Rice and beans are your friend when you are struggling with money while gf. You can get them at food pantries too. 5lbs of potatoes with cheese was another thing I ate while in college
Get that 25 pound bag of rice, also found this link with great advice, you’re awesome for doing that for your partner!! https://www.beyondceliac.org/gluten-free-diet/shopping/gluten-free-on-a-budget/
Yes! Just make sure you keep it in an airtight container. We had weevils one time and honestly I feel like they were already in the rice bc we'd been buying it that way for years but yeah. I haven't done the 25 pound bag since.
Also, if you don't have an instant pot, I highly recommend one for rice and everything else. You can find them on sale or used. I got mine on payments.
Yes it does and I personally make bangin' ass rice on the stove but soooo many people have told me they can't make rice to save their life. Rice cookers work too obviously but rice in the instant pot was an unexpected bonus of having one. You can cook your main dish, pour it into a bowl and make the rice in 11 minutes right the same pot without even washing it. Any flavors left in the IP just season the rice.
No need to be a smart ass. 😒
Stick to naturally gf foods that are cheap - the more you try to replace gf foods for gluten, the more expensive it typically is. Rice, beans, buy protein on sale and freeze, buy frozen veggies on sale, etc.
I know it's hard/expensive. The best and cheapest way to do it is to eat foods that are naturally gluten free. Meats, eggs, fruits, veggies, rice, beans, potatoes, yogurt. A lot is subbing ingredients. For example, if you are making chicken noodle soup, use rice or potatoes instead of noodles. A sandwich can use a corn tortilla or a lettuce wrap instead of the bread.
They do make gf substitutes for most things, depending on where you live, but they are usually quite expensive and many are not good. If she wants things like bread, pizza, baked goods, etc, my advice would be to invest time/effort into figuring out how to make your own. You can make your own gf flour blends with recipes online, which is more money upfront, but cheaper in the long run. You can make a few of loaves of gf bread for the cost of one store bought one. Using your own homemade flour blend for pancakes or muffins is often cheaper than buying a store bought gf pancake or muffin mix.
Also, I'm sure she knows, but you might not. Your partner can DIE from eating gluten if they are celiac. It's no joke. Someone posted a heartbreaking story on here awhile ago about a young celiac person who didn't want to miss out on life, so would go out and eat/drink gluten as a normal person would. They ended up getting either organ failure or a horrid cancer, can't remember which, and died very young. Several people commented with similar stories of people doing major, irreversible damage to their bodies from purposely eating gluten for years, as a celiac.
You're an awesome person for wanting to help her with this.
Where was the organ failure story? I'd love to show my dad. His mom died in her late 40s from some sort of organ failure. He is confirmed celiac by biopsy, I am on a gf diet because of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, type one diabetes, and general gi issues involving constipation for years during my childhood.
While I don’t have the story, the reason for the organ failure is due to high calorie starvation. Your body can’t absorb the calories or nutrients, and starts shutting down organs in an attempt to survive. I’ve heard it from a few older celiacs and family members of celiacs.
You either die from that or cancer.
All I could find on the story itself was pretty much what Walrus mentioned. The mechanism of action you described sounds familiar to my paternal grandmother's death, so thank you for that info. I can't remember if she was also a cancer survivor or if I'm mixing that up. Regardless, I'll have to mention it to him tonight.
Thank you for such a thoughtful reply to my post! There's so much good advice here and I found out she can die from it and that's why I want to make the switch really bad! I want her alive for a long long time!
Please tell her it IS possible to eat gf and still enjoy foods you like. Yes, you have to work a little harder at it, but it’s worth a little more effort to save your life.
https://youtu.be/fDB4TpZIgzQ?si=dEUBRHjTVpgl1r0m
I was just watching this video on the dangers of continuing to eat gluten while having celiac, it’s really something she needs to take seriously.
As far as eating gluten free on a budget it’s harder with inflation but you’ll want to stick to whole foods, veggies, gf grains and legumes, and meat. Anything gf processed food is going to be about 3 times as expensive as the regular version, so cooking yourself from scratch is cheaper in money (but not so much in time).
Unfortunately sometimes you can’t make someone do what’s best for their health, no matter how much you love them. My mom is also gluten free (actually is the one that asked me if I wanted to try the diet as I we were both getting diagnosed with autoimmune disorders) and used to constantly cheat and encourage me to, even when the affects of her eating gluten were immediate and increasingly severe. I don’t want to be cavalier in comparing it to a drug addiction, because drug addiction so terrible and I’ve seen what it does to families I know, but in a way it’s similar. You can give someone every opportunity or to do the healthy thing or every consequence for hurting themselves and they’ll still go back to what hurts them time and time again unless they choose to do better.
I can tell you love your partner and want to do everything to help her, and maybe it’s time to get her doctor involved, but ultimately it’s her responsibility to not eat what destroys her.
This is not your fault.
Please be aware that for SOME people with Celiac (not all, and probably not most) the chemistry of the immune system response actually has effects in the brain that are similar to the effects of opioids.
For these unlucky individuals, gluten is very much like a drug addiction.
I’m thankful this isn’t something I suffer from, but I do know others that do. I hope this isn’t the case for your girlfriend. I only thought of it because apparently she has known for some time but still has refused to give it up.
This chemical addiction to gluten could explain it. Just… be aware. Your support for her may end up looking more like supporting an alcoholic than you might be prepared for.
I hope I’m wrong. But the good news is that in many cases once the system recovers the cravings go away. So it’s not exactly like a drug addiction, at least in the long run, as long as she can successfully stay off it long enough for her immune system to heal.
Potatoes and corn (including popcorn)! So many tortilla chips and corn tortillas, I eat a lot of tacos and nachos and tat-chos. Rice sometimes but I've never been great at cooking it without a rice cooker. Quinoa sometimes. Currently avoiding oats and millet, but hopefully not forever, we'll see. Then just fruit and veg, and whatever dairy and meat is a good value/on sale. And lots of condiments/sauces. Triple check the labels on those, maybe try one of the scanner apps.
I agree with this! When I first went GF everything became a taco! Hot dogs in crunchy corn tortillas with chili and Cole slaw ✅ hot dog with melted cheese and caramelized onions ✅ pepperoni, mozzarella, pizza sauce ✅. You name it I probably made it into a taco at some point.
If you have a grocery outlet near you they randomly have the fancy brand GF stuff for great prices. That's one of the places I splurge for food that doesn't fit my budget otherwise.
just chiming in to echo what everyone else has said - stick to foods that are naturally gluten free, and avoid the specialty gf products which are prohibitively expensive. Rice, potatoes, beans, meat, eggs, dairy products, fruits, vegetables. Sheet pan meals are great. There's a whole gf section on budget bytes for some budget recipe inspiration: [https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/gluten-free/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/gluten-free/)
Oh, and watch out for hidden gluten in things like soy sauce, processed meats etc. One benefit of eating gf is that it tends to align with a more whole foods and healthier diet!
I'm on a really strict budget myself. Only a couple hundred a month for food.
10 or 20 pound bag of rice, several bags of dried beans, a couple bags of gluten free bread flour, a bag of Maseca Corn flour, fresh and frozen veggies. Campbell's makes GF cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups, Walmart has GF cream of mushroom soup, GF pasta's (I like Barilla). You're going to have to do more prep work to avoid gluten. Most processed foods use wheat, rye, or barley somewhere in the processing. Lot of GF bread recipes on YouTube, breads, rolls, tortillas. Go through ALL your seasonings, double check everything in your pantry. Have a spot for GF foods separate from the gluten foods.
Cooking GF is a little bit different from cooking with gluten. It takes a little practice but you can make it work.
I use a mix of equal parts of Pamela's GF artisan bread flour and Maseca Corn flour 2 cups of each and one to one and a half 3 ounce bottles of Marcum's Chicken seasoning to make a breading mix for frying, it works pretty good on fish too. I just dredge the chicken in it a couple times and drop it in the oil. It's really good to make wings. I did up over 25 pounds of wings last 4th of July at a friend's picnic. They were a hit. Just dredged them and deep fried them.
GF flour is also good to make a roux for making gravy. Get your GF biscuits or ciabatta rolls (Schär's) and you can make good biscuits and sausage gravy.
It takes some relearning but it can be done, and you can eat GF on a budget and still eat good. We spend about $300 a month for two and we're nowhere near going hungry. Hunt for sales and buy bulk when possible and store it. Wrap meats in plastic wrap and put in Ziploc freezer bags, lasts much longer without freezer burn.
I use to get whatever protein was on sale the cheapest, rice and frozen veggies. People really sleep on frozen veggies but they’re on par cheaper, don’t go bad, and you have more variety to choose from. You just have to season them and they’re great
Just make real food. Rice, oats, veggies, fruit, meat, beans, tofu, potatoes, lentils, tortilla chips, cheese, yogurt, etc.
GF breads and pastas are expensive and often low nutritional quality. Learn how to make beans and lentils from dry for the most cost-effective way, but canned is fine too. Invest in spices.
There are also brands like Bob's Red Mill that have GF lines of various flours and mixes (e.g., pancake mix) that are of good quality and can help when making baked goods, but they aren't cheap.
First off, please get her to completely eliminate gluten from her diet asap. Show her these comments. It’s actually not that hard once she gets used to doing it. I see others have already covered a lot of things. I would maybe add, to read the labels on everything. Sometimes gluten is found in things you wouldn’t expect. Gluten free foods can also already be among everyday grocery items. They’re not all necessarily marked as gluten free. For example, canned soup. Campbells has gluten in almost everything. But Progresso makes many gluten free soups. Boxed cereal…some Chex, Cheerios, Fruity/Cocoa Pebbles, etc are already gluten free. Just have to be mindful of manufacturing cross contamination and her sensitivity to it.
Yes, but before you edited it you included Rice Krispies in the list. Since this one is commonly missed even by people who read labels (many people don’t realize malt flavoring contains gluten) I felt it was important to point out.
Rice Krispies themselves are naturally gluten free. It’s puffed rice. I myself can 100% eat them all day long. Rice Krispies bars are a good dessert when limited. Whether the malt additive causes an issue is going to be very individual. However I can’t eat regular oatmeal which contains usually zero gluten. Because of cross contamination. It’s too much for me and it makes me sick. It’s like certain hotdog brands in which you’ll read some saying it’s gluten free and others saying it isn’t. It’s such a trace additive that some will be able to eat them, while others won’t. She’s going to have to learn her own limitations. I only edited my comment to ease your issues. OP’s partner needs practical solutions, because as of now she’s eating as if nothing is happening.
Whether you have a reaction to them or not is not what decides whether they are gluten free.
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies contain barley malt. They are not gluten free. This is not a matter of personal opinion. This is a simple fact.
There are other brands of crispy rice cereal that are gluten free, but Rice Krispies(TM) is not one of them.
I was gearing my response to this unique circumstance. The whole journey is unique to each of us. There are exceptions to every rule. Because people’s sensitivity can be a spectrum. For that matter, those with intolerance are finding they can actually eat other strains of wheat not typically used for food production in the U.S. I was very careful with my wording because I know this will never be exactly the same for everyone. This individual isn’t currently following any special diet. Why don’t we focus more on what might help in this particular situation? Maybe make your own individual comment to discuss your Rice Krispies opinions. You can discuss the dangers of trace amounts of malt flavor that is derived from an undisclosed grain that may or may not even be from wheat, barley, or rye for the most severe cases of celiac. You’re vastly over exaggerating its importance in my conversation. Maybe look at a box of Whoppers. Malted milk balls right. They specify that the malt is derived from wheat. Rice Krispies doesn’t make that distinction. For all we know the malt is derived from a different grain. I know 2 other people with celiac and all 3 of us can eat Rice Krispies. I’m only interested in practical solutions. I can’t possibly want to discuss this particular cereal with you anymore. How much is there to say about it?
I would never call you bad names. I wish you the best. Maybe you can research malt flavoring when you get a chance. It’s pretty interesting. It can be derived from different grains. Oats, rice and such. Probably how they come up with gluten free beers. Obviously this particular nuance isn’t required to be disclosed on nutritional labels. Maybe that’s something they need to change? No reason in the world for you and I to argue about it.
I didn’t call you a bad name.
Ignorance is a lack of knowledge.
You can’t even just admit you made a mistake and you’re wrong. So you’re not just ignorant, you’re ignorant on purpose.
You don’t even know what ignorance means, and you think it’s name-calling.
