How to Go Gluten Free on a Budget

Gluten free foods can be really expensive. Who else would pay $6 for a cake mix, and another $6 for the icing? Only someone with Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance who is dying for some cake! You don't have to go broke on a gluten free diet. I have discovered the key to going gluten free on a budget. Here' how...

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. What can you find in the regular grocery aisles?
   
   Some gluten free items can be found on the regular aisles, which are always less expensive. Rice Chex are gluten free and cost the same as other cereals. Cream of Rice cereal is another cheap and gluten free item. Yoplait yogurt is gluten free and can be found in the dairy section.

2. Try one or two gluten free specialty items per shopping trip.
   
   I didn't spend a lot of extra money shopping when I started the gluten free diet. Instead, I try a couple of new items each time. When you find something really good, go online and order it in bulk from a wholesale store or Amazon. Go to the product website and look for coupons.

3. Find Your Own Recipes, and Leave those Mixes Alone
   
   Experiment with gluten free recipes that have rave revues online. Try several until you find your favorites. Soon you'll be making homemade cookies, brownies, and cakes just like before. It takes some experimentation, so don't get upset. My first gluten free cake looked like a big, hard biscuit, and tasted like one too. Now I can make brownies and cakes you'd never know were gluten free. Give yourself time. Look at this as a new adventure in cooking.

4. Make Your Own Blend of Gluten Free Flours
   
   Experiment with different flours to find a mixture that you like. People enjoy different tastes. Some like bean flours and others don't. Also, invest in zanthan gum and guar gum. Mix your flours and zanthan gum well an place in a container or old coffee can. Label and use this mixture as a substitute for regular flour in recipes. For best results, use 4 different flours of equal amounts. Keep the xanthan gum separate and add according to the recipe.
   Try this blend:
   2 cups white rice flour
   2/3 cup tapioca starch
   1/3 cup potato starch
   Mix together well and place in a dry container.

Tips & Warnings

• It might take a while, but you will find great gluten free recipe staples that are as good as regular recipes.
• Don't pay high prices for gluten-free foods. Buy in bulk.

[goodselfme]

on 6/27/2009 Thank you for the gluten free tips and for saving me money at the same time. Good post!