful time like this (the beginning). i dont know how many times i have read a message and printed lots of quotes and lists. thank you all soo much.

[Guest imsohungry]

The longer I have this diagnosis, the better I am getting at becoming creative:

How about chocolate rice krispy treats for your daughter?

Several pans can be made from a box of cocoa pebbles and marshmallows for about $3.50.

I make my own recipes that sound good very cheap...and call it "dinner surprise." Meat, potatos, beans, cheese, and Progresso cream of mushroom soup can be combined in a whole lot of ways to make some really yummy stove-top or crockpot meals for fairly cheap.

Good luck to you! -Julie (an understanding, gluten-free, financially tight, college student)

[debbie-doodles]

Julie, I am totally brain-dead when it comes to cooking. Would you be willing to share some examples of the combinations of meat, potatoes, etc. that you use? i could really use some recipe ideas. Thanks!

[Guest imsohungry]

Sure Debbie

Let me get home from work and I'll send you a couple.

Take Care.

-Julie

[luvs2eat]

Don't forget good 'ole rice cakes. I used them for bread for a long time. They work well in lunch boxes too... easy to spread a little tuna or egg salad on!

[debbie-doodles]

Thanks Julie! If its easier, you can email me at smideb@hotmail.com

[Guest imsohungry]

Hey Debbie,

I had already made my post under "recipes" before I read your reply on this thread...sorry about that. With that said, I just posted a topic under the "recipe" section on this forum. I think I titled it "simple recipes for people who don't like to cook" or something like that. Hope you enjoy! -Julie

[debbie-doodles]

thanks Julie! I'll go check it out right now.