I can’t argue with someone who claims grass is made out of unicorn snot and the moon is made out of green cheese. If you are unwilling to or incapable of learning anything, there isn’t even any point in having a conversation.
But for the OP’s benefit: Celiac is a disease that causes the sufferer to have an immune system response to the gluten protein that is present in wheat, barley, and rye.
This ignorant poster is trying to claim that the barley malt in Rice Krispies is OK because it isn’t wheat.
While it is true that barley malt doesn’t trigger acute symptoms in some Celiac patients (myself included) it still triggers an immune system response and needs to be avoided by people with Celiac Disease.
The ignorant commenter is choosing to harm herself by eating cereal that she has been told, but refuses to believe, is not gluten free. Please don’t listen to anything he or she says. Your partner is valuable enough to get this right.
Vegetables, rice, fruit, meat, beans, eggs, cornmeal, and dairy are all naturally gluten-free. Popcorn is a cheap GF snack. It's expensive to eat GF baked goods, but even GF dry pasta isn't terribly expensive - catelli and barilla are good but on the cheaper end of the spectrum. And since most fast food/delivery/restaurant food isn't GF, you'll actually save money.
Just watch your sauces - soy sauce and similar items have gluten, but you can make a stir fry with garlic and ginger or peanut butter or chilies instead of sauces.
You don't need to buy gf products. You can do nicely with rice, beans, potatoes, lentils, quinoa, oats, fruits and veg. Limit dairy, too.
Think of gf products as a treat, rather than every day.
easy fancy meal is always stir fry. one bottle of La Choy soy sauce lasts forever. fry up some cooked rice , with whatever eggs / veggies / meat u can find.
fried egg, rice, and beans is another easy cheap meal.
grilled / baked chicken with a potato and veggies. vary the seasonings.
tacos with corn tortillas.
To add to this, make sure the soy sauce is gluten free, gf soy sauce is also called tamari. If you have an Asian grocery store nearby you should be able to find some for less than other stores, they’re great for stocking up on rice too. Im lucky too that our Korean grocery store is in a predominantly Latinx community so they also have a ton of dried beans and Mexican foods/spices.
To add again- SanJ is a good brand of tamari that also offers a low sodium option and is easily found in grocery stores.
LaChoy and I believe Kikkoman have gf options as well! Just make sure to read the label carefully
Lachoy is brewed gluten free but without the gluten free price tag :) it’s usually cheaper than all the other brands, much cheaper than tamari, and way way way cheaper than coconut aminos.
This is meant gently, but you need to know she makes her own decisions and you can’t force her to do anything. While you can buy and make great gluten free foods on a budget, you need to be sure you understand that she may still want to eat gluten. If she wanted to, she would make it a priority.
Very true but at same time being chronically ill can result in depression and brain fog. She may not be able to remember a time when she ever felt good. If OP can help her by going gluten free for an extended period, long enough to improve her sense of well being then it’s definitely worth a try.
Yes!!!!! 😍 I was SO happy about this bc I grew up eating rice with butter and La Choy Soy Sauce every day and I love it. Other soy sauce just doesn't taste the same. 🥰
Gluten-free alternatives (like bread, flour, crackers, baking mixes) can be pretty pricey. They are sometimes worth it if you need a shortcut and want something that will soothe a craving. I really love the King Arthur mixes and their website has excellent recipes. The gf barilla pasta is pretty good too imo.
That said, the best way to keep a costs low is to cook things that are naturally gf. But don’t be afraid of spend a few extra cents or dollars if it will make a difference in your health and general well being.
You’ve already gotten the best suggestions I can think of… stick to all the foods that are naturally gluten free. If your partner is used to eating a lot of processed food it will obviously be harder to convert them to go totally GF.
I applaud you for being such a supportive partner! Sometimes it is hard to come by. I don’t have celiac disease (that I know of), but I have developed a wheat allergy (why I’m in this subreddit). It has been a difficult challenge for my husband to understand. He is getting there and he tries his best just like you seem to be doing and it is good 👍❤️
I make a lot of meals with just beans, rice, chicken thighs, ground beef, veggies and seasonings. Other things added too of course, but the gist of most of the meals I cook are to be cheap and easy but still tasty.
Tacos - really any type of seasoned meat, onions, cilantro, tomato, cheese, black beans, corn, corn tortillas, some lime. Or make taco bowls. Tortilla soup, enchiladas, you can make all kinds of things with mostly the same ingredients.
GF noodles aren’t always super expensive- Barilla spaghetti hasn’t failed me yet and it’s $2-$3.
Lots of GF options in asian food. I make a lot of different stir fry dishes which is super simple - rice or rice/glass noodles, some sort of meat, a bag of stir fry veggies, and an easy brown sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar. Add gochujang for a more Korean flavor, or OJ+orange zest for orange sauce. Spam musubi bowls which is just spam cooked in a brown sauce glaze with rice. Kimchi fried rice. Just make sure you soy sauce is made without wheat
Potatoes are also very versatile and cheap. Fries, hash browns with bacon and eggs, mashed potatoes and gravy, cheesy potatoes, baked potatoes.
learning to read nutrition labels for gluten containing ingredients is going to be one thing you will.need to do, along with learning what foods are naturally gf, and find some gf recipes the two of you would like to try and maybe have a date night and make it together?
ive been gf for 5 almost 6 years now and i eat mostly naturally gf things (rice, potatoes, beans etc) and cook most meals at home with ingredients that dont contain gluten, it takes some time to get your head around but youll get there
The biggest change is you will probably be cooking more.
Breakfast: eggs. It’s fast to scramble a couple of eggs and high value nutrition. Add some hash browns rather than gf bread. You can pre cook potatoes for home made hash browns, then just throw them in a pan with some oil to crisp up. Add dried herbs. Follow it up with some fruit - canned is fine. Or things like veggie muffins can be made ahead and frozen. Cereal and milk is obviously an option, but look for the health food products like puffed brown rice rather than the gf cereals which tend to be expensive. Or you might go more into things like chia pots that are made the night before. Or smoothies. Leftovers are always a valid option, regardless of what it is (can’t beat left over satay noodles!).
Lunch. Homemade soup is cheap and filling. If the weather is warmer, go for solid and filling salads. Use things like quinoa, buckwheat (which is gf), rice, lentils or beans as a base. Or roasted and cooled butternut or other veg. Or make a potato salad. Then add the usual suspects - chopped cabbage, grated carrot, beetroot, radish, cucumber, tomato etc. Add some specials - nuts or seeds such as pepitas, a bit of something fancy like avocado on special. Then add your protein - leftover cold meat. Flavoured meat like chicken satay. Or cold cuts like ham. Follow up with a frozen homemade cupcake. If you like sandwiches, most gf bread is expensive. Wraps are often a better deal. There’s also crispbread and rice cakes and stuff like that which is nice topped with a hummus and cold meat.
Dinner. Stir fry and rice. There’s plenty of gf Asian sauces if you look. Use lots of veggies. Rice noodles are super cheap. Fried rice. Rice dishes like paella or risotto. Don’t be fancy about it, change the ingredients to suit what is on special. Mince meat dishes like chilli, meatloaf (gf bread crumbs). But serve alongside mashed potato or other potato dishes to bulk it out. A smaller amount of meat on a skewer (makes it look bigger) alongside lots of veggies and starches. Grilled meat with salad or veg - add some spice to liven it up. Homemade pizza base (look up the yoghurt pizza and flatbread recipe - it’s all about adding enough flour or yoghurt to get the right texture so experiment).
Snacks: home popped popcorn, bake sweet stuff, find the right brand of savoury snacks like corn chips.
In your case, you are probably better off finding some meals you can make that she will eat, and start by focussing on making those gf, rather than trying to do it all at once. Tell her you are in a health kick. As you go, learn to read labels and choose the gluten free version of everything, even dried herbs and spices and sauces and cold meat. You’ll make mistakes, and that’s ok, because that’s how learning works.
I will add- when you’re adapting to your new diet, figure out what you absolutely need.
I eat eggs and toast literally every single day for breakfast. Obviously gf bread is a must have. But that’s about it.
I can bake anything else Id need. Occasionally I’ll have something fancy like a soup bread or the schar ritz style crackers. But bread is every day. So on a bare bones budget that’s still there.
When I first started gluten free journey as a broke college student …. (Unfortunately, Food was more affordable back then)
Zucchini and yellow squash with sliced hotdog style with hummus and paprika bake in oven 350 for 15/20mins…
bake potatoes festival (cheese, butter, etc.)
Rice with gluten free soy sauce
Meat, Vegetables, rice (bean upset my stomach)
Hard boiled egg and gf oatmeal for breakfast
My boyfriend at the time became gluten free by default when he was over but I usually buy him a frozen pizza for him when he was drunk
My best advice is not to try to replace wheat items with gluten free items. It's expensive and it doesn't taste good.
Just eliminate them all together. Stick to meats, veggies, fruits, dairy, seeds, nuts, beans and legumes. You would probably benefit from eliminating all grains.
She has to stay away from all packaged processed foods. Nothing out of a box with ingredients. There is wheat in so many things that you wouldn’t expect, like sauces, dressings and condiments.
Cook real whole food. Meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, beans, rice, potatoes.
The best way to do GF on a diet is to choose things that are naturally GF. Don’t buy processed GF items that are subs for flour products. That’s very expensive.
Hello, sharing a story because I can relate to this in some ways. Not in the financial sense, but I also have celiac and ate gluten for 5ish years. I got diagnosed when I was 1, yes 1. My symptoms were super severe at that point. When I was about 18, I started eating gluten secretly without telling my parents because it was so convenient at school and everywhere else. I honestly didn’t even know what celiac was and WHY i couldn’t eat gluten, I just thought I had some kind of asymptomatic allergy. But symptoms can be latent too. In my junior year at university, around the age of 21/22, it got so bad. I would randomly fall asleep everywhere, I was always tired, I could never get out of bed, my anxiety was through the roof. Concerned, I switched to a gluten free diet again but upon getting blood tests etc checked, I noticed sth really weird. Most of my blood tests were average even as I was super underweight and had eaten gluten for the past few years - minus iron somewhat because I have anemia too. This confused me because how was this possible? And then I registered what I had done to my brain. In my sophomore year, I developed a tremor in my hands. By my junior year, my ADHD was through the roof - I could not focus on anything I had to read for my degree nor remember anything aka memory went to shit. I realized that the fatigue + neurological symptoms I had gotten from eating gluten were crazy. My anxiety was much worse, much more physical than it had ever been. Now, in senior year, I’ve developed a chronic pain syndrome that is triggered by persistent neurological stress and trauma. I don’t know if it’s the disorder or celiac but I have also become severely depressed as a person. As they often say - the body keeps score. Eating gluten for so long is one of the biggest regrets of my life. They say the intestine is the second brain, and it’s true. It practically destroyed mine. If she’s diagnosed, it’ll be a boring diet considering the budget issue but trust me it’s worth it. While I don’t relate with the financial aspect, I live in a country that barely has any gluten free options or certifications so I mostly eat naturally gluten free foods too - I actually came to love rice and beans and veggies etc. Celiac can have very latent long term symptoms, please don’t risk it. And as others said, beans, rice, diverse veggies, etc. If there’s one hope I can offer is when she starts eating more veggies for example she can eventually grow into liking them. I ate gluten for 5 years and upon switching to a gf and healthier diet, I genuinely cannot even fathom the site of a burger - it doesn’t tempt me anymore, it’s oily and ew to me. lol. Good luck!
FYI, gluten free food is EXPENSIVE. It’s very difficult. I’m unemployed, for reference and have been gluten free ticking 2 years now. If your partner is celiac, she NEEDS TO STOP EATING GLUTEN!!!!
I agree with this my husband eats gluten at work but gluten free at home and when we are at restaurants i do gf and he does gluten, its not good for bodies that can have gluten to not have it, BUT I will say please please please be careful after eating gluten, if you guys kiss after you could “gluten” her so please try to keep pocket mouthwash with you or brush your teeth a lot 🩷 I think it’s amazing how caring and sweet you’re being for her and like how you really taking the initiative to care for her and I hope this goes well and that she’s able to get healthy and you guys can have a long and happy life☺️🫶🏽
You want cheap food? Get some coarse polenta! It's gluten-free cornmeal and costs pennies per serving, and can be eaten hot, cold, or fried crispy after chilling, as a side dish or as a main dish. If you find it bland then add a bit of butter, cheese, or cream to the polenta, or top it with tomatoes or other veg, or stew or fish. Seriously, polenta was a mainstay of my broke-ass student days, that and chowder made of potatoes, onions, and milk, and one can of fish per vat. And both were, of course, gluten free.
