Ouch!
Eating Gluten Free can get expensive!
If you haven't noticed the price of gluten-free food, your wallet sure has! Here are 8 great tips that we use to help SAVE MONEY while living Gluten-Free. |
Picture compliments of tvtropes.com
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1. Grind your own FLOUR:
This is one of the BEST ways to save a ton of money. Gluten Free flours can get super expensive whereas in contrast the price of the grain can be pretty cheap.
It takes time but I suggest doing all your grinding in 1 afternoon- then, depending on your usage, you will only have to grind 1-2 times a month.
For all our flour grinding we use the Blendtec Kitchen Mill. It does an amazing job making a super fine powder. (The Kitchen Mill also has the ability to do a variety of "less fine" but with Gluten Free cooking we find the super fine setting works the best.)
You can grind the following in the Blendtec Kitchen Mill:
It takes time but I suggest doing all your grinding in 1 afternoon- then, depending on your usage, you will only have to grind 1-2 times a month.
For all our flour grinding we use the Blendtec Kitchen Mill. It does an amazing job making a super fine powder. (The Kitchen Mill also has the ability to do a variety of "less fine" but with Gluten Free cooking we find the super fine setting works the best.)
You can grind the following in the Blendtec Kitchen Mill:
- Brown Rice Flour (Grind from organic short grain brown rice)
- Corn (Grind from dried corn)
- Garbanzo Flour (Grind from Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans)
- Millet Flour (Grind from Millet Grain)
- Oat Flour (Grind from whole oats)
- Sorghum Flour (Grind from Sorghum/Milo, You can purchase Sorghum grain in multiple places including this ONE)
- Soy Flour (Grind from dried Soy beans)
- Sweet Rice Flour (Grind from Calrose white rice or another sticky rice for this)
- Quinoa (Grind from dried Quinoa grain that has been pre-WASHED!)
- White Rice Flour (Grind from long or short grain white rice)
You can also grind the following:
- Amaranth
- Dried Green Peas and split peas
- Lentils
- Mung Beans, Pinto Beans, and most types of other beans
- Oyster Shells (but I'm not sure why you would want to ;)
- Popcorn
- Spelt
- Teff
- Triticale
The Kitchen Mill can not however do the following
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So for these oily jobs we usually use one of the following:
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Check out Blendtecs for sale on our website.
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2. Meal Plan:
Did you know that if you go to the grocery store on an empty stomach you're more likely to impulse buy? It's the same with not having a meal plan! Planning out what you're going to eat for the next week is a great way to buy ONLY what you need. This helps keep your weekly grocery budget down as well as your wasted food. It also helps you not eat as much! If you know what to eat and when to eat it, you'll be a lot less likely to snack attack.
I have TONS of gluten free meal ideas listed on my Recipe Index. Simply scroll through and pick out your favorites. I usually plan a week at a time. Then I visit the grocery store once a week. (That saves money on gas too!)
A couple more hints: plan meals with food that are naturally gluten-free. They tend to be cheaper. Also, plan meals with foods that are in season. Zucchini is always less expensive and Apples are less expensive in the Fall. Eating with the season helps your wallet!
I have TONS of gluten free meal ideas listed on my Recipe Index. Simply scroll through and pick out your favorites. I usually plan a week at a time. Then I visit the grocery store once a week. (That saves money on gas too!)
A couple more hints: plan meals with food that are naturally gluten-free. They tend to be cheaper. Also, plan meals with foods that are in season. Zucchini is always less expensive and Apples are less expensive in the Fall. Eating with the season helps your wallet!
3. Buy gluten-free ingredients in bulk:
Did you know a recent study showed that gluten-free specialty foods are generally 2.5 times more expensive than their "regular" versions!? Needless to say, gluten-free groceries can definitely add up! One way to combat this is buying in bulk! The bigger you go, the better the buy! Gluten-free products that you use everyday are great places to start buying bulk. We buy a lot of gluten-free items at Costco or Sam's Club.
Some natural health food stores offer the option to buy your choice of amount from bulk bins. I have found when priced compared- this is ALWAYS cheaper than buying a smaller prepackaged amount. We usually shop at Sprout's (formally Sunflower Market) or our large Smith's. Trader Joe's, Costco, and Cash & Carry are also other places I have found bulk gluten-free products.
