Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • 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

Tips On Eating Gluten Free On A Low Budgetand Somewhat Low Preperation Time?


MikeOhio

Recommended Posts

MikeOhio Rookie

Hi. I'm new to these boards. I have Celiac disease but not all that much money to spend on gluten free groceries. I also don't have a whole lot of time to prepare food. Does anybody have any tips for me? I've been eating a little bit of breaded foods like popcorn chicken and fishsticks to save money and be able to eat with the person I live with sometimes. I guess that's probably not a good idea.

I also live in a rural area with a little access to gluten free products but not much.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



nursenation2 Rookie

Whole foods are cheaper and farmers markets for produce, you can get it cheaper most of the time that way. Even frozen chicken breast that doesn't have breading is cheaper most of the time. Naturally gluten free food is cheaper than trying the replacement gluten free stuff. Another way to save is buy gluten free items that you like on sites like amazon. Then it comes to you and usually at way lower prices.

tuxedocat Apprentice

I'm with nursenation, my trick is to just not even try to replace gluteny foods. I used to be on Atkins and just eat close to paleo (except for white rice). Things like soups, I make large pots of then freeze in Tupperware containers.

Think... green salad topped with meat of some kind (leftover chicken or canned tuna will work in a pinch) and a homemade dressing (lemon and olive oil will also do in a pinch).

Eating at home isn't the tricky part if you already know how to cook.

BabsV Enthusiast

Along with eating natural foods and avoiding all the gluten-free replacement foods...get a crock pot. They aren't very expensive and they save you tons of time. Also, cheaper cuts of meat cook up better in a crock pot. Many of us on the forums are big fans of this site for crock pot recipes: Open Original Shared Link The blogger's daughter has Celiac so all recipes are gluten free.

scaredblossom Rookie

I've been doing lots of fruit, I mean lots, applesauce, pepperoni, corn chips for my lunch at work! I never have time to really prepare anything so fruit works well! I buy my at a small grocery store already cut up and packaged, quite a bit for only 2 bucks! At home potatoes are a great life saver so many ways to fix them and they're filling! Eggs, bacon, hamburgers with no bun! I live way out in the sticks and right now I'm the only one working and we have 3 kids so I know how hard it is! It can be done, just don't give up and remember this is your health you're dealing with...spend lots on toilet paper from eating the wrong things or little on things you can eat that go a long way =)

AHemlock Newbie

Seconding the above recommendations. Go for foods that would never require wheat in the first place. Paleo diet is one way (more meat and veggies) as well as alternative grains like rice or corn if you don't want to go strict paleo. I always love making my eggs and bacon with fresh butter in the morning. Steak and eggs are good dinner too, as well as whatever vegetable happens to be cheap down at the farmers' market.

Fried rice is a good quick and easy way to make something cheap and filling. 1 egg, 1-2 cups rice prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge, then cooked at medium heat over a normal temperature with seasoning of your choice is just perfect! Rice noodles are great too.

Mexican food like corn tortillas and tortilla chips are perfect snack foods too. If you don't live in the American Southwest it could be hard to find some good corn tortillas.

Christine0125 Contributor

Chex cereal is cheap and you can easily make snack mix with it by throwing in some nuts, raisins or other dried fruit. I keep a bag of the frozen shredded potatoes in the freezer - store brands are very inexpensive and they are so versatile. Great breakfast with some scrambled eggs and cheese or veggies thrown in. More hearty if you make it with cut up sausage, chicken or whatever you like best. I keep frozen lunch sized containers or soups, chilis and stir-frys in the freezer to grab for work. With the chili, I usually microwave a baked potato and then top it with the chili for a filling meal. Some of the smart ones frozen entrees are gluten free so I keep a couple in the freezer for quick meals.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Mom23boys Contributor

Like the others have said, "keep it simple".

You don't have to eat breaded items (I'm assuming frozen?). Buy the plain. A plain frozen fish or chicken strip cooks just as fast as a breaded one.

I keep my double steamer on the counter with my rice cooker. Pop a couple veggies in and some rice. Do a load of laundry or something and come in and supper is ready!

Got a crockpot? Put some potatoes in (nothing else or oil, salt, garlic) and bake them in there. Yum and easy. Makes a great, quick breakfast (we don't do eggs either).

sa1937 Community Regular

Hi. I'm new to these boards. I have Celiac disease but not all that much money to spend on gluten free groceries. I also don't have a whole lot of time to prepare food. Does anybody have any tips for me? I've been eating a little bit of breaded foods like popcorn chicken and fishsticks to save money and be able to eat with the person I live with sometimes. I guess that's probably not a good idea.

I also live in a rural area with a little access to gluten free products but not much.

Welcome, Mike! You've gotten several suggestions already. Your best bet is to buy a lot of naturally gluten-free foods and avoid the expensive processed stuff.

You might also want to use the google button in the top right hand corner and search for cheap meals or budget meals to get some ideas. We are periodically asked your same question and you'll probably find some recent threads on this subject.

1974girl Enthusiast

I ordered the gluten free meal plan from www.emeals.com It gives you recipes and the shopping list for 7 complete dinners...sides included. I save tons using those and not just going to the grocery blind. Breakfast...yougart, fruit, cinnamon chex, eggs, gluten-free toast.

Lunch- chili (check for gluten-free...Vietti is gluten-free)and Fritos, or refried beans, cheese, Fritos and sour cream. Grilled chicken salad with chicken left over from the night before.

bartfull Rising Star

George Foreman grills have come WAY down in price, and they are a great way to cook meats AND vegetables. If you're used to eating the breaded and deep fried stuff, baking in the oven or crockpot isn't going to give you that satifying crunch. But food cooked on the George gets really crispy in the outside and stays tender on the inside. As someone who used to live on fried chicken and cheeseburgers, finding a way to cook whole, naturally gluten free foods and having them TASTE GOOD, was a problem. The George made it easy.