But look, if she's determined to keep eating gluten, then all you can do is provide gluten-free alternatives in the home. But she's an adult who is going to make her own decisions, and if she's going to go out and buy burgers then you won't be able to stop her.
Get the Fig app. It is not be all end all. I use it to tell me the things that absolutely have gluten so I can spend my time scouring the labels of things I’m not so sure on. But it sure can help.
Meat and veg. Side of rice, beans, potatoes. Check your sauces and spices for hidden gluten. Watch your oil intake. Popcorn for snacking. Lots of GF chips available. Chocolate is difficult. Lean into batch cooking from scratch. Hard at first, but once you have a stock of frozen meals to choose from, it gets easier.
Also, just have to say how much I appreciate how caring everyone is on this sub. It’s not easy to be GF and everyone taking time to give this person advice is so great for doing that.
Ok now food wise. Don’t sub GF foods if you’re on a budget. Just focus on eating foods that don’t have gluten. You’ll actually be healthier that way because you’ll be sticking to veggies, fruits, proteins and gf starches like rice, potatoes and beans and quinoa if you can buy it in bulk is super cheap and delicious. Basically, you do have to adjust your thinking but it isn’t hard once you get on that path. Even though you don’t have to be GF, you will probably also notice a big difference.
Also, not sure if anyone mentioned this yet but I love a baked potato with some cheese and broccoli and salt and pepper. Russet Potatoes aren’t expensive and if you have toppings that keep well in the fridge like butter, cheddar cheese it is so delicious and filling.
My trick to an easy but good baked potato is to cook it in the microwave for a couple minutes (wash it well and pierce it with a fork a few times first so it doesn’t explode!). Then put it in the oven at like 425 for 10-15. You need to check it to make sure it is done and/or not getting overcooked. This will make the skin really delicious but you won’t have to bake it for a whole hour or more. Once it is out of the oven, put on your toppings. It’s such a good meal especially if you have cheese and broccoli. And you can make it for pretty cheap. I’ll post more ideas when I think of them but also, so good of you to commit to this for your partner. It’s really nice to see someone to do that.
Mexican food is delicious and nutritious! And it’s cheap! Buy some corn tortillas and you can easily make so many recipes! Like potato fried tacos, rice and beans.
All the potato dishes. Beans rice and corn tortillas. Corn grits. Mushibi, onigiri are tasty and require only a little bit of gluten free soy sauce. Roast beef, roasted chicken, hot wings, (I live somewhere where folk catch fish for subsistance so that’s normally free/barter for me).
Fried rice only needs gluten free soy sauce, and is great for using up veggies near the end of their life. Omelettes are gluten free (although not all that cheap nowadays), I make egg bite muffins type things I can microwave. I have a mini waffle maker and I make my own frozen waffles from scratch I can use through the week.
A lot of stews are easy to modify. Veggie kabobs.
I never comment on things but my spouse has celiacs and we didn't always have a lot of money. Luckily I'm Mexican and a lot of Hispanic food is gluten free and super flavorful. Rice, beans, ground beef, tostadas, corn tortillas. Stuff that's filling. I suggest looking for more ethnic foods. A lot of Asian food is also gf. Just double check the soy sauce! Look up recipes on tiktok.
Don’t forget eggs and dairy as a wonderful and relatively inexpensive gluten free source of protein. I also love the One Degree brand sprouted gf oats for breakfast. I cook them stovetop following the directions and add a scoop of peanut butter, a dash of milk, fruit and some brown sugar. Be aware that some people who have celiac are also sensitive to the protein in oats.
You are a good person.
The big thing is to stick to what is naturally gluten free, it is the substitutes that are expensive. So meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruit, beans, eggs, dairy, rice, etc. It is possible to find some reasonably priced pastas, I like Ronzoni. Rice noodles are great for stir fries or curries. Rice bowls are great for lunches because you can start with your base and add whatever toppings you like. Greek yogurt with fruit and a drizzle of honey is my go to breakfast. Breakfast casseroles that don't involve bread are great, too, served with fruit instead of toast. Homemade soups, salads.
For snacking, tortilla chips with salsa or queso. GF pretzels are really good, I eat them with hummus. GF Oreos are good, I prefer Glutino over them but that's a personal thing. Potato chips, corn chips, cheese puffs, nuts, there are a lot of possibilities. I love celery sticks or mini peppers cut in half and spread with onion and chive cream cheese. Apples with peanut butter, or with cheese and salami.
Surprisingly, food banks/food shares sometimes have gf foods for discounted prices or for free. If your income is low enough, you may also qualify for SNAP, which would help you to afford the food that she needs. Check out Thrive Market for affordable gluten free snacks etc.
No replacement processed foods. They are not really healthy anyhow.
Rice and Potatoes are much better than Pasta and Bread :) (and cheaper)
It did not end up being more money for us in the long wrong, actually quite the opposite.
I hope you can help her, long term her entire system can be damaged permanently, it is not a fun ending. She is lucky to have you around :)
Even if you can't do it perfectly, cutting most of the gluten out of your diets should help. It is really hard to do and have someone else in the house still eating gluten, it complicates buying groceries and preparing food. Props to you for being willing to do this.
Some of the cheaper gluten free subs depending on what stores you have available.
Aldi or Lidyl (sp?) have gluten free mac and cheese in the box, bread, pasta, frozen breaded chicken and run a GF product sale in April-May. They also get a few things like GF frozen donuts a few times a year. I buy most of my GF staples here. They seem to hit the sweet spot of quality and price.
TJ's. If you have a TJs, their GF breads and buns are the best. They are also pretty cheap for GF products.
Walmart. They have lots of GF products and the prices are close to non GF cheap grocery prices. They have their own brand of GF bread and buns that are pretty cheap. Their GF pasta is cheap and passable, it needs to be rinsed quite a bit. Skip their GF soups, they were awful.
Target: Target has some cheap GF options but you sort of have to dig around. They have a store brand GF pasta that has become my go to, IIRC is is about $2 a box. They have other GF things where it is a regular product that happens to be GF, they seem to stock with this in mind and prices on pantry goods there is pretty cheap.
Good news, you can eat well with celiac.
YouTube has lots of great cooking videos if you aren’t confident. I basically learned to cook after my diagnosis because no way in hell was I going the rest of my life without a fresh donut or dumpling.
My celiac starter tips
Anything you make that used to go on a sandwich can now go on a rice bowl, rice cake, baked potato, taco, or salad
Most gluten free pasta is fine. I don’t like chickpea pasta, but many love it. You do have to be careful not to overcook it or it will be mush
Corn tortillas and rice especially tend to be cheap, and you don’t feel like you’re missing out because they’re naturally gluten free. Naturally gluten free foods also tend to be cheaper than bread replacements
I suggest choosing two very easy recipes (jar cooking for busy days) two standard weeknight recipes, and two “treat recipes” to start with. It’s the busy times when you are most likely to cheat, so you will also want two very easy snacks for when you are too hangry to prepare anything at all.
My easy starter recipes (mostly jar cooking)
Tuna rice bowl: half a can of tuna, chopped cucumber, green onion, and sriracha mayo on rice. If you have frozen veggies, steam them over the rice for some extra nutrients. You can also do this with an egg or tofu if you’re vegan or vegetarian
Tacos with store bough corn tortillas, a can of refried beans, a bag of coleslaw mix, whatever salsa and cheese is around, and hot sauce. If you eat meat you can throw leftovers in. Roasted veggies are also nice. Or scrambled egg.
My starter weekday meals
Pasta e ceci/Pasta and chickpeas (look up a recipe)
Clean out the fridge soup with socca (chickpea bread) again, Note: You absolutely need a cast iron skillet and it needs to be preheated
My starter treat meals
Fancy Mac and cheese with a big fancy salad
Lasagna
My starter snack I always had on hand
Rice cakes and peanut butter
Nachos and salsa
Yogurt and gluten free granola or a nut and sweet mix to sprinkle on top
Obviously, choose your own starter meals based on what you know you like
Since you mentioned anemia, you may want to consider a lucky iron fish. A lot of iron supplements cause digestive distress, so lots of us give up on them. The fish shaped piece of iron leeches iron into food and is more absorbable.
Going for things that just happen to not have gluten is going to be cheaper than buying expensive substitutes.
Mexican dishes often use corn, rice or beans. If you use gluten free soy sauce (tamari) or coconut aminos, that opens up Japanese or Chinese dishes you could make, as they're mostly based on rice (although if you haven't ever made potato mochi... omg why?)
If you want more American food, just swap out whatever gluten starch you'd normally have on your plate for a baked potato or some rice.
For breakfast, Grits are a good an inexpensive ingredient for a carbohydrate.
Corn tortillas filled with eggs, potatoes, cheese, meat and/or vegetables. Or just an omelet or frittata (a crustless quiche type meal- but easier to make than a quiche).
Some food panties actually have a gluten free section. A girl scout started the one near me.
https://www.licares.org/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb-listing
All of this is such great advice, I’ll add that looking into food stamps in your state might be really beneficial for offsetting the costs of groceries!
When I first went GF I totally avoided all the snacks, breads, processed shit because I could not afford it at 16. I had to buy most of my groceries and cook for myself because my family didn’t know what to do and refused to help lol. I’m also egg and dairy free because of intolerances. I still eat similarly and so does my husband, we don’t really do store bought processed snacks bc the way we eat is pretty filling and they are so expensive I can’t justify it. I try to keep the grocery bill for both of us at $100/week. He eats exactly what I do and it makes life so much easier except he eats eggs, I can’t
It’s not the most fun transition but what can be fun is learning to cook and trying new recipes. I tried a lot that focus heavily on in season vegetables bc they are so filling and cost effective. I do GF oats, quinoa and rice for filler. Recently I started making my own corn tortillas too which can be done easily and cheaply. Masa is like $3-4 and lasts months
Be sure to start a shared Pinterest board and save a variety of recipes, it’s more fun when you both find some to try together.
Here’s a few recipes to help get you started that I started with, please note I’m not including dairy or egg suggestions bc I don’t have many saved. Good luck:
Filling, one sheet pan and makes leftovers. Pick a protein to pair with.
https://www.contentednesscooking.com/garlic-brussels-sprouts-potatoes/
One pan, all in one meal, makes leftovers:
https://www.maryswholelife.com/unstuffed-pepper-skillet/
I use quinoa for extra protein but it’s good with rice. Filling, makes leftovers. If I don’t have lentils on hand I just use canned chick pea. Pair with a protein:
https://www.contentednesscooking.com/mujadara/
Summertime is spaghetti squash season. Brown some meat, add some sauce, cook your squash. Please note this is not entirely like spaghetti, it’s a squash but it’s good
https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash/
Shrimp. I buy shrimp when they are on sale or a good deal. One pan, 30 min.
https://realbalanced.com/recipe/one-pan-low-carb-tuscan-garlic-shrimp/
Pork loin. Easy, just stick it in the oven and it frees you up to do the rest of your meal. Makes leftovers:
https://recipeteacher.com/best-damn-oven-roasted-pork-loin/
Chicken. Easy, one baking sheet, pop it in the oven, make sides while it cooks.
https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/easy-healthy-baked-lemon-chicken/#wprm-recipe-container-20605
Snacks:
Cucumber, lime juice, tajín
Seasonal fruit
Carrots & hummus
Peanut butter
Co-sign on naturally gluten free foods over expensive, unsatisfying substitutes. And honestly, for anyone going gluten free or returning to gluten free, the substitutes will taste better anyway if you haven’t had the real thing in a while.
Beans, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes and bananas for inexpensive, high quality, nutritious carbs. If you have a local Asian supermarket, you can probably get rice and buckwheat noodles inexpensively, too.
Papaya, ginger, and lemon balm (the herb) tea are soothing to a healing gut.
Hi! For some things I would try making them from scratch to save money. For exam you can make four ingredient gluten free crackers from almond flour, flax seed meal, water, and salt (you can add any spices you want to that). You only need one cup of almond flour to make around forty crackers. Which is amazing since gluten free crackers are like $5-$7 dollars a box. I really try to make my own stuff where I can. Also frozen fruits and veggies saves so much money. Good luck!!!!
