Allergy/ Free From Food anyone know any bargains?

Punkygoth

Hi I have a health condition,M.E, that means I have recently become allergic to fish, shellfish and strawberries and intolerant to Lactose, Wheat and Gluten. I have also had a nut and peanut allergy all my life.
As you can imagine, my diet has become very restricted and very expensive. Does anyone know of anywhere or any company that provides reasnoably priced allergy food as what I am currently buying, TruFree, Dietry specialists, OK Allergy, has doubled my shopping budget.
We tend to make our meals fresh, so this is not a problem. It is mainly things like bread, lactose free yoghurts/puddings, and snacks and also ready meals (we all get busy at times)
Thanks

Js_Other_Half

Would this site be of any help?
http://www.suma.co.uk/homepage.html

Punkygoth

Thank you very much! I will get in touch with them, it seems that the sell a wide range so fingers crossed

LilacLillie

I asked a similar question over on the 'Health' board.
Do you know you can get the food (wheat, gluten etc:) on prescription?
I have recently started to get my scripts free (thyroid problem), so am seeing my Dr on Friday, to see if I can get some of the food products for free.
Even if you pay for prescriptions if the Dr puts a couple of the same items on it, you'll only pay for each item, not how many.
Worth a try.

They really are expensive!
LL

Punkygoth

Thanks for that.
I had heard that I could possibly get them on prescription, but my GP has not been forthcoming. I have an appointment in January with as Specialist Allergy Consultant, so I am hoping that after that I might be able to make some headway with my GP.
Even though I have had various unpleasent reactions, including severe gastric problems and the same mouth and face swelling that I get with my nut allergy, and this is a common problem for people with M.E, he seems to want to wait until I have a confirmed diagnosis, even though he has advised me not to eat Lactose, Fish, Strawberries, wheat and gluten and obviously Nuts, before he will write the prescriptions for me. Frustrating

helens39

Morrisons have a good range of snacks, biscuits, sweets and cakes at quite good prices and often they cut the price of bread .Ener-G bread is good and lasts . Tesco has their own range but it does not taste as good as morrisons and it costs more . Tesco also have a good range of nothing added ready meals but like all ready meals they are expensive , look at the fresh organic section as this is where they are usually stocked . Asda is terrible , they never have anything . Sainsbury has a good selection too but can be expensive . Alpro soya yoghurts are ok and dont break the bank . The best milk by far is Sainsburys fresh Soya at 99p a carton

Overall you have to shop around and keep an eye on the reduced sections for stuff nearing its use by date , it can easily be frozen . Tesco usually reduce Free from cakes down to 25p .

Another place which also reduces cakes and snacks is Boots , they have a small range of snacks .
The doctor will not give biscuits and snacks on prescription .

hope this helps

Punkygoth

Thanks thats very very helpful. Particuarly the info about Morrisons food and sainsburys Soya Milk, as most of the Soya milk i have tried has been horrible! I actually pass a Morrisons sometimes on my way home, but I have never been in. I will go and have a look.
I only have sainsburys and waitrose by me, which is useless as Waitrose is extortionate and all of the sainsburys own free from range is "not suitable for nut allergy sufferers" very helpful!!
I really appreciate your help on this!

Punkygoth

Thanks thats very very helpful. Particuarly the info about Morrisons food and sainsburys Soya Milk, as most of the Soya milk i have tried has been horrible! I actually pass a Morrisons sometimes on my way home, but I have never been in. I will go and have a look.
I only have sainsburys and waitrose by me, which is useless as Waitrose is extortionate and all of the sainsburys own free from range is "not suitable for nut allergy sufferers" very helpful!!
I really appreciate your help on this!

Christina_F

My son has to follow a gluten free diet (since he was 3 and hes 16 now)

I get a lot of his food on presecription. I can get bread, biscuits, flour and pizza bases on prescription. He qualifies for free prescriptions at the moment as he in 6th form, but once he leaves he can then pay for a yearly prescription (think its about £96 per annum) and he can any amount of prescriptions within that year.

Hope this helps

Please feell free to pm me

Punkygoth

Thank you, it is nice to get so much support from people on here. Did your son's GP offer the prescriptions or did you have to ask?
I think I need to go back to my GP and push for getting food on prescription. I do pay for my prescriptions, but £96 a year would be considerably less than I am paying out now.
It it is very difficult living with allergies, as I am sure you are very aware. I am going to make an appointment with my GP now.

Christina_F

The GP told us about the prescriptions - mind you that was 13 yrs ago. But I have to say they are very good and never question the number of items we get - he is 16 and 6ft 2" and never stops eating (typical growing teenager!!)

The yearly prescription charge is definately worth it as there is no limit as to how many items on you prescription. At the moment you would pay £6 per item (i.e per packet of biscuits!)