How to eat gluten-free on a budget

More and more people seem to be eating a gluten-free diet without understanding what gluten really is and how they can follow the diet without spending a ton of money on over-priced “health” food. Enter: this blog post! Use it wisely and let me know if I missed any questions you might have!

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein usually found in wheat, barley, and rye. Lots of manufacturers proudly label their products “gluten-free” to entice people when the ingredients are completely devoid of gluten because: why not dupe people into spending money on your product when they don’t need it?? /eyeroll/

Benefits of gluten

So what’s the purpose of gluten if so many people have a reaction to it??

Gluten can help bread raise and retain moisture. It can also help foods have a more palatable texture.

Am I gluten intolerant?

Probably not honestly. Many of the folks rushing out to find gluten-free products do so because they’re misinformed and incorrectly think gluten is bad just because it exists. While I’m a proponent of anecdotal evidence when it comes to dietary sensitivities, I’m also a huge proponent of verifying those sensitivities when possible. As far as gluten goes, it’s absolutely possible, so if you feel like you may have a sensitive, go get tested!

Eating gluten-free on a budget

Several of my clients have switched to a gluten-free diet in the last few years. Some of them did so due to medical reasons; others due to preference. Their main concern, no matter the situation, is