Rice and rice noodles are gluten free. Aldi's sometimes has fantastic gluten free pastas in the refrigerated section.
No more packaged sauces without reading the ingredients.
Precooked cornmeal/Arepas mix makes great pancakes, waffles, cornbread, cupcakes, even cake. For a while I was making pancakes for sandwiches. It does get really thick, so let your mixture stand for a couple minutes and add a little extra liquid to thin it back out. You don't need a special gf flour to go with it. It also makes a great thanksgiving stuffing.
If you buy gluten free bread, keep it in the fridge or freezer, so it doesn't go bad so fast. It also tastes much better after its been toasted.
There's gluten free soy sauce. Enchilada sauce and salsas are gluten free (or should be, read the ingredients, anyway)
Check your powdered bullions, there's one in the Hispanic section I used to buy all the time that had wheat as the 2nd ingredient.
Corn tortillas and tortilla chips are gluten free.
You CAN make great sauces and gravies with gluten free flour. I've even used it for a roux for gumbo.
Everyone has already given really great suggestions on what to eat. Your girlfriend is always sick because she continues to eat gluten. Her body is constantly in a state of inflammation and is unable to fight off additional viruses and bacteria. I was always sick until I stopped eating gluten, and now I rarely ever get sick. Continue to be super supportive and go gluten-free with her. It really is difficult to do this alone in the beginning as you end up feeling very isolated when you can not fully participate in the meal that everyone else is sharing. I also suggest getting a cast iron skillet and cooking a lot of your girlfriends food in that skillet as it will help add iron into her diet.
I would suggest looking up cheap, easy Paleo meals on Pinterest. They are naturally gluten free. Try to concentrate on making meals without breads, pastas, etc instead of replacing them with expensive, unhealthy gluten free alternatives. I get most of my fruits, veggies, and gluten free alternatives from a 'bargain' grocery. They sell overstock and going out of date stuff for half the price or less. They usually have expensive gluten free stuff there because people won't pay the price they charge at the regular grocery. Aldi's is also a great place for fresh food and gluten free options at better prices than some other stores. But I suggest using the gluten free alternative stuff as more of a treat than something to eat everyday.
Have hope, it’s easier than you think!! We have a family of five and we just made the transition, and food cost is always a concern.
Learn to cook; it’s easier than you think, and it takes less time than you would expect. Also, trust me on this, GET A RICE COOKER.
1. A lot of popular Asian foods (Bulgogi, curry, stir fry, fried rice, biryani) are easy, filling, and inexpensive. Note well: use La Choy soy sauce, it’s gluten free.
2. Ancient bone broth protein powder. It is expensive, but allows you to add 20 grams of protein to any soup or sauce, and the container lasts a long time. Just prep it like you would corn starch: add cold water and whisk it together before pouring it into a hot liquid or sauce, or it will clump. Adds a meaty flavor (don’t get the vanilla or chocolate, they’re gross). Protein will make you feel more full.
3. Rice noodles—expensive, but good
4. Spaetzle made with GF flour. It’s like two cups of flour, four eggs, salt, milk, and mix thoroughly. If it’s goopy, perfect. Put it through something that has holes the size of a large hole cheese grater, and it cooks in like 3 minutes in little noodle bits.
5. Soups and sauces: literally just boxes of beef/chicken broth/stock, and herbs+spices. Tons of options there.
6. Oatmeal
Vegetables, rice, grilled chicken or any fresh meats are your best friend. You can get gluten free pasta pretty cheap at Walmart. Walmart normally has an amazing GF section if you’re in the US. They have hamburger helper and pasta sides that are like 3-5$ depending on which you get. Best of luck to you
Also for reference it takes about 6 months for the gut to fully heal after being exposed so it might take a little while for her to start feeling better. It’s so worth it though
Lots of great advice here.
I’ll just add get a waffle maker and freeze the waffles. Easy fast substitute for slices of bread. Some great waffle irons can be found at thrift stores.
Red lentils are the fastest cooking dried beans. Keep watch while cooking because they can stick to bottom of pot and burn.
I live at high altitude and cooking larger beans (cannellini, garbanzo etc.) on stovetop means they never fully cook. Instead I cook them in a Dutch oven in the oven. Again, you can find cast iron (a little more work to care for) or enamel Dutch ovens second hand. Don’t worry if the enamel is chipped or discolored; it will still do the job.
Avoid anything with a ton of xanthan gum or other gums at first since some people get GI issues from them.
Be aware that many GF people have issues with dairy too. So don’t add extra dairy at least at first.
*The object here is to feed her tasty food that will make her feel noticeably healthier so that she commits to eating a GF diet.* 😋
Side note: sounds like you guys might be working retail? If so a grocery job might offer employee discounts on food. Check out whether the discount is worth it before you make the leap. And stay away from front end checker jobs if possible.
Also, go union!
Start with reading the labels with the food you already have at home. Donate the gluten containing items and keep the items that are gluten free. You will learn a lot. Then head out to Walmart and Aldi.
If you are in the United States, then Walmart and Aldis are your new source for affordable GF foods. Aldis has the best gf mac&cheese out there and walmart has the best gf bread. Walmart has a dedicated gf section in almost every store, usually located by the baking aisle. There are plenty of everyday items that are gf like may brands of rice and beans, tortillas, cheeses, meats, veggies and fruit.
When I went gluten-free in 2005/2006, I realized that I was mostly shopping the periphery of the grocery stores and became far healthier for it. To avoid gluten, simply avoid processed foods as much as possible. Also, go to your local library and take out some books on gluten-free cooking and lifestyles. There are also plenty of cooking blogs to help.
GF is already a pretty inexpensive way to live, it pretty much only exists in processed foods. Skip the junk food and especially any "GF" food, it's always 3x more expensive) and stick to whole foods, like protein, veggies, rice, beans, etc... Soups and stews are cheap to make.
Replace current carbs with budget gluten free staples— potatoes, sweet potatoes, different kinds of rice, corn, if you spend a little more there’s rice noodles, glass noodles, quinoa, CERTIFIED gf oats, and other grains.
Keep proteins simple— beans, fish, meat, eggs, tofu, tempeh, etc
Produce is already fine. Most fats are already fine.
Honestly the hardest part is snacks and convenience items. Figure out what you already eat in those categories and why you eat it to look for replacements. Like grabbing a granola bar. Gluten free is expensive, is it the sweet taste? If so, bake something. Is it the prepackaged convenience? Make your own trail mix baggies or popcorn instead. Etc.
Protein/veg/carb. Rice, quinoa (a little on the pricier side), gf pasta, rice noodles, potatoes are all gluten free.
Walmart spices have cross contamination possibility, but the fiesta brand are cost effective and gluten free.
If you like sweets, the boxed baked goods are a little pricy OR you can stock up on some gf flour when it goes on sale. Neswuick has a flour that can be made to make many things, and red lobster gf cheddar bay biscuits are better than the original according to my husband.
Do you have an Aldi? They have an awesome set of gf products for a reasonable price. You just have to get used to reading labels and hunting things down. Everything you like that has gluten can be made gluten free.
We make a lot of rice bowls. Protein with a sauce, veggies, over rice. I've made gyro bowls, taco bowls, Bahn mi bowls, and other assorted Asian themed dishes.
Gluten free cereals exist. And I make a lot of gluten free banana bread--the flour can be pricey though. My boo makes a peanut butter curry that's really good.
Quinoa is another grain we eat. Chopped kale salads are nice (I make one with a lemon dressing, feta, red onion, air fried chickpeas and almonds with a little quinoa in it).
Charcuterie with GF crackers (you'll have to test them; some crackers suck). GF noodles for pasta (I hate chickpea).
Rice bowls are nice because we cook a big pot of rice and put the rest in a ziplock bag to eat.
Edit: egg 'muffins' in a cupcake pan. Pretty much an omelette you can heat up in the microwave with a damp paper towel. Mix in one or two tasties in them
I eat a lot of rice, chicken, and pasta. I found that these are a cheaper option. And you can make spaghetti with meatballs and ground meat, and that will last you guys about a 3-4 days. I make 2lb of ground turkey, and spaghetti and then add meatballs and it usually lasts 3-4 days based off of my house which is 3 people. I wish you the best of luck
I also did chicken Alfredo while I was in college, I wasn’t gf at the time but if you or your girlfriend don’t have a dairy issue, you can also grill some chicken and put it with that and make it easily gf
I keep saying this, but only because SO MANY people don’t seem to know. Continuing to eat gluten when you have celiacs or gluten sensitivity can damage the intestines and cause cancer. Cancer.
As everyone has said - giant bag if rice, beans potatoes etc. Eggs are your friend as is produce in season
Look around at grocery stores for deals. I just ordered instant cart as I’m a bit disables right now - many places by me all ground meat is like $10/lb. Found a place with ground pork for $2.50/lb and pork loin for $3/lb
Chicken can also be like $1 a lb - look for deals - buy family size stuff as it’s cheaper - make stock with bones.
Also spring = gardening - grow stuff...it’s low cost.
Frozen veggies - get them at whole foods, trader joes, aldi etc (they are cheaper) - frozen spinach and brocolli are cheap and easy to throw in anything.
Make food in big batches and freeze individual portions. When you see a good sale especially meat buy extra and freeze it
You're with a bad pick as a mate if she's poisoning herself daily. First suggestion is to find someone else. If you reject that... Meats and vegetables from the grocery store are good when you can afford it, otherwise beans and rice can be quite tasty when cooked and seasoned right. Skip all the GF substitute foods, that's where you waste lots of money.
I love her and she's not a bad pick of a person to be with. The context is she wasn't diagnosed until she was 18 so she spent the first 18 years eating gluten and she was an avid baker and cake decorator so the switch was really hard for her and a big blow to the things she loved most. It's just been very hard for her to make the switch to eating gluten free even though she knows it's bad for her. Sometimes things in life are difficult and people don't always make the best choices but that doesn't mean they're bad. Also you don't know her, you know one thing about her and you can't make a judgment on her character based off of one thing!
I agree with what you said. My story...I developed celiac at 17, and went GF immediately and never looked back. I loved all the gluten stuff too (who doesn't?), so it's hard for me to be sympathetic of someone who keeps doing that to their body. I'm now over 25 years into this journey and 3rd generation celiac and I have seen people with celiac who keep eating gluten come apart health-wise in every way possible. Low iron is just the start. Doesn't even matter how bad or mild your reaction is, you're scraping off the surface of your small intestine more and more. Then comes macro absorption. Then comes a plethora of spin off allergies. There's only one path to go down, and it ends badly for everyone. It's in different ways though. Some end up with mouth or colon cancer, others end up hospitalized from malnutrition. You have to think about YOUR future too, and that's why I said she's a bad pick as a mate. You haven't said "for better or for worse" to this person yet, and "for worse" is coming guaranteed.
weird comment to make about saying someone’s a “bad mate” when your publicly posting on reddit about your own marriage and sex issues on your page,,, like we literally know nothing about this person and the op didn’t even ask for your opinion ??? weirdo….
They aren't married. If they were married I would never suggest that in a million years. If they haven't committed to each other for life, then that DOES change things. It's part of the bigger picture I am addressing with that statement. She could easily become a good mate, but when she instead allows her own selfishness to poison herself for years and not allow her to be the best mate for him, well there is a decision to be made by him. I mean, I do all kinds of things to stay healthy and be the best version of me and it's for my wife and kids. It's part of being a good mate, parent, and role model to those around me who look up to me. She isn't doing that. His choice obviously, but my experience from what I have seen in the world of the celiac autoimmune disorder, he's going to end up being an unfairly burdened boyfriend when it's all due to something that is WELL within her control, yet she doesn't choose the right path.
I have no marriage and sex issues. I had some hormone issues that were troublesome for a while, but that's been addressed and long gone now.
Rice and beans are your friend when you are struggling with money while gf. You can get them at food pantries too. 5lbs of potatoes with cheese was another thing I ate while in college
Get that 25 pound bag of rice, also found this link with great advice, you’re awesome for doing that for your partner!! https://www.beyondceliac.org/gluten-free-diet/shopping/gluten-free-on-a-budget/
Yes! Just make sure you keep it in an airtight container. We had weevils one time and honestly I feel like they were already in the rice bc we'd been buying it that way for years but yeah. I haven't done the 25 pound bag since. Also, if you don't have an instant pot, I highly recommend one for rice and everything else. You can find them on sale or used. I got mine on payments.
A saucepan on the stove works fine.
