Create A Meal Plan & Stick To It
If youre serious about going gluten-free and you want to save money while sticking with your diet, then creating a meal plan is vital to your success. Why? Well heres a few quick reasons:
- A meal plan will keep you from eating out and overpaying at restaurants.
- A meal plan gives you complete control, so you can be 100% sure that your food is gluten-free.
- A meal plan keeps you from overeating and snacking throughout the day, which can be a big problem if youre trying to maintain a healthy weight.
- A meal plan gives you a set schedule of meals, so youre not tempted to eat gluten-containing foods.
Create a list of meals for the week and the ingredients that youll need to make a large portion of each meal. Then, dedicate a few hours to cooking and packaging your daily meals in to-go containers.
That way, no matter how busy you may get, youll always be able to reach in your fridge and pull out a healthy pre-made meal!
Buy Pseudograins In Bulk Instead Of Gluten
Seeds like quinoa, millet, amaranth, teff, and buckwheat are all known as seeds known as pseudograins that cook up just like grains do, but with more nutrients and easier digestibility. What about oats and other gluten-free grains, you ask? Interestingly enough, its not just wheat, barley and rye that pose a problem for gluten-free eaters or those with an autoimmune disease. There are four types of gluten proteins known as gliadins, and most gluten laboratory tests only test for one type . Other gliadin proteins are found naturally in grains like oats and corn, therefore its important to see how you react to these grains before just buying gluten-free grain options. These other grains often cause the same reaction as gluten for those with celiac or those who are highly sensitive. Some grains may not cause a reaction, or they mayeach person affected reacts differently. However, what everyone can do is stick to pseduograins, which are actually seeds. These include quinoa, millet, amaranth, teff, buckwheat, and some also consider chia a pseudograin since it bulks up nicely like grains and is higher in fiber. Buy all of these in bulk to save money, and consume them in place of trendy gluten-free packaged grains.
Shop Farmers’ Markets And Farm Stands
Your wallet may cringe at the price of produce at the supermarket, especially in the middle of winter. But this is where some time spent planning ahead really pays off. You can shop farmers’ markets and farm stands in season to buy naturally gluten-free produce in bulk. With careful planning, it will last through the winter until the next growing season.
If you’re particularly sensitive to gluten cross-contamination, the chance of problems with farm stand products is far lower than the chance of problems with supermarket produce. And the quality you’ll find at your local farm stand is far superior to what you’ll find at the supermarket.
Be careful of your storage methods when you buy farm stand produce. For example, regular potatoes will begin to sprout quickly, but you can keep boxes of them for several months if you keep them in a cool climate.
Also, farm stand squash isn’t usually coated with wax to keep it fresh longer. So you may need to use it sooner. Pumpkins are a bargain if you buy them right after Halloweenyou can dry the seeds for trail mix and use the flesh for all kinds of recipes.
Greens are incredibly cheap at the farmers’ market, tookale, mustard greens and collards are 75 cents a pound in season. Wash the greens and freeze them in large zip-lock baggies , and pull them out when you need them.
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Frozen Produce Is Your Friend
Produce can quickly spoil and add to your wasted grocery spend. A good way to make sure your produce lasts for a long time is to buy it frozen. Frozen produce is typically flash frozen at the peak of freshness and ripeness, giving you the best nutrients possible.
I always keep organic frozen peas, carrots, spinach and broccoli on hand, as well as frozen mangoes, pineapple, blueberries and peaches in the freezer. The vegetables are perfect meal accompaniments, and the fruit works well in my green blended juices. Plus, because the product is frozen, theres no rush for me to use them, allowing me to keep the costs due to spoilage in check.
One special note about frozen veggies. Someone posted in the that the frozen broccoli bag at Walmart had the disclosure, May Contain Wheat. So yes, you need to read frozen vegetable bags to make sure youre not vulnerable to hidden gluten ug!
Shop Around For Best Prices On Gluten
Dont you hate when you go to one store and spend $10 on an item, then head to another store a few days later and find the same item at half the price? You feel totally duped and kick yourself for not going to that other store first.
As you do your regular shopping, keep a mental note of the prices on the specific gluten and dairy-free foods you buy. That way, you dont find yourself overspending on items that you regularly buy and can always be on top of where the best deals are.
One example is a gluten-free pasta that I buy regularly is about $2.29 at my local grocery store, and goes for about $1 per box on Amazon. Of course, I have to buy about 8 or 10 boxes to get that deal, but I know Ill use it eventually, so its worth it to me.
Some of my favorite places to check for prices other than my local grocery stores are Costco, Amazon, Thrive Market, and the brands website itself. You can often find discounts on buying certain foods in bulk .
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Find Coupons In Gluten
Gluten-free magazines arent only excellent resources fortips and recipes, but they also often contain many coupons! Some of the more popular magazines whichoften contain coupons are:
However, I mostly use phone apps for the ease of use.
