Is gluten free on a budget possible?

glutenfreemike

Enterprise Brands do a range of gluten free ready under the Bistro Express brand which I find one of the best out there.
Check out Bistro Express ready meals
Hope this helps

lessonlearned

I have to eat grain free, including rice, and also need to avoid certain nightshades too, especially potatoes. It's a faff but it can be done and if you cook from scratch it needn't break the bank.

Invest in a spiralizer, make you own "pasta". I also make my own "rice" - cauliflower, broccoli etc.

I stick mainly to meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, with just small amounts of dairy. Occasionally I have to go lacto free too, but as long as I don't overdo dairy I'm usually ok. I only buy organic milk.

Tbh I don't bother with the GF foods, they are wildly expensive and not that healthy, they are packed with chemicals. They don't even taste like proper food. :rotfl:

It sounds like my diet is restrictive but it really isn't. I do enjoy a varied diet. I usually eat around 7 to 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

There's no doubt that it does take a bit more effort and planning but the health benefits are worth it.

I appreciate it can be difficult when you need to cook for a family and accommodate their needs, likes and dislikes but if you spend a bit time googling and reading up you will find loads of Recipes and substitutions - even for baking cakes, puddings and making bread.

Good luck. It is a bit overwhelming at first but you'll soon get the hang of it.

Cottage_Economy

I echo what others have said.

I've been gluten and soy free for nearly five years now due to a severe intolerance that causes mostly neurological and joint issues, sometimes gastritis as well. I have a problem with normal milk products, so limit myself to lacto-free milk and some very mature cheddar. I also seem to have a problem with ground nuts (peanuts mostly) so I stick to tree nuts (normally almonds).

The majority of my diet is meat, fish and seafood, poultry, pulses, some nuts, seeds, eggs, butter, lacto-free milk, hard mature cheeses, fruit and veg (both fresh and frozen).

I buy a loaf of GF bread every now and then, usually yellow stickered, and keep that in the freezer as I like to have scrambled eggs on toast sometimes and the odd occasional bit of jam on toast in the evening if I don't have much of an appetite.

Usually have GF pasta once a week.

In the winter I like to have GF porridge in the morning 2/3 times a week.

Very, very occasionally I might buy GF brioche buns if I'm doing pulled pork but that is a treat.

If we do a stir-fry we use rice noodles.

I eat normal rice a couple of times a week.

There are a lot of things on the shelf that are naturally gluten-free so it's a matter of hunting them down.

I was always told not to eat the same things day after day, as that can cause reaction problems, but try and leave a 2-3 day gap between the same food.

Also, just to add, you don't have to all eat the same meal. Sometimes I make something different for myself than I do for DH and MIL just because I want to.

D&DD

It's surprising when you start reading labels
1/ how many foods have hidden gluten in eg chips coated in wheat flour to stop them sticking together
2/ How many other foods there are to eat which are naturally gluten free eg meat,veg and fruit.


It's a nightmare tho when it comes to the other stuff like bread etc but they are improving the ready made stuff all the time so at least its not so solid now that it's only suitable for building a wall...:)