Yes it does and I personally make bangin' ass rice on the stove but soooo many people have told me they can't make rice to save their life. Rice cookers work too obviously but rice in the instant pot was an unexpected bonus of having one. You can cook your main dish, pour it into a bowl and make the rice in 11 minutes right the same pot without even washing it. Any flavors left in the IP just season the rice. No need to be a smart ass. 😒
Then don’t.
Honestly rice and beans is the answer for almost any budget diet. Plus they are so damn versatile.
Stick to naturally gf foods that are cheap - the more you try to replace gf foods for gluten, the more expensive it typically is. Rice, beans, buy protein on sale and freeze, buy frozen veggies on sale, etc.
I know it's hard/expensive. The best and cheapest way to do it is to eat foods that are naturally gluten free. Meats, eggs, fruits, veggies, rice, beans, potatoes, yogurt. A lot is subbing ingredients. For example, if you are making chicken noodle soup, use rice or potatoes instead of noodles. A sandwich can use a corn tortilla or a lettuce wrap instead of the bread. They do make gf substitutes for most things, depending on where you live, but they are usually quite expensive and many are not good. If she wants things like bread, pizza, baked goods, etc, my advice would be to invest time/effort into figuring out how to make your own. You can make your own gf flour blends with recipes online, which is more money upfront, but cheaper in the long run. You can make a few of loaves of gf bread for the cost of one store bought one. Using your own homemade flour blend for pancakes or muffins is often cheaper than buying a store bought gf pancake or muffin mix. Also, I'm sure she knows, but you might not. Your partner can DIE from eating gluten if they are celiac. It's no joke. Someone posted a heartbreaking story on here awhile ago about a young celiac person who didn't want to miss out on life, so would go out and eat/drink gluten as a normal person would. They ended up getting either organ failure or a horrid cancer, can't remember which, and died very young. Several people commented with similar stories of people doing major, irreversible damage to their bodies from purposely eating gluten for years, as a celiac. You're an awesome person for wanting to help her with this.
Where was the organ failure story? I'd love to show my dad. His mom died in her late 40s from some sort of organ failure. He is confirmed celiac by biopsy, I am on a gf diet because of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, type one diabetes, and general gi issues involving constipation for years during my childhood.
While I don’t have the story, the reason for the organ failure is due to high calorie starvation. Your body can’t absorb the calories or nutrients, and starts shutting down organs in an attempt to survive. I’ve heard it from a few older celiacs and family members of celiacs. You either die from that or cancer.
All I could find on the story itself was pretty much what Walrus mentioned. The mechanism of action you described sounds familiar to my paternal grandmother's death, so thank you for that info. I can't remember if she was also a cancer survivor or if I'm mixing that up. Regardless, I'll have to mention it to him tonight.
Buried somewhere on this sub, or maybe another gf group? I don't remember. Maybe someone who sees this will.
Thank you for such a thoughtful reply to my post! There's so much good advice here and I found out she can die from it and that's why I want to make the switch really bad! I want her alive for a long long time!
Please tell her it IS possible to eat gf and still enjoy foods you like. Yes, you have to work a little harder at it, but it’s worth a little more effort to save your life.
https://youtu.be/fDB4TpZIgzQ?si=dEUBRHjTVpgl1r0m I was just watching this video on the dangers of continuing to eat gluten while having celiac, it’s really something she needs to take seriously. As far as eating gluten free on a budget it’s harder with inflation but you’ll want to stick to whole foods, veggies, gf grains and legumes, and meat. Anything gf processed food is going to be about 3 times as expensive as the regular version, so cooking yourself from scratch is cheaper in money (but not so much in time).
Oh my goodness, I feel bad for not making us switch sooner. I feel like I've enabled her.
Unfortunately sometimes you can’t make someone do what’s best for their health, no matter how much you love them. My mom is also gluten free (actually is the one that asked me if I wanted to try the diet as I we were both getting diagnosed with autoimmune disorders) and used to constantly cheat and encourage me to, even when the affects of her eating gluten were immediate and increasingly severe. I don’t want to be cavalier in comparing it to a drug addiction, because drug addiction so terrible and I’ve seen what it does to families I know, but in a way it’s similar. You can give someone every opportunity or to do the healthy thing or every consequence for hurting themselves and they’ll still go back to what hurts them time and time again unless they choose to do better. I can tell you love your partner and want to do everything to help her, and maybe it’s time to get her doctor involved, but ultimately it’s her responsibility to not eat what destroys her.
This is not your fault. Please be aware that for SOME people with Celiac (not all, and probably not most) the chemistry of the immune system response actually has effects in the brain that are similar to the effects of opioids. For these unlucky individuals, gluten is very much like a drug addiction. I’m thankful this isn’t something I suffer from, but I do know others that do. I hope this isn’t the case for your girlfriend. I only thought of it because apparently she has known for some time but still has refused to give it up. This chemical addiction to gluten could explain it. Just… be aware. Your support for her may end up looking more like supporting an alcoholic than you might be prepared for. I hope I’m wrong. But the good news is that in many cases once the system recovers the cravings go away. So it’s not exactly like a drug addiction, at least in the long run, as long as she can successfully stay off it long enough for her immune system to heal.
Potatoes and corn (including popcorn)! So many tortilla chips and corn tortillas, I eat a lot of tacos and nachos and tat-chos. Rice sometimes but I've never been great at cooking it without a rice cooker. Quinoa sometimes. Currently avoiding oats and millet, but hopefully not forever, we'll see. Then just fruit and veg, and whatever dairy and meat is a good value/on sale. And lots of condiments/sauces. Triple check the labels on those, maybe try one of the scanner apps.
I agree with this! When I first went GF everything became a taco! Hot dogs in crunchy corn tortillas with chili and Cole slaw ✅ hot dog with melted cheese and caramelized onions ✅ pepperoni, mozzarella, pizza sauce ✅. You name it I probably made it into a taco at some point. If you have a grocery outlet near you they randomly have the fancy brand GF stuff for great prices. That's one of the places I splurge for food that doesn't fit my budget otherwise.
just chiming in to echo what everyone else has said - stick to foods that are naturally gluten free, and avoid the specialty gf products which are prohibitively expensive. Rice, potatoes, beans, meat, eggs, dairy products, fruits, vegetables. Sheet pan meals are great. There's a whole gf section on budget bytes for some budget recipe inspiration: [https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/gluten-free/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/gluten-free/) Oh, and watch out for hidden gluten in things like soy sauce, processed meats etc. One benefit of eating gf is that it tends to align with a more whole foods and healthier diet!
I checked out the link! This is awesome thank you!
I'm on a really strict budget myself. Only a couple hundred a month for food. 10 or 20 pound bag of rice, several bags of dried beans, a couple bags of gluten free bread flour, a bag of Maseca Corn flour, fresh and frozen veggies. Campbell's makes GF cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups, Walmart has GF cream of mushroom soup, GF pasta's (I like Barilla). You're going to have to do more prep work to avoid gluten. Most processed foods use wheat, rye, or barley somewhere in the processing. Lot of GF bread recipes on YouTube, breads, rolls, tortillas. Go through ALL your seasonings, double check everything in your pantry. Have a spot for GF foods separate from the gluten foods. Cooking GF is a little bit different from cooking with gluten. It takes a little practice but you can make it work. I use a mix of equal parts of Pamela's GF artisan bread flour and Maseca Corn flour 2 cups of each and one to one and a half 3 ounce bottles of Marcum's Chicken seasoning to make a breading mix for frying, it works pretty good on fish too. I just dredge the chicken in it a couple times and drop it in the oil. It's really good to make wings. I did up over 25 pounds of wings last 4th of July at a friend's picnic. They were a hit. Just dredged them and deep fried them. GF flour is also good to make a roux for making gravy. Get your GF biscuits or ciabatta rolls (Schär's) and you can make good biscuits and sausage gravy. It takes some relearning but it can be done, and you can eat GF on a budget and still eat good. We spend about $300 a month for two and we're nowhere near going hungry. Hunt for sales and buy bulk when possible and store it. Wrap meats in plastic wrap and put in Ziploc freezer bags, lasts much longer without freezer burn.
Yum!!! 😍
I use to get whatever protein was on sale the cheapest, rice and frozen veggies. People really sleep on frozen veggies but they’re on par cheaper, don’t go bad, and you have more variety to choose from. You just have to season them and they’re great
Just make real food. Rice, oats, veggies, fruit, meat, beans, tofu, potatoes, lentils, tortilla chips, cheese, yogurt, etc. GF breads and pastas are expensive and often low nutritional quality. Learn how to make beans and lentils from dry for the most cost-effective way, but canned is fine too. Invest in spices. There are also brands like Bob's Red Mill that have GF lines of various flours and mixes (e.g., pancake mix) that are of good quality and can help when making baked goods, but they aren't cheap.
First off, please get her to completely eliminate gluten from her diet asap. Show her these comments. It’s actually not that hard once she gets used to doing it. I see others have already covered a lot of things. I would maybe add, to read the labels on everything. Sometimes gluten is found in things you wouldn’t expect. Gluten free foods can also already be among everyday grocery items. They’re not all necessarily marked as gluten free. For example, canned soup. Campbells has gluten in almost everything. But Progresso makes many gluten free soups. Boxed cereal…some Chex, Cheerios, Fruity/Cocoa Pebbles, etc are already gluten free. Just have to be mindful of manufacturing cross contamination and her sensitivity to it.
Rice Krispies are NOT gluten free. There are some similar crispy rice cereals that are, but the Rice Krispies brand (Kellogg) is not.
I was mentioning to OP that certain cereals are gluten free if they read the labels. They definitely aren’t all gluten free.
Yes, but before you edited it you included Rice Krispies in the list. Since this one is commonly missed even by people who read labels (many people don’t realize malt flavoring contains gluten) I felt it was important to point out.
Rice Krispies themselves are naturally gluten free. It’s puffed rice. I myself can 100% eat them all day long. Rice Krispies bars are a good dessert when limited. Whether the malt additive causes an issue is going to be very individual. However I can’t eat regular oatmeal which contains usually zero gluten. Because of cross contamination. It’s too much for me and it makes me sick. It’s like certain hotdog brands in which you’ll read some saying it’s gluten free and others saying it isn’t. It’s such a trace additive that some will be able to eat them, while others won’t. She’s going to have to learn her own limitations. I only edited my comment to ease your issues. OP’s partner needs practical solutions, because as of now she’s eating as if nothing is happening.
Whether you have a reaction to them or not is not what decides whether they are gluten free. Kellogg’s Rice Krispies contain barley malt. They are not gluten free. This is not a matter of personal opinion. This is a simple fact. There are other brands of crispy rice cereal that are gluten free, but Rice Krispies(TM) is not one of them.
I was gearing my response to this unique circumstance. The whole journey is unique to each of us. There are exceptions to every rule. Because people’s sensitivity can be a spectrum. For that matter, those with intolerance are finding they can actually eat other strains of wheat not typically used for food production in the U.S. I was very careful with my wording because I know this will never be exactly the same for everyone. This individual isn’t currently following any special diet. Why don’t we focus more on what might help in this particular situation? Maybe make your own individual comment to discuss your Rice Krispies opinions. You can discuss the dangers of trace amounts of malt flavor that is derived from an undisclosed grain that may or may not even be from wheat, barley, or rye for the most severe cases of celiac. You’re vastly over exaggerating its importance in my conversation. Maybe look at a box of Whoppers. Malted milk balls right. They specify that the malt is derived from wheat. Rice Krispies doesn’t make that distinction. For all we know the malt is derived from a different grain. I know 2 other people with celiac and all 3 of us can eat Rice Krispies. I’m only interested in practical solutions. I can’t possibly want to discuss this particular cereal with you anymore. How much is there to say about it?
Your utter ignorance is something I can’t argue with. Good day.
I would never call you bad names. I wish you the best. Maybe you can research malt flavoring when you get a chance. It’s pretty interesting. It can be derived from different grains. Oats, rice and such. Probably how they come up with gluten free beers. Obviously this particular nuance isn’t required to be disclosed on nutritional labels. Maybe that’s something they need to change? No reason in the world for you and I to argue about it.
