Free from food on a budget

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  • curl_girl
    curl_girl Posts: 4,622 Forumite
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    Tesco free from ready meals are on offer for 2.50 each there is a voucher in March magazine for £1 off.
    So 1.50 each but the vouchers end today! Good selection available.
    Pay separately if you want more than 1 as some sa only accept 1 coupon per transaction.
    Hth.
    curl girl with a space - even though there is no space in my cupboard!!!
  • Cyclamen
    Cyclamen Posts: 645 Forumite
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    Thanks Curl

    I've now tried the two tesco ready meals that fit my needs.. they seem to have quite a spicy selection.. or add onions.. or meat i can't manage..sigh.
    I hadnt thought to look for vouchers as £1.50 a meal is a good deal.

    Last night i tried free from pasta (tesco brand) and it was really nice, my husband is happy eating it too which is a bonus to save cooking separately although harder on the budget.
  • nyermen
    nyermen Posts: 1,093 Forumite
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    Re rice noodles, apologies I don't use Tescos, but sainsburys equivalents that my ex (who was allergic to almost everything including gluten) could eat are these:
    http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/sainsburys-rice-noodles-375g

    They're the dry variety, the wet variety she couldn't eat due to nut allergy but you may be fine...
    http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/gb/groceries/sainsburys-rice-noodles-300g

    Hopefully tescos have an equivalent?

    Btw, be aware that gluten is in lots of things I didn't realise previously, eg. she had issues with Worcester sauce, malt vinegar (barley gluten...), and some other things.
    Also, don't know about tescos free from pasta, but I wasn't impressed with the sainsburys one. Dove's farm was much better, and she made lots of bread using their flour (and she couldn't eat eggs or nuts either).
    Peter

    Debt free - finally finished paying off £20k + Interest.
  • Cyclamen
    Cyclamen Posts: 645 Forumite
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    nyermen.. thank you

    both those sainsburys products look like some in tescos... i'll try the dry ones.

    as for hidden allergens..yes its hard i am used to checking for lactose and doing so regularly as some brands change ingredients without labelling packets 'new recipe'.. its just a case of starting again an dreading everything.

    my next trick is going to be eating out options.. but most places seem to understand wheat and gluten free better than lactose. I am often offered GF cake when i ask for dairy free.

    My favorite reply in a cafe was.. Excuse me please do you have soya milk.. no love its semi ... giggle.. but the price of a coffee is vital to get clean and usable disabled loo's.

    Thank you everyone
  • RHemmings
    RHemmings Posts: 3,467 Forumite
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    With your dietary restrictions, I wonder if you'd be better off making more of your own food. You can make batches and freeze it.
  • Cyclamen
    Cyclamen Posts: 645 Forumite
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    Thanks Rhemmings

    we do tend to cook from ingredients rather than ready meals.. but need alternatives for the staples such as bread, pasta, noodles.

    I think we will look into making some of our own 'ready meals' for me.. I am hoping this is short lived but it does appear to be making a huge difference.
  • happy35
    happy35 Posts: 1,616 Forumite
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    I use the Dove flour without adding anything to it, other brands have needed me to use xanthum gum.
  • Emuchops
    Emuchops Posts: 799 Forumite
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    This website is just what you need-Google 'How not to Die'-Dr Michael Gregor. The HNTD FB page has loads of recipes: https://www.facebook.com/groups/874450206005170/
  • Cyclamen
    Cyclamen Posts: 645 Forumite
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    happy .. thanks.. will have a go at baking soon. :-) didnt like the idea of xanthum gum as wasnt reallys ure what to do.

    Emuchops.. thanks its not so much recipes i need as recomendations of alternative wheat products and which ones taste ok or are best value.

    We do ok here for veggies and varied diet its just I'm a bit stuck with 'back-up' meals that i used to use ready meals for and bread that is affordable.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
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    Cyclamen wrote: »
    Thanks Curl

    Last night i tried free from pasta (tesco brand) and it was really nice, my husband is happy eating it too which is a bonus to save cooking separately although harder on the budget.

    I have this pasta and my husband has ordinary (much cheaper) pasta. It's just become part of our routine - to put on 2 pans of water and now we're used to it.

    The other thing I wanted to say about pasta was that, many years ago, I used to share a house with someone with coeliac disease and she had a pasta maker (maybe something to ask for as a present?) and made her own (I think most often she used gram flour - sorry I don't have the recipe, but you can probably fnd one?) I think she used to freeze surplus and then cook it from frozen.

    Might be useful to find some good recipe books - I've got "the complete Wheat Free CookBook" by Gibson & Templeton - they've got quite a few recipes for things like scones and cakes (one of my favourites is scones made with mashed potato & barley flour!)

    Good luck.
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