Going Gluten-Free on a Budget: Supermarket Savvy
13 Comments | Written on March 19, 2012 at 9:00 am, by Rachel Achmad
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Not that long ago, putting yourself on a gluten-free diet meant entering into a challenging struggle to find any grain-based foods to eat — never mind ones that were tasty or affordable.
Now, though, going gluten-free has become a popular solution to resolve a number of issues. People with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten intolerance, people on the autism spectrum, and those trying resolve allergy, weight, or mood issues are forgoing gluten. Most grocery stores now have extensive sections of gluten-free foods, but these products are often still more expensive than their regular counterparts, and coupons are rarely available.
I asked all the people I know who eat gluten-free for tips on steering clear of gluten while sticking to a budget; it turns out, you don’t have to restrict yourself to pricey specialty foods in order to live gluten-free.
Many mainstream products don’t contain gluten, sometimes by happenstance, and they are both cheaper and couponable. One budget-conscious mom rattled off a long list of items that appeal to her young, wheat-intolerant daughter and won’t break the bank. Some of her favorites are: Santitas and Tostitos corn chips, Veggie and Pirate Booty, selected flavors of Quaker Rice Cakes, gluten-free Rice Crispies and Rice Chex, Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles, Welch’s Fruit Snacks, Heinz ketchup, Hellman’s mayo, Classico pasta sauces, Wishbone italian dressing, and Cream of Rice cereal.
This time of year, the Passover holiday provides an additional bonus for gluten-free shopping. Many Passover foods are gluten-free, so look for discounted Passover goods after the holiday and stock up! Keep in mind that not all Passover goods are gluten-free, so make sure you look for the “gluten-free” or “non-gebrokt” label on the package.
Shop smart and save! Check out more tips on couponing and savvy shopping!
Cooking on a budget? Explore Recipe.com’s collection of Free Affordable Meal Ideas!
Categories:
Dinner Tonight, How to Coupon | Tags: Healthy Snacks, Heart Healthy, Low Carb, Low Fat Dinners, Quick and Easy Healthy
13 Comments | Post Your Comment
13 Responses to “Going Gluten-Free on a Budget: Supermarket Savvy”
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for the great tips. I went GF because I am nursing an infant with wheat, dairy, and soy intolerances. Its getting easier the longer I do it, but it is good to know more cereals and sauces out there. I keep telling my husband, just because I’m GF doesn’t mean I can’t have “normal” food! Thank you for making an effort, and bringing attention to the wallet challenged like me.
Thanks Lynn! I have had several friends breastfeed babies with allergies – I know it’s so hard! Glad to help a little bit. All my best to you and your baby!
I don’t know why some of these responses are so negative. It’s a great article. That’s what it is…an “article”, not a “book”! Do your own research if you have other questions. That’s exactly what i’ve been doing for the past 5 weeks since i’ve been diagnosed with Celiacs Disease. Thank You for this article…every little bit helps!
Thanks Jamie! I know, there does seem to be a negative vibe here…..partly because it seems some of the commenters didn’t read the whole post, or didn’t fully comprehend the content.
I’ve been told that online readers have a much shorter attention span than print readers – they tend to skip and skim as they go – so that could be part of it.
Anyway, thanks for your support, and good luck finding working solutions for your recent diagnosis. Keep reading!
In your article you didn’t mention anything about alternatives to pasta , bread, hamburger, hotdog buns, pizza crusts, things like chicken nuggets, fish nuggets at $5.00.00 for 6 little 1 1/2 inch bits of hard breading. Snacks other then rice . That’s because there are no decent ones on the market and the ones that are cost no less then $5.00 EACH . Gluten free is NOT a cheap diet to maintain and I personally have gone off ALL grains due to the price.
Marie, sorry if my point wasn’t clear to you. There really AREN’T cheap versions of foods that typically contain gluten – anything marketed as “GF pizza crust” for example is going to be expensive – But what you can do is seek out other foods that happen to be GF and modify accordingly. See Rebecca’s very helpful comment below for more info. Thanks for reading!
I have been GF for two years and now 2 of my 3 children are also GF. We all have non-celiac intolerance.
Eating GF is not difficult. The task seems daunting at first, until you realize how many foods are naturally GF. Fruits, vegetables, proteins, nuts and cheese varieties are a small start. Grains such as brown rice and quinoa add additional variety. So, a rice cake with peanut butter and apple slices is delicious, kid friendly and requires no special shopping for expensive GF items. Pop corn and corn chips pack easily in lunches. Fruit snacks are a kid-friendly and coupon able item that is often on sale.
For pasta, Trader Joe’s sells GF past for under $2 a package and a company called Heartland sells great GF pasta for about $2 and can be found in the regular pasta isle of most Walmart Stores.
To be honest, pizza is a tough one. We loved our pizza and nothing really compares. Cookies and cake can be made GF, but again they are not exact replicas of our childhood favorites. So, instead of being upset about it, I see it as a great diet plan. Nothing good ever comes from consuming a lot of baked goods and pizza. For an occasional treat, GF Rice Krispies make great marshmallow treats and Hershey’s chocolate bars and M&M’s are all GF.
(Please, always recheck labels as recipes do change without notice.)
Being GF can be tough, especially for kids. But, it’s far from impossible. When kids (and adults) realize how much better they feel without gluten in their diets (for those who need to remove it, that is), it becomes easy to continually seek out new ways to enjoy mealtimes as a family without buying expensive products and without anyone feeling deprived.
Do you have a comprehensive list of on the shelf gluten free foods
@Nina: I found this website which has a list of over 3000 products as well as links to manufacturer’s information. Hope it helps.
http://www.celiacsociety.com/
This article gives no information whatsoever about shopping “supermarket savvy” on a budget for gluten-free foods.
@George: What information are you seeking? This post contains basic, starter tips on how to locate gluten-free options that are not as expensive as the products in your grocery store’s “gluten-free” section. If you have a specific question that isn’t addressed here, please post it and we’ll try to answer it for you…..
Maybe if you posted the tips from your gluten-free friends. I’m looking into gluten-free eating as a way to help my son with weight loss. It would be very helpful to know brand names and specific items that are tastey and budget friendly.
Misty they are listed in the post….