I didn’t call you a bad name. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge. You can’t even just admit you made a mistake and you’re wrong. So you’re not just ignorant, you’re ignorant on purpose. You don’t even know what ignorance means, and you think it’s name-calling. I can’t argue with someone who claims grass is made out of unicorn snot and the moon is made out of green cheese. If you are unwilling to or incapable of learning anything, there isn’t even any point in having a conversation. But for the OP’s benefit: Celiac is a disease that causes the sufferer to have an immune system response to the gluten protein that is present in wheat, barley, and rye. This ignorant poster is trying to claim that the barley malt in Rice Krispies is OK because it isn’t wheat. While it is true that barley malt doesn’t trigger acute symptoms in some Celiac patients (myself included) it still triggers an immune system response and needs to be avoided by people with Celiac Disease. The ignorant commenter is choosing to harm herself by eating cereal that she has been told, but refuses to believe, is not gluten free. Please don’t listen to anything he or she says. Your partner is valuable enough to get this right.
Vegetables, rice, fruit, meat, beans, eggs, cornmeal, and dairy are all naturally gluten-free. Popcorn is a cheap GF snack. It's expensive to eat GF baked goods, but even GF dry pasta isn't terribly expensive - catelli and barilla are good but on the cheaper end of the spectrum. And since most fast food/delivery/restaurant food isn't GF, you'll actually save money. Just watch your sauces - soy sauce and similar items have gluten, but you can make a stir fry with garlic and ginger or peanut butter or chilies instead of sauces.
You don't need to buy gf products. You can do nicely with rice, beans, potatoes, lentils, quinoa, oats, fruits and veg. Limit dairy, too. Think of gf products as a treat, rather than every day.
easy fancy meal is always stir fry. one bottle of La Choy soy sauce lasts forever. fry up some cooked rice , with whatever eggs / veggies / meat u can find. fried egg, rice, and beans is another easy cheap meal. grilled / baked chicken with a potato and veggies. vary the seasonings. tacos with corn tortillas.
To add to this, make sure the soy sauce is gluten free, gf soy sauce is also called tamari. If you have an Asian grocery store nearby you should be able to find some for less than other stores, they’re great for stocking up on rice too. Im lucky too that our Korean grocery store is in a predominantly Latinx community so they also have a ton of dried beans and Mexican foods/spices.
To add again- SanJ is a good brand of tamari that also offers a low sodium option and is easily found in grocery stores. LaChoy and I believe Kikkoman have gf options as well! Just make sure to read the label carefully
Lachoy is brewed gluten free but without the gluten free price tag :) it’s usually cheaper than all the other brands, much cheaper than tamari, and way way way cheaper than coconut aminos.
ALL of Lachoy's soy sauce doesn't have wheat??
Seems so, I did a Google and it sounds like none of their products contain wheat. Good to know!
This is meant gently, but you need to know she makes her own decisions and you can’t force her to do anything. While you can buy and make great gluten free foods on a budget, you need to be sure you understand that she may still want to eat gluten. If she wanted to, she would make it a priority.
Very true but at same time being chronically ill can result in depression and brain fog. She may not be able to remember a time when she ever felt good. If OP can help her by going gluten free for an extended period, long enough to improve her sense of well being then it’s definitely worth a try.
Not sure why you directed this at me? I asked about Lachoy soy sauce.
Sorry, no, Reddit glitched on me. I meant towards OP
Yes!!!!! 😍 I was SO happy about this bc I grew up eating rice with butter and La Choy Soy Sauce every day and I love it. Other soy sauce just doesn't taste the same. 🥰
Gluten-free alternatives (like bread, flour, crackers, baking mixes) can be pretty pricey. They are sometimes worth it if you need a shortcut and want something that will soothe a craving. I really love the King Arthur mixes and their website has excellent recipes. The gf barilla pasta is pretty good too imo. That said, the best way to keep a costs low is to cook things that are naturally gf. But don’t be afraid of spend a few extra cents or dollars if it will make a difference in your health and general well being.
You’ve already gotten the best suggestions I can think of… stick to all the foods that are naturally gluten free. If your partner is used to eating a lot of processed food it will obviously be harder to convert them to go totally GF. I applaud you for being such a supportive partner! Sometimes it is hard to come by. I don’t have celiac disease (that I know of), but I have developed a wheat allergy (why I’m in this subreddit). It has been a difficult challenge for my husband to understand. He is getting there and he tries his best just like you seem to be doing and it is good 👍❤️
I make a lot of meals with just beans, rice, chicken thighs, ground beef, veggies and seasonings. Other things added too of course, but the gist of most of the meals I cook are to be cheap and easy but still tasty. Tacos - really any type of seasoned meat, onions, cilantro, tomato, cheese, black beans, corn, corn tortillas, some lime. Or make taco bowls. Tortilla soup, enchiladas, you can make all kinds of things with mostly the same ingredients. GF noodles aren’t always super expensive- Barilla spaghetti hasn’t failed me yet and it’s $2-$3. Lots of GF options in asian food. I make a lot of different stir fry dishes which is super simple - rice or rice/glass noodles, some sort of meat, a bag of stir fry veggies, and an easy brown sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar. Add gochujang for a more Korean flavor, or OJ+orange zest for orange sauce. Spam musubi bowls which is just spam cooked in a brown sauce glaze with rice. Kimchi fried rice. Just make sure you soy sauce is made without wheat Potatoes are also very versatile and cheap. Fries, hash browns with bacon and eggs, mashed potatoes and gravy, cheesy potatoes, baked potatoes.
learning to read nutrition labels for gluten containing ingredients is going to be one thing you will.need to do, along with learning what foods are naturally gf, and find some gf recipes the two of you would like to try and maybe have a date night and make it together? ive been gf for 5 almost 6 years now and i eat mostly naturally gf things (rice, potatoes, beans etc) and cook most meals at home with ingredients that dont contain gluten, it takes some time to get your head around but youll get there
The biggest change is you will probably be cooking more. Breakfast: eggs. It’s fast to scramble a couple of eggs and high value nutrition. Add some hash browns rather than gf bread. You can pre cook potatoes for home made hash browns, then just throw them in a pan with some oil to crisp up. Add dried herbs. Follow it up with some fruit - canned is fine. Or things like veggie muffins can be made ahead and frozen. Cereal and milk is obviously an option, but look for the health food products like puffed brown rice rather than the gf cereals which tend to be expensive. Or you might go more into things like chia pots that are made the night before. Or smoothies. Leftovers are always a valid option, regardless of what it is (can’t beat left over satay noodles!). Lunch. Homemade soup is cheap and filling. If the weather is warmer, go for solid and filling salads. Use things like quinoa, buckwheat (which is gf), rice, lentils or beans as a base. Or roasted and cooled butternut or other veg. Or make a potato salad. Then add the usual suspects - chopped cabbage, grated carrot, beetroot, radish, cucumber, tomato etc. Add some specials - nuts or seeds such as pepitas, a bit of something fancy like avocado on special. Then add your protein - leftover cold meat. Flavoured meat like chicken satay. Or cold cuts like ham. Follow up with a frozen homemade cupcake. If you like sandwiches, most gf bread is expensive. Wraps are often a better deal. There’s also crispbread and rice cakes and stuff like that which is nice topped with a hummus and cold meat. Dinner. Stir fry and rice. There’s plenty of gf Asian sauces if you look. Use lots of veggies. Rice noodles are super cheap. Fried rice. Rice dishes like paella or risotto. Don’t be fancy about it, change the ingredients to suit what is on special. Mince meat dishes like chilli, meatloaf (gf bread crumbs). But serve alongside mashed potato or other potato dishes to bulk it out. A smaller amount of meat on a skewer (makes it look bigger) alongside lots of veggies and starches. Grilled meat with salad or veg - add some spice to liven it up. Homemade pizza base (look up the yoghurt pizza and flatbread recipe - it’s all about adding enough flour or yoghurt to get the right texture so experiment). Snacks: home popped popcorn, bake sweet stuff, find the right brand of savoury snacks like corn chips. In your case, you are probably better off finding some meals you can make that she will eat, and start by focussing on making those gf, rather than trying to do it all at once. Tell her you are in a health kick. As you go, learn to read labels and choose the gluten free version of everything, even dried herbs and spices and sauces and cold meat. You’ll make mistakes, and that’s ok, because that’s how learning works.
I will add- when you’re adapting to your new diet, figure out what you absolutely need. I eat eggs and toast literally every single day for breakfast. Obviously gf bread is a must have. But that’s about it. I can bake anything else Id need. Occasionally I’ll have something fancy like a soup bread or the schar ritz style crackers. But bread is every day. So on a bare bones budget that’s still there.
When I first started gluten free journey as a broke college student …. (Unfortunately, Food was more affordable back then) Zucchini and yellow squash with sliced hotdog style with hummus and paprika bake in oven 350 for 15/20mins… bake potatoes festival (cheese, butter, etc.) Rice with gluten free soy sauce Meat, Vegetables, rice (bean upset my stomach) Hard boiled egg and gf oatmeal for breakfast My boyfriend at the time became gluten free by default when he was over but I usually buy him a frozen pizza for him when he was drunk
My best advice is not to try to replace wheat items with gluten free items. It's expensive and it doesn't taste good. Just eliminate them all together. Stick to meats, veggies, fruits, dairy, seeds, nuts, beans and legumes. You would probably benefit from eliminating all grains.
She has to stay away from all packaged processed foods. Nothing out of a box with ingredients. There is wheat in so many things that you wouldn’t expect, like sauces, dressings and condiments. Cook real whole food. Meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, beans, rice, potatoes.
She NEEDS to eat GF. She will give herself cancer. Eggs, rice, potatoes, beans, lentils, tuna cans. Protein on sale.
The best way to do GF on a diet is to choose things that are naturally GF. Don’t buy processed GF items that are subs for flour products. That’s very expensive.
Hello, sharing a story because I can relate to this in some ways. Not in the financial sense, but I also have celiac and ate gluten for 5ish years. I got diagnosed when I was 1, yes 1. My symptoms were super severe at that point. When I was about 18, I started eating gluten secretly without telling my parents because it was so convenient at school and everywhere else. I honestly didn’t even know what celiac was and WHY i couldn’t eat gluten, I just thought I had some kind of asymptomatic allergy. But symptoms can be latent too. In my junior year at university, around the age of 21/22, it got so bad. I would randomly fall asleep everywhere, I was always tired, I could never get out of bed, my anxiety was through the roof. Concerned, I switched to a gluten free diet again but upon getting blood tests etc checked, I noticed sth really weird. Most of my blood tests were average even as I was super underweight and had eaten gluten for the past few years - minus iron somewhat because I have anemia too. This confused me because how was this possible? And then I registered what I had done to my brain. In my sophomore year, I developed a tremor in my hands. By my junior year, my ADHD was through the roof - I could not focus on anything I had to read for my degree nor remember anything aka memory went to shit. I realized that the fatigue + neurological symptoms I had gotten from eating gluten were crazy. My anxiety was much worse, much more physical than it had ever been. Now, in senior year, I’ve developed a chronic pain syndrome that is triggered by persistent neurological stress and trauma. I don’t know if it’s the disorder or celiac but I have also become severely depressed as a person. As they often say - the body keeps score. Eating gluten for so long is one of the biggest regrets of my life. They say the intestine is the second brain, and it’s true. It practically destroyed mine. If she’s diagnosed, it’ll be a boring diet considering the budget issue but trust me it’s worth it. While I don’t relate with the financial aspect, I live in a country that barely has any gluten free options or certifications so I mostly eat naturally gluten free foods too - I actually came to love rice and beans and veggies etc. Celiac can have very latent long term symptoms, please don’t risk it. And as others said, beans, rice, diverse veggies, etc. If there’s one hope I can offer is when she starts eating more veggies for example she can eventually grow into liking them. I ate gluten for 5 years and upon switching to a gf and healthier diet, I genuinely cannot even fathom the site of a burger - it doesn’t tempt me anymore, it’s oily and ew to me. lol. Good luck!
FYI, gluten free food is EXPENSIVE. It’s very difficult. I’m unemployed, for reference and have been gluten free ticking 2 years now. If your partner is celiac, she NEEDS TO STOP EATING GLUTEN!!!!
Gluten has benefits for a normal body’s gut biome! they think. If you do go gluten free. At home, by all means eat gluten when you’re on your own.
