For people who have Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance, going gluten free is the only way to stay healthy. Gluten free isn't easy on a tight budget since many gluten free foods are very expensive. If you're on a gluten and wheat free diet as well as a tight budget, check out these tips.
If you've been diagnosed with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you know how difficult and frustrating it can be to find good foods on a budget. Gluten free food options are available, but the costs are extremely high. With $6 cake mixes that only make one layer and $8 for pizza dough, it's easy to become upset when you first go grocery shopping after being told to avoid gluten. We all want to eat well, and believe me, wheat and gluten are in a lot of foods. It can seem daunting to say the least when trying to find safe and healthy food options for those on a gluten and wheat free diet.
Unless you're intolerant of other foods, those on a gluten and wheat free diet can eat unprocessed meats, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and many gluten free grains. These include rice, quinoa, and buckwheat. Buckwheat does not contain wheat as the name implies, but many buckwheat baking mixes do, so read labels carefully. Also, be careful in the meat section. Sausages, hot dogs, and many processed lunch meats contain gluten. I would suggest natural hot dogs and sausages that are free of nitrites and all fillers.
In most grocery stores, whole foods are found around the outside perimeter of the store. The produce, dairy, and meat sections usually are places you'll find lots of gluten free items. The inner aisles contain processed foods that are typically full of gluten. You can find good things there too, but most of your foods will come from the outer perimeter. You can't go wrong eating whole foods. They are fairly low in cost, minimally processed, and much healthier than all those processed foods out there anyway. Going gluten free sort of forces us to eat healthier, which can't be a bad thing.
Please continue on to page two, where you will learn tips and suggestions on how to maintain a gluten free diet without going broke.