Cheating

[Mahee34]

Hey everyone...does anyone else have issues with cheating a little bit on their diet...I'm just having a really hard time sticking to it. I'm in grad school and the funds are tight so it's really hard to find things that taste good and are healthy for me, especially bread! I lost a lot of weight before I was diagnosed with celiacs and since then I've gained most of the weight back, which was healthy but I just always feel bloated and like I'm gaining weight even when I'm not...to be honest, I'm not sure i've felt "normal" since way before I was diagnosed.

[lovegrov]

I'd stay away from expensive and usually unhealthy gluten-free specialty food. Go with fresh and naturally gluten-free things. I know that's easier said than done with your probable schedule, but it's the way to go.

richard

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Fruits and vegetables are good and they don't cost too much.

[tarnalberry]

Many people are tempted to cheat. And according to the statistics, a lot of them do. But according to the posts on here, not - for the most part - the members here. And that may be because we know all too well the ramifications of cheating.

Even monthly cheating will increase your risk for complications from nutritional deficiencies (anemia, osteoporosis, etc.), other autoimmune diseases (T1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.), cancers (particularly lymphoma), and will decrease your expected lifespan by more than 10 years. All in all, it's just not worth it.

I know you've got a tight budget, and a tight schedule, so I'd encourage you to cook naturally gluten-free things that are fast, and can be cooked in quantity or with little attention. For instance, you can make a big pot of chicken-rice soup with 15 minutes in the kitchen, and 30 minutes of it sitting on the stove simmering while you do homework, take a shower, do laundry, or something else. Same thing goes with chili. Both of them store well in the fridge for nearly a week, and don't *have* to be reheated to eat. Rice and/or beans are also good items to cook in quantity and keep in the fridge for leftovers. And you can combine it with many different things.

Fruit and raw vegetables are very fast snacks, and you can add fat/protein by making a bean dip (canned beans and a food processor, or even just a potato masher!, a bit of olive oil, and some spices, and you're good to go.

Really, if you can't afford the specialty products (and they are expensive!), the best thing to do is stick with very simple home-made items that utilize the less expensive "pantry stock".

[KaitiUSA]

It's plain and simple...you will not feel better until you are completely gluten free with no cheating. It is hard at first but you will realize that it's just not worth feeling like crap all the time. There are alot of great tasting foods that we can have and as said previously...it does not have to be expensive.

[Guest nini]

I agree, cheating ... it's just not worth it. Your health is worth so much more. Besides, you do not have to spend a lot of money or time cooking. There are a lot of great ideas all over this site

One of my fave ideas is a quick snack of nachos... gluten-free corn chips (Santitas are good) shredded cheese and melt in microwave... you can add refried beans for extra protein, or leftover taco meat, (I brown up a pound or so of hamburger, drain, season with garlic, salt and pepper and then store in the fridge in a ziploc bag.) I add this to nachos or steamed rice with veggies... You can dress up the nachos after they are heated with any number of salsas there are a lot of brands that are gluten-free... Green Mountain Gringo is my favorite, but for a budget you can use Pace., Add some sour cream and OMG!

There is so much you can do. Salads with baked chicken, or tuna fish, or baked salmon...lots of inexpensive gluten-free salad dressings.

anyway, lots of ideas around... if you want more ideas on eating gluten-free on a tight schedule and tight budget, feel free to e-mail me at nisla@comcast.net