Most phone apps arent truly couponstheyre rebates .
Im currently loving these three coupon apps that stay on myphone for use any time:
Pay Attention To Portions
Portion control is is especially important for higher price items like meats, cheeses, nuts and seeds. You can really stretch your budget when you are able to focus on the portion sizes that you serve. You can stretch a meal by adding inexpensive beans or rice to make it just as filling with smaller portions of those expensive ingredients.
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How To Be Gluten Free On A Budget
August 4, 2022 by Sarah Howells
This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more info, check out my Disclosure Policy. Thank you for your support!
We’re in a cost-of-living crisis right now and being gluten free on a budget has become more important than ever.
The price of free from foods is on the rise – along with everything else – and it’s time to tighten the purse strings.
I’ve always tried to be a savvy shopper and make eating gluten free as affordable as possible and I want to share these tips with you.
The good news is that while the free from aisle’s prices are enough to make you wince, there are tonnes of ways to bring your food bill down without missing out!
Shop In The World Foods Section
This is probably the most underrated tip and, in my opinion, is not utilised enough. You know those big bags of rice I mentioned? This is where you will find them cheaper. Forget the rice section, head straight to this one. These sections can usually be found on the outside shelves. Items that I buy from these sections are: coconut milk which is great for curries, various dried spices, rice, rice noodles which are great for Asian soups , pickled and tinned vegetables , sauces such as gluten free soy sauce and any other condiments, like sriracha and chilli sauce.
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Never Shop When Hungry
My final piece of wisdom to impart on your is another classic from my Mum and honestly the best bit of advice I can give.
I’m pretty sure when I’m hungry the cost of my food shop goes up by at least a third.
I just reach for random foods which take my fancy or snacks I can scoff in the car on the way home.
And what’s worse, I often get home to find I have a bunch of random things I saw and wanted, that don’t actually go together to form any sort of meal.
The best time to go shopping is when you’ve eaten.
Eat your lunch or dinner, plan your shopping list and then get it done – you’ll probably save a fortune if you’re anything like me!
Bake Your Own Gluten Free Treats
One of the biggest expenses in the free from aisle is buying gluten free cakes, bread, and treats.
Baked goods are the hardest thing to find an ‘accidentally gluten free’ version of so we tend to have to go to the free from aisle for these.
But I am a huge advocate of baking your own gluten free treats for a number of reasons.
Firstly, baking your own gluten free bread is easy, you can make a ‘normal’-sized loaf, it freezes well and it’s a fun skill to learn.
Baking your own gluten free cakes and treats like brownies taste so much better than the shop-bought versions and again, it’s not difficult.
The idea of baking can seem daunting which is why I make my recipes as detailed and guided as possible so you can’t go wrong.
I also have lots of guided video tutorials on my YouTube channel which will help you and it will work out a lot cheaper per portion too.
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Drop The Wheat Without Spending The Dough
I had it pretty good in my early twenties as a young professional. Sure, I was broke , but everyone else I knew was broke, too, and we figured out ways that still let us go out on the town for an occasional night of cocktails, without foregoing food or rent.
Sure, I was busy and harried trying to balance my new found job responsibilities and my social life, that sometimes my life felt like it was really a tornado, trapped in a hurricane, housed inside of a blizzardbut I was happy!
I lived with my best girlfriend, and the two of us were quite the duo. We always figured out how to scrape by and get out of jams, and we had a lot of fun doing it. But then, something happened. My friend was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.
This meant that she couldnt have gluten. When she told me, I didnt even know what gluten was, to be honest, but I soon learned that its a substance thats found in grains and wheat, which basically meant it was found in everything we subsisted on. Ramen noodles, pizza, beer, pasta, breadbasically all of our standard fare was suddenly off the table.
At the time, gluten-free living wasnt a ‘thing’ yet, but we navigated it on our tight budgets, and you know what? It wasnt that bad. Here are some tips if you suddenly find yourself in need of a gluten-free lifestyle and you want to stay within your budget.
Focus on the Can-Have Before the Will-Miss Items
What about those Will-Miss Items?
Gluten Free And Vegan Crepes: Budget
Yields: 6-7 crepes of 20 cmCost: very low
These gluten free and vegan crepes will win over everyone, but really everyone: vegans, egg intolerant, dairy intolerant, celiacs, those with a tight budget to afford eggs from happy chickens and even those who have none of the above needs, simply want to experience new possibilities!Just make sure you have some chickpea flour in your pantry.Believe me this recipe will change your world. Or at the very least you will look at chickpeas with eyes full of gratitude.Mind you, its not that you can get tired of farinata or pasta e ceci , but creating a dish like crepes, so beloved because they are delicious and refined, using healthy and very few ingredients which have nothing refined about them for me is an extraordinary and even revolutionary thing.Even organic chickpeas dont cost much, and theyre sustainable since the plant prefers temperate and semi-arid areas.