Some of our bulk staples are:
Some natural health food stores offer the option to buy your choice of amount from bulk bins. I have found when priced compared- this is ALWAYS cheaper than buying a smaller prepackaged amount. We usually shop at Sprout's (formally Sunflower Market) or our large Smith's. Trader Joe's, Costco, and Cash & Carry are also other places I have found bulk gluten-free products.
Some of our bulk staples are:
- Organic Short Grain Brown Rice (we grind to make brown rice flour)
- Calrose Rice (we grind to make sweet rice)
- Organic Quinoa
- Rice crackers
- Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- Organic Peanut Butter
- Organic Eggs
- Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Beans
4. Sale shop/Use Coupons:Often times, my local health food store will run specials on gluten free pastas or other items. If I know we use that item often, I'll stock up. Then I have extra for food storage when I need it.
I haven't mastered the skill of coupon-ing but there are some great websites that you can go to for help: |
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5a. Make your own
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Gluten Free Breads
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Gluten Free Cookies
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Convenience foods are simply those items that they sell for your convenience already made so you don't have to. But, when I average it out, a $6 loaf of gluten free bread is not worth it for me to buy if I can mix it up and throw it in my bread maker in less than 10 minutes.
Some people take 1 look at the words "make your own" and dismiss this idea! "Oh, I don't have time..." they say but making your own gluten free favorites is really easy! Even with our busy schedule and responsibilities I still find time to bake. Some friends of ours only bake 1 time a week and freeze items for later use. This is a great method for busy moms! Most of my pancake and waffle recipes can be frozen for quick use later as well as a lot of my dinners and soups.
For some our favorite recipes click on the category below:
Along the same lines, I have noticed with our customers is they LOVE the pre-mixed items such as the ready made Pancake Mix, Brownie Mix, ect. Which leads me to my next point...
Some people take 1 look at the words "make your own" and dismiss this idea! "Oh, I don't have time..." they say but making your own gluten free favorites is really easy! Even with our busy schedule and responsibilities I still find time to bake. Some friends of ours only bake 1 time a week and freeze items for later use. This is a great method for busy moms! Most of my pancake and waffle recipes can be frozen for quick use later as well as a lot of my dinners and soups.
For some our favorite recipes click on the category below:
Along the same lines, I have noticed with our customers is they LOVE the pre-mixed items such as the ready made Pancake Mix, Brownie Mix, ect. Which leads me to my next point...
5b. Make your own mixes:
Why spend $5 for a pancake mix when you could make it yourself for $2 or less? Simply put all the dry ingredients in a plastic baggy, write on the bag what wet items to add later, and store it in the fridge for quick use. After I grind my own flour, I usually make dry mixes for waffles, cakes, brownies, or whatever else we'll be making in the next month. It's one big measuring party and then when it's done, I have my own mixes ready to grab anytime!
6. Make your own MILK
I included this because I have found that most gluten-free people are also allergic to dairy. If you're DAIRY FREE as well, making your own milk can save you TONS of money! It's also surprisingly easy. I make a batch or two and then store them in a Mason jar in the fridge. Click the picture to be taken to each recipe:
Almond Milk
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Coconut Milk
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Rice Milk
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Soy Milk
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7. Look for other ways to save in the kitchen:
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For instance, we cook all our own beans. Did you know you can buy dried beans (dirt cheap and in bulk), cook them and then freeze them in little baggies to pull out for your recipes instead of buying cans of beans? Soak them overnight and then toss them into your crock pot to cook at least 8-12 hours or until tender. Total hands-on time investment around 15-20 minutes. Basically you are creating those convenience items that save you time when you need it, at a time when you might not.
We cook our beans in a pressure cooker in only 32 minutes! Then I freeze portions in freezer bags of 1 & 1/2 cups (which is equal to 1 can). We save about .75 cents for every "freezer can" I make! That adds up quick. What are some ways you can cut costs in your kitchen? |
8. Grow a garden/Eat more fruits & veggies
I know having a garden isn't possible for everyone but growing your own food is a fantastic way to cut costs on your grocery bill. PLUS it's a sure-fire way to know what you're eating is gluten free AND it's healthier for you. Win, win, win.
If you can't grow a garden even purchasing fruits and vegatables is cheaper than buying prepackaged gluten free items. So instead of getting those $8 gluten free chicken nuggets try making from scratch a veggie stir-fry or fajitas. There's tons of meal options to incorporate your new found love for veggies. What are some ways you save being gluten free? Email me at donteatwheat(at)gmail(dot)com. |