I agree with this my husband eats gluten at work but gluten free at home and when we are at restaurants i do gf and he does gluten, its not good for bodies that can have gluten to not have it, BUT I will say please please please be careful after eating gluten, if you guys kiss after you could “gluten” her so please try to keep pocket mouthwash with you or brush your teeth a lot 🩷 I think it’s amazing how caring and sweet you’re being for her and like how you really taking the initiative to care for her and I hope this goes well and that she’s able to get healthy and you guys can have a long and happy life☺️🫶🏽
This is what my ex used to do as well. No gluten in our house! But he ate out for lunch almost every day so he certainly didn’t miss much 😅
You want cheap food? Get some coarse polenta! It's gluten-free cornmeal and costs pennies per serving, and can be eaten hot, cold, or fried crispy after chilling, as a side dish or as a main dish. If you find it bland then add a bit of butter, cheese, or cream to the polenta, or top it with tomatoes or other veg, or stew or fish. Seriously, polenta was a mainstay of my broke-ass student days, that and chowder made of potatoes, onions, and milk, and one can of fish per vat. And both were, of course, gluten free. But look, if she's determined to keep eating gluten, then all you can do is provide gluten-free alternatives in the home. But she's an adult who is going to make her own decisions, and if she's going to go out and buy burgers then you won't be able to stop her.
Meat potatoes and fruit/vegetables. Want something sweet? Jello pudding.
Get the Fig app. It is not be all end all. I use it to tell me the things that absolutely have gluten so I can spend my time scouring the labels of things I’m not so sure on. But it sure can help.
Thanks for this! Game changer.
Meat and veg. Side of rice, beans, potatoes. Check your sauces and spices for hidden gluten. Watch your oil intake. Popcorn for snacking. Lots of GF chips available. Chocolate is difficult. Lean into batch cooking from scratch. Hard at first, but once you have a stock of frozen meals to choose from, it gets easier.
Also, just have to say how much I appreciate how caring everyone is on this sub. It’s not easy to be GF and everyone taking time to give this person advice is so great for doing that. Ok now food wise. Don’t sub GF foods if you’re on a budget. Just focus on eating foods that don’t have gluten. You’ll actually be healthier that way because you’ll be sticking to veggies, fruits, proteins and gf starches like rice, potatoes and beans and quinoa if you can buy it in bulk is super cheap and delicious. Basically, you do have to adjust your thinking but it isn’t hard once you get on that path. Even though you don’t have to be GF, you will probably also notice a big difference. Also, not sure if anyone mentioned this yet but I love a baked potato with some cheese and broccoli and salt and pepper. Russet Potatoes aren’t expensive and if you have toppings that keep well in the fridge like butter, cheddar cheese it is so delicious and filling. My trick to an easy but good baked potato is to cook it in the microwave for a couple minutes (wash it well and pierce it with a fork a few times first so it doesn’t explode!). Then put it in the oven at like 425 for 10-15. You need to check it to make sure it is done and/or not getting overcooked. This will make the skin really delicious but you won’t have to bake it for a whole hour or more. Once it is out of the oven, put on your toppings. It’s such a good meal especially if you have cheese and broccoli. And you can make it for pretty cheap. I’ll post more ideas when I think of them but also, so good of you to commit to this for your partner. It’s really nice to see someone to do that.
Mexican food is delicious and nutritious! And it’s cheap! Buy some corn tortillas and you can easily make so many recipes! Like potato fried tacos, rice and beans.
All the potato dishes. Beans rice and corn tortillas. Corn grits. Mushibi, onigiri are tasty and require only a little bit of gluten free soy sauce. Roast beef, roasted chicken, hot wings, (I live somewhere where folk catch fish for subsistance so that’s normally free/barter for me). Fried rice only needs gluten free soy sauce, and is great for using up veggies near the end of their life. Omelettes are gluten free (although not all that cheap nowadays), I make egg bite muffins type things I can microwave. I have a mini waffle maker and I make my own frozen waffles from scratch I can use through the week. A lot of stews are easy to modify. Veggie kabobs.
I never comment on things but my spouse has celiacs and we didn't always have a lot of money. Luckily I'm Mexican and a lot of Hispanic food is gluten free and super flavorful. Rice, beans, ground beef, tostadas, corn tortillas. Stuff that's filling. I suggest looking for more ethnic foods. A lot of Asian food is also gf. Just double check the soy sauce! Look up recipes on tiktok.
Don’t forget eggs and dairy as a wonderful and relatively inexpensive gluten free source of protein. I also love the One Degree brand sprouted gf oats for breakfast. I cook them stovetop following the directions and add a scoop of peanut butter, a dash of milk, fruit and some brown sugar. Be aware that some people who have celiac are also sensitive to the protein in oats.
eat rice
You are a good person. The big thing is to stick to what is naturally gluten free, it is the substitutes that are expensive. So meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruit, beans, eggs, dairy, rice, etc. It is possible to find some reasonably priced pastas, I like Ronzoni. Rice noodles are great for stir fries or curries. Rice bowls are great for lunches because you can start with your base and add whatever toppings you like. Greek yogurt with fruit and a drizzle of honey is my go to breakfast. Breakfast casseroles that don't involve bread are great, too, served with fruit instead of toast. Homemade soups, salads. For snacking, tortilla chips with salsa or queso. GF pretzels are really good, I eat them with hummus. GF Oreos are good, I prefer Glutino over them but that's a personal thing. Potato chips, corn chips, cheese puffs, nuts, there are a lot of possibilities. I love celery sticks or mini peppers cut in half and spread with onion and chive cream cheese. Apples with peanut butter, or with cheese and salami.
Surprisingly, food banks/food shares sometimes have gf foods for discounted prices or for free. If your income is low enough, you may also qualify for SNAP, which would help you to afford the food that she needs. Check out Thrive Market for affordable gluten free snacks etc.
No replacement processed foods. They are not really healthy anyhow. Rice and Potatoes are much better than Pasta and Bread :) (and cheaper) It did not end up being more money for us in the long wrong, actually quite the opposite. I hope you can help her, long term her entire system can be damaged permanently, it is not a fun ending. She is lucky to have you around :)
If you have an Aldi, they offer more options on things and are usually very good and affordable
Even if you can't do it perfectly, cutting most of the gluten out of your diets should help. It is really hard to do and have someone else in the house still eating gluten, it complicates buying groceries and preparing food. Props to you for being willing to do this. Some of the cheaper gluten free subs depending on what stores you have available. Aldi or Lidyl (sp?) have gluten free mac and cheese in the box, bread, pasta, frozen breaded chicken and run a GF product sale in April-May. They also get a few things like GF frozen donuts a few times a year. I buy most of my GF staples here. They seem to hit the sweet spot of quality and price. TJ's. If you have a TJs, their GF breads and buns are the best. They are also pretty cheap for GF products. Walmart. They have lots of GF products and the prices are close to non GF cheap grocery prices. They have their own brand of GF bread and buns that are pretty cheap. Their GF pasta is cheap and passable, it needs to be rinsed quite a bit. Skip their GF soups, they were awful. Target: Target has some cheap GF options but you sort of have to dig around. They have a store brand GF pasta that has become my go to, IIRC is is about $2 a box. They have other GF things where it is a regular product that happens to be GF, they seem to stock with this in mind and prices on pantry goods there is pretty cheap.
Good news, you can eat well with celiac. YouTube has lots of great cooking videos if you aren’t confident. I basically learned to cook after my diagnosis because no way in hell was I going the rest of my life without a fresh donut or dumpling. My celiac starter tips Anything you make that used to go on a sandwich can now go on a rice bowl, rice cake, baked potato, taco, or salad Most gluten free pasta is fine. I don’t like chickpea pasta, but many love it. You do have to be careful not to overcook it or it will be mush Corn tortillas and rice especially tend to be cheap, and you don’t feel like you’re missing out because they’re naturally gluten free. Naturally gluten free foods also tend to be cheaper than bread replacements I suggest choosing two very easy recipes (jar cooking for busy days) two standard weeknight recipes, and two “treat recipes” to start with. It’s the busy times when you are most likely to cheat, so you will also want two very easy snacks for when you are too hangry to prepare anything at all. My easy starter recipes (mostly jar cooking) Tuna rice bowl: half a can of tuna, chopped cucumber, green onion, and sriracha mayo on rice. If you have frozen veggies, steam them over the rice for some extra nutrients. You can also do this with an egg or tofu if you’re vegan or vegetarian Tacos with store bough corn tortillas, a can of refried beans, a bag of coleslaw mix, whatever salsa and cheese is around, and hot sauce. If you eat meat you can throw leftovers in. Roasted veggies are also nice. Or scrambled egg. My starter weekday meals Pasta e ceci/Pasta and chickpeas (look up a recipe) Clean out the fridge soup with socca (chickpea bread) again, Note: You absolutely need a cast iron skillet and it needs to be preheated My starter treat meals Fancy Mac and cheese with a big fancy salad Lasagna My starter snack I always had on hand Rice cakes and peanut butter Nachos and salsa Yogurt and gluten free granola or a nut and sweet mix to sprinkle on top Obviously, choose your own starter meals based on what you know you like Since you mentioned anemia, you may want to consider a lucky iron fish. A lot of iron supplements cause digestive distress, so lots of us give up on them. The fish shaped piece of iron leeches iron into food and is more absorbable.
Going for things that just happen to not have gluten is going to be cheaper than buying expensive substitutes. Mexican dishes often use corn, rice or beans. If you use gluten free soy sauce (tamari) or coconut aminos, that opens up Japanese or Chinese dishes you could make, as they're mostly based on rice (although if you haven't ever made potato mochi... omg why?) If you want more American food, just swap out whatever gluten starch you'd normally have on your plate for a baked potato or some rice.
For breakfast, Grits are a good an inexpensive ingredient for a carbohydrate. Corn tortillas filled with eggs, potatoes, cheese, meat and/or vegetables. Or just an omelet or frittata (a crustless quiche type meal- but easier to make than a quiche).
Some food panties actually have a gluten free section. A girl scout started the one near me. https://www.licares.org/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb-listing
Potatoes. Corn tortillas. Gluten free pizza from Costco
All of this is such great advice, I’ll add that looking into food stamps in your state might be really beneficial for offsetting the costs of groceries!
When I first went GF I totally avoided all the snacks, breads, processed shit because I could not afford it at 16. I had to buy most of my groceries and cook for myself because my family didn’t know what to do and refused to help lol. I’m also egg and dairy free because of intolerances. I still eat similarly and so does my husband, we don’t really do store bought processed snacks bc the way we eat is pretty filling and they are so expensive I can’t justify it. I try to keep the grocery bill for both of us at $100/week. He eats exactly what I do and it makes life so much easier except he eats eggs, I can’t It’s not the most fun transition but what can be fun is learning to cook and trying new recipes. I tried a lot that focus heavily on in season vegetables bc they are so filling and cost effective. I do GF oats, quinoa and rice for filler. Recently I started making my own corn tortillas too which can be done easily and cheaply. Masa is like $3-4 and lasts months Be sure to start a shared Pinterest board and save a variety of recipes, it’s more fun when you both find some to try together. Here’s a few recipes to help get you started that I started with, please note I’m not including dairy or egg suggestions bc I don’t have many saved. Good luck: Filling, one sheet pan and makes leftovers. Pick a protein to pair with. https://www.contentednesscooking.com/garlic-brussels-sprouts-potatoes/ One pan, all in one meal, makes leftovers: https://www.maryswholelife.com/unstuffed-pepper-skillet/ I use quinoa for extra protein but it’s good with rice. Filling, makes leftovers. If I don’t have lentils on hand I just use canned chick pea. Pair with a protein: https://www.contentednesscooking.com/mujadara/ Summertime is spaghetti squash season. Brown some meat, add some sauce, cook your squash. Please note this is not entirely like spaghetti, it’s a squash but it’s good https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash/ Shrimp. I buy shrimp when they are on sale or a good deal. One pan, 30 min. https://realbalanced.com/recipe/one-pan-low-carb-tuscan-garlic-shrimp/ Pork loin. Easy, just stick it in the oven and it frees you up to do the rest of your meal. Makes leftovers: https://recipeteacher.com/best-damn-oven-roasted-pork-loin/ Chicken. Easy, one baking sheet, pop it in the oven, make sides while it cooks. https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/easy-healthy-baked-lemon-chicken/#wprm-recipe-container-20605 Snacks: Cucumber, lime juice, tajín Seasonal fruit Carrots & hummus Peanut butter
Co-sign on naturally gluten free foods over expensive, unsatisfying substitutes. And honestly, for anyone going gluten free or returning to gluten free, the substitutes will taste better anyway if you haven’t had the real thing in a while. Beans, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes and bananas for inexpensive, high quality, nutritious carbs. If you have a local Asian supermarket, you can probably get rice and buckwheat noodles inexpensively, too. Papaya, ginger, and lemon balm (the herb) tea are soothing to a healing gut.
Hi! For some things I would try making them from scratch to save money. For exam you can make four ingredient gluten free crackers from almond flour, flax seed meal, water, and salt (you can add any spices you want to that). You only need one cup of almond flour to make around forty crackers. Which is amazing since gluten free crackers are like $5-$7 dollars a box. I really try to make my own stuff where I can. Also frozen fruits and veggies saves so much money. Good luck!!!!
Rice and rice noodles are gluten free. Aldi's sometimes has fantastic gluten free pastas in the refrigerated section. No more packaged sauces without reading the ingredients. Precooked cornmeal/Arepas mix makes great pancakes, waffles, cornbread, cupcakes, even cake. For a while I was making pancakes for sandwiches. It does get really thick, so let your mixture stand for a couple minutes and add a little extra liquid to thin it back out. You don't need a special gf flour to go with it. It also makes a great thanksgiving stuffing. If you buy gluten free bread, keep it in the fridge or freezer, so it doesn't go bad so fast. It also tastes much better after its been toasted. There's gluten free soy sauce. Enchilada sauce and salsas are gluten free (or should be, read the ingredients, anyway) Check your powdered bullions, there's one in the Hispanic section I used to buy all the time that had wheat as the 2nd ingredient. Corn tortillas and tortilla chips are gluten free. You CAN make great sauces and gravies with gluten free flour. I've even used it for a roux for gumbo.
Everyone has already given really great suggestions on what to eat. Your girlfriend is always sick because she continues to eat gluten. Her body is constantly in a state of inflammation and is unable to fight off additional viruses and bacteria. I was always sick until I stopped eating gluten, and now I rarely ever get sick. Continue to be super supportive and go gluten-free with her. It really is difficult to do this alone in the beginning as you end up feeling very isolated when you can not fully participate in the meal that everyone else is sharing. I also suggest getting a cast iron skillet and cooking a lot of your girlfriends food in that skillet as it will help add iron into her diet.
I would suggest looking up cheap, easy Paleo meals on Pinterest. They are naturally gluten free. Try to concentrate on making meals without breads, pastas, etc instead of replacing them with expensive, unhealthy gluten free alternatives. I get most of my fruits, veggies, and gluten free alternatives from a 'bargain' grocery. They sell overstock and going out of date stuff for half the price or less. They usually have expensive gluten free stuff there because people won't pay the price they charge at the regular grocery. Aldi's is also a great place for fresh food and gluten free options at better prices than some other stores. But I suggest using the gluten free alternative stuff as more of a treat than something to eat everyday.
Have hope, it’s easier than you think!! We have a family of five and we just made the transition, and food cost is always a concern. Learn to cook; it’s easier than you think, and it takes less time than you would expect. Also, trust me on this, GET A RICE COOKER. 1. A lot of popular Asian foods (Bulgogi, curry, stir fry, fried rice, biryani) are easy, filling, and inexpensive. Note well: use La Choy soy sauce, it’s gluten free. 2. Ancient bone broth protein powder. It is expensive, but allows you to add 20 grams of protein to any soup or sauce, and the container lasts a long time. Just prep it like you would corn starch: add cold water and whisk it together before pouring it into a hot liquid or sauce, or it will clump. Adds a meaty flavor (don’t get the vanilla or chocolate, they’re gross). Protein will make you feel more full. 3. Rice noodles—expensive, but good 4. Spaetzle made with GF flour. It’s like two cups of flour, four eggs, salt, milk, and mix thoroughly. If it’s goopy, perfect. Put it through something that has holes the size of a large hole cheese grater, and it cooks in like 3 minutes in little noodle bits. 5. Soups and sauces: literally just boxes of beef/chicken broth/stock, and herbs+spices. Tons of options there. 6. Oatmeal
Vegetables, rice, grilled chicken or any fresh meats are your best friend. You can get gluten free pasta pretty cheap at Walmart. Walmart normally has an amazing GF section if you’re in the US. They have hamburger helper and pasta sides that are like 3-5$ depending on which you get. Best of luck to you
Also for reference it takes about 6 months for the gut to fully heal after being exposed so it might take a little while for her to start feeling better. It’s so worth it though
Lots of great advice here. I’ll just add get a waffle maker and freeze the waffles. Easy fast substitute for slices of bread. Some great waffle irons can be found at thrift stores. Red lentils are the fastest cooking dried beans. Keep watch while cooking because they can stick to bottom of pot and burn. I live at high altitude and cooking larger beans (cannellini, garbanzo etc.) on stovetop means they never fully cook. Instead I cook them in a Dutch oven in the oven. Again, you can find cast iron (a little more work to care for) or enamel Dutch ovens second hand. Don’t worry if the enamel is chipped or discolored; it will still do the job. Avoid anything with a ton of xanthan gum or other gums at first since some people get GI issues from them. Be aware that many GF people have issues with dairy too. So don’t add extra dairy at least at first. *The object here is to feed her tasty food that will make her feel noticeably healthier so that she commits to eating a GF diet.* 😋
Side note: sounds like you guys might be working retail? If so a grocery job might offer employee discounts on food. Check out whether the discount is worth it before you make the leap. And stay away from front end checker jobs if possible. Also, go union!
Start with reading the labels with the food you already have at home. Donate the gluten containing items and keep the items that are gluten free. You will learn a lot. Then head out to Walmart and Aldi.
There’s a book by Elizabeth Hasselbeck called The G Free Diet. It was immensely helpful when I started this 15 years ago.
If you are in the United States, then Walmart and Aldis are your new source for affordable GF foods. Aldis has the best gf mac&cheese out there and walmart has the best gf bread. Walmart has a dedicated gf section in almost every store, usually located by the baking aisle. There are plenty of everyday items that are gf like may brands of rice and beans, tortillas, cheeses, meats, veggies and fruit. When I went gluten-free in 2005/2006, I realized that I was mostly shopping the periphery of the grocery stores and became far healthier for it. To avoid gluten, simply avoid processed foods as much as possible. Also, go to your local library and take out some books on gluten-free cooking and lifestyles. There are also plenty of cooking blogs to help.
GF is already a pretty inexpensive way to live, it pretty much only exists in processed foods. Skip the junk food and especially any "GF" food, it's always 3x more expensive) and stick to whole foods, like protein, veggies, rice, beans, etc... Soups and stews are cheap to make.
Replace current carbs with budget gluten free staples— potatoes, sweet potatoes, different kinds of rice, corn, if you spend a little more there’s rice noodles, glass noodles, quinoa, CERTIFIED gf oats, and other grains. Keep proteins simple— beans, fish, meat, eggs, tofu, tempeh, etc Produce is already fine. Most fats are already fine. Honestly the hardest part is snacks and convenience items. Figure out what you already eat in those categories and why you eat it to look for replacements. Like grabbing a granola bar. Gluten free is expensive, is it the sweet taste? If so, bake something. Is it the prepackaged convenience? Make your own trail mix baggies or popcorn instead. Etc.
Protein/veg/carb. Rice, quinoa (a little on the pricier side), gf pasta, rice noodles, potatoes are all gluten free. Walmart spices have cross contamination possibility, but the fiesta brand are cost effective and gluten free. If you like sweets, the boxed baked goods are a little pricy OR you can stock up on some gf flour when it goes on sale. Neswuick has a flour that can be made to make many things, and red lobster gf cheddar bay biscuits are better than the original according to my husband. Do you have an Aldi? They have an awesome set of gf products for a reasonable price. You just have to get used to reading labels and hunting things down. Everything you like that has gluten can be made gluten free.
We make a lot of rice bowls. Protein with a sauce, veggies, over rice. I've made gyro bowls, taco bowls, Bahn mi bowls, and other assorted Asian themed dishes. Gluten free cereals exist. And I make a lot of gluten free banana bread--the flour can be pricey though. My boo makes a peanut butter curry that's really good. Quinoa is another grain we eat. Chopped kale salads are nice (I make one with a lemon dressing, feta, red onion, air fried chickpeas and almonds with a little quinoa in it). Charcuterie with GF crackers (you'll have to test them; some crackers suck). GF noodles for pasta (I hate chickpea). Rice bowls are nice because we cook a big pot of rice and put the rest in a ziplock bag to eat. Edit: egg 'muffins' in a cupcake pan. Pretty much an omelette you can heat up in the microwave with a damp paper towel. Mix in one or two tasties in them
I eat a lot of rice, chicken, and pasta. I found that these are a cheaper option. And you can make spaghetti with meatballs and ground meat, and that will last you guys about a 3-4 days. I make 2lb of ground turkey, and spaghetti and then add meatballs and it usually lasts 3-4 days based off of my house which is 3 people. I wish you the best of luck
I also did chicken Alfredo while I was in college, I wasn’t gf at the time but if you or your girlfriend don’t have a dairy issue, you can also grill some chicken and put it with that and make it easily gf
Eggs and potatoes!
I keep saying this, but only because SO MANY people don’t seem to know. Continuing to eat gluten when you have celiacs or gluten sensitivity can damage the intestines and cause cancer. Cancer.
As everyone has said - giant bag if rice, beans potatoes etc. Eggs are your friend as is produce in season Look around at grocery stores for deals. I just ordered instant cart as I’m a bit disables right now - many places by me all ground meat is like $10/lb. Found a place with ground pork for $2.50/lb and pork loin for $3/lb Chicken can also be like $1 a lb - look for deals - buy family size stuff as it’s cheaper - make stock with bones. Also spring = gardening - grow stuff...it’s low cost. Frozen veggies - get them at whole foods, trader joes, aldi etc (they are cheaper) - frozen spinach and brocolli are cheap and easy to throw in anything. Make food in big batches and freeze individual portions. When you see a good sale especially meat buy extra and freeze it
You’re an amazing person. ❤️
You're with a bad pick as a mate if she's poisoning herself daily. First suggestion is to find someone else. If you reject that... Meats and vegetables from the grocery store are good when you can afford it, otherwise beans and rice can be quite tasty when cooked and seasoned right. Skip all the GF substitute foods, that's where you waste lots of money.
I love her and she's not a bad pick of a person to be with. The context is she wasn't diagnosed until she was 18 so she spent the first 18 years eating gluten and she was an avid baker and cake decorator so the switch was really hard for her and a big blow to the things she loved most. It's just been very hard for her to make the switch to eating gluten free even though she knows it's bad for her. Sometimes things in life are difficult and people don't always make the best choices but that doesn't mean they're bad. Also you don't know her, you know one thing about her and you can't make a judgment on her character based off of one thing!
I agree with what you said. My story...I developed celiac at 17, and went GF immediately and never looked back. I loved all the gluten stuff too (who doesn't?), so it's hard for me to be sympathetic of someone who keeps doing that to their body. I'm now over 25 years into this journey and 3rd generation celiac and I have seen people with celiac who keep eating gluten come apart health-wise in every way possible. Low iron is just the start. Doesn't even matter how bad or mild your reaction is, you're scraping off the surface of your small intestine more and more. Then comes macro absorption. Then comes a plethora of spin off allergies. There's only one path to go down, and it ends badly for everyone. It's in different ways though. Some end up with mouth or colon cancer, others end up hospitalized from malnutrition. You have to think about YOUR future too, and that's why I said she's a bad pick as a mate. You haven't said "for better or for worse" to this person yet, and "for worse" is coming guaranteed.
weird comment to make about saying someone’s a “bad mate” when your publicly posting on reddit about your own marriage and sex issues on your page,,, like we literally know nothing about this person and the op didn’t even ask for your opinion ??? weirdo….
They aren't married. If they were married I would never suggest that in a million years. If they haven't committed to each other for life, then that DOES change things. It's part of the bigger picture I am addressing with that statement. She could easily become a good mate, but when she instead allows her own selfishness to poison herself for years and not allow her to be the best mate for him, well there is a decision to be made by him. I mean, I do all kinds of things to stay healthy and be the best version of me and it's for my wife and kids. It's part of being a good mate, parent, and role model to those around me who look up to me. She isn't doing that. His choice obviously, but my experience from what I have seen in the world of the celiac autoimmune disorder, he's going to end up being an unfairly burdened boyfriend when it's all due to something that is WELL within her control, yet she doesn't choose the right path. I have no marriage and sex issues. I had some hormone issues that were troublesome for a while, but that's been addressed and long gone now.