Then they are rich in macro nutrients exactly like lentils, both referred to as poor mans meat.
a 60 g serving of chickpea flour provides about 230 kcal
4 grams of fats
35 g of carbohydrates of which 8 g of fiber
about 13 g of proteins: not bad, indeed.
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Cheap Gluten Free Meals For The Week + Grocery List
by Lindsay Cotter · 03/28/2022
Find a week of cheap gluten free meals + grocery list to help make it easy to nourish your body with wholesome ingredients without breaking the bank. Prepare them all, or mix and match your favorites for budget friendly gluten free meals the whole family will love!
- Pin this recipe for later!
Eating Gluten Free On A Budget
Tips and tricks for reducing your grocery bill and eating gluten free on a budget. You can eat well and be gluten free with these simple tips.
Six dollars for a loaf of bread, four dollars for a box of crackers?! Is it possible to eat gluten free on a budget?
Yes, it is possible! You can save money in a number of ways. You dont have to have sky high grocery bills just because you are gluten free.
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Only Those With Celiac Disease Or Non
We realize its much easier cooking one meal for everyone, but that is a luxury that most of us cant afford when going gluten-free. It is much more economical to purchase as many mainstream staples like bread, pasta, and flour with gluten whenever possible. Keep the gluten-free products for those that require them only.
A HUGE concern with cooking both gluten and gluten-free food in the same environment is cross-contamination. Every person who enters the kitchen must be aware of the health hazards of not keeping all foods separate and the importance of cleaning cooking areas and not sharing any cooking utensils without thorough washing.
Prioritize Your Organic Produce
Theres no doubt that organic produce is better for you health-wise. Without pesticides and herbicides on your food, you can be 100% sure that what you eat isnt doing just as much harm as it is good for your body every time you take a bite.
While it might be ideal to buy all organic produce, the costs add up quickly. Thats why prioritizing your spending on organic produce can be key to keeping your grocery bills within your budget.
I recommend using the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists to help you make decisions on what produce you buy organically grown and what you can safely opt for conventionally grown.
These lists are put out every year by the Environmental Working Group, and they rank the most commonly found produce items by the amount of pesticides they contain on them.
The top twelve that rank the highest for pesticides that make their way into the food are called the Dirty Dozen, and these are generally the foods you want to buy organic whenever possible. They are worth the extra cost.
The foods that rank in the bottom fifteen that have the least amount of pesticide residue are called the Clean 15. These are generally safe to buy conventionally grown, so you can save money on the organic option.
Each year, the Environmental Working Group puts out a new list. To find out what made the current Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists for this year, click here.
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Use Mainstream Food Products
This is the easiest step of all, and it won’t really take any extra time: buy mainstream products that also happen to be gluten-free.
Gluten-free cereal is a great example of this: Multiple gluten-free cold cereals and gluten-free kids’ cereals actually are products of mainstream brands and carry mainstream price tags. Your gluten-free options include several General Mills’ Chex cereals, such as Post Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles.
Check out your potato chip and corn chip selections, tooplenty of brands, including some really mainstream ones like Frito-Lay, are offering gluten-free potato chips and gluten-free tortilla chips. I’ve also seen gluten-free crackers in the “mainstream” section of the supermarket, for a reasonable price.
If you crave a sweet snack, there’s plenty of mainstream gluten-free candy available, too.
Some yogurt brands have begun to sport gluten-free labels , and other foods, such as some prepared rice mixes, also are marked “gluten-free.” Most of these will be less-expensive alternatives to specialty gluten-free food products, such as breads, cookies, and frozen foods.
How Do I Eat Gluten
Going on a gluten-free diet has many benefits, especially for someone with celiac disease. This includes relieving digestive symptoms that could include bloating, diarrhea, or constipation, gas, fatigue, and many more. And if you dont have a celiac disease but you are looking for ways to lose weight, then going on a gluten-free diet is one of your options since this diet eliminates many junk foods that add unwanted calories to the diet, and your focus will be mainly on fruits, veggies, and lean proteins.
Now that you may be convinced with the benefits, you may ask yourself: Is eating gluten-free expensive?. The answer is no! In fact, there are many ways and strategies you can do to be on a gluten-free diet on a budget:
- Shop your nearest Farmers Markets. The price of produce at supermarkets can be quite pricey but if you have a farmers market or farm stand near you, then that will be your best choice when you are on a budget! Greens and fruits are especially cheap at the farmers market!
- Make your own. Gluten-free substitutes such as bread, wraps, etc can get quite pricey so if you can make your own, then do so! In fact, making your own gluten-free bread and meals is not that hard.
- Plan meals in advance. Planning your meals and recipes in advance will help you use your groceries efficiently by reducing both waste and expensive dashes to the supermarket for last-minute items.
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