Now that I've been at it a while, I have gotten used to eating my bowl of "mush" every day. I cook and shred my meat, mix it with rice and finely chopped veggies, and I cube up some Monrerray Jack cheese in the mix. Then I microwave it an put a little butter on it. I make a gallon zipper bag fullevery couple of days and whenever I want some, it's ready in one minute. Tastes petty good too.

(Of course lately I've been eating yams instead of the rice. Baked or microwaved, they are full of nutrition and taste SO good. :rolleyes: )

jeanzdyn Apprentice

tostitos corn chips are labeled 'gluten free'. I use them to supplement a meal where other people might eat bread. Like tostitos chips and cheese, and then whatever else I want that is gluten free. This is relatively low cost. I travel a lot, so I try to find things that are easy to bring with me. Baked beans, anything that is really portable, maybe does not need to be heated and is low cost. Idahoan makes some very tasty potatoes --it is a powder and you add water -they are delicious and about $1.00 a cup, which they call 2 servings. I eat eggs more often at home, that is a low cost meal.

keep it simple is good advice and try looking for gluten free foods on the Internet -- you may be able to find some bargains and they ship it to you.

and like others have said --eat more vegetables. potatoes are pretty adaptable, you can combine them with almost anything. I eat a lot more potatoes than I did before being diagnosed with celiac disease.

MikeOhio Rookie

Thanks everybody for your suggestions. I think I have gotten some good ideas.

MikeOhio Rookie

Welcome, Mike! You've gotten several suggestions already. Your best bet is to buy a lot of naturally gluten-free foods and avoid the expensive processed stuff.

You might also want to use the google button in the top right hand corner and search for cheap meals or budget meals to get some ideas. We are periodically asked your same question and you'll probably find some recent threads on this subject.

Thanks

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,346
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Trudyg
    Newest Member
    Trudyg
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.4k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      You are correct in looking closer at her diet, as there may still be trace amounts of gluten, even from a gluten-free bakery (are their ingredient suppliers certified gluten-free?). You can search this site for 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/  For people with celiac disease hidden gluten in their diets is the main cause of elevated Tissue Transglutaminase IgA Antibodies (tTG-IgA), but there are other conditions, including cow's milk/casein intolerance, that can also cause this, and here is an article about the other possible causes:    
    • Scott Adams
      Here is more info about how to do a gluten challenge for a celiac disease blood panel, or for an endoscopy: and this recent study recommends 4-6 slices of wheat bread per day:    
    • Scott Adams
      You're doing an amazing job planning ahead for your son's first ski trip with celiac disease! It’s great that the hotel and organization are supportive, which makes a big difference. For dinners, consider simple gluten-free meals like pre-cooked rice or quinoa bowls with a protein (like grilled chicken or turkey slices) and steamed or roasted vegetables. These can be prepped at home, frozen, and reheated safely at the hotel. Gluten-free pasta with a simple tomato or cheese sauce is also a kid-friendly option that travels well. As for snacks, packing things like gluten-free crackers, cheese sticks, fruit, or granola bars will help ensure he has safe options throughout the day. It’s also wise to carry some single-serve condiments or seasonings he likes to make meals more appealing. Regarding accidental gluten intake, reactions vary from person to person. Some children experience immediate symptoms like stomach pain or diarrhea, while others might not react until hours later. It’s a good idea to carry supplies like wet wipes, an extra change of clothes, and medication if prescribed by your doctor. You might also want to brief the ski instructors about his condition and what to look for in case of exposure. With careful planning and preparation, you’ll set him up for a fun and safe experience. Enjoy your trip!
    • Scott Adams
      Unfortunately many doctors don't know the proper protocol for a screening for celiac disease. Here is more info about how to do a gluten challenge for a celiac disease blood panel, or for an endoscopy: and this recent study recommends 4-6 slices of wheat bread per day:    
    • Kathleen JJ
      Hi all,  Two weeks ago we learned our 7 your old has Celiacs and we are of course finding our way in his diet. However, we booked a skitrip a few months ago that will take place in February. We're going to the same hotel we went last year. The trip is non refundable so now I'm already starting to think how we will do this.   I've contacted the organization who was really really understanding and supportive. They've worked with this hotel for many years and the hotel (and restaurant of course) is prepared to do what they can. Storing and heating/preparing food that we bring is not a problem for them (which is already a huge relief) nor is providing fruits and vegetables (cucumber fi) to put in a lunch box as he will not be able to eat in the restaurants on the slopes. I checked, the ski area has 3 restaurants that offer gluten free options, but he is only 7 and with 7 year old's there's always the additional hurdle of 'yuk, I don't like the sight/taste/smell of it or I don't know it so I won't eat it' factor the consider 🙄. So we'll pack a lunch for him to take. [side question: if there should be an accidental intake and he gets a reaction, how strongly do we have to expect this: will he poo his pants? Will he be able to hold till he gets to the toilet at the end of the slope? Will he be able to still stand or will the pain make him having to lie down? We had the diagnosis rather by accident so have no experience with 'normal' symptoms or how violent they are and we would like to inform the ski instructors]   He loves oatmeal and we will bring gluten-free oatmeal for breakfast so that will be covered too, but for diners I'm already worried.    So my question is: Do you have tips for childproof gluten-free meals that could be easily heated or prepared in the hotel without risk of contamination?   Thank you for your reactions... Kathleen
×
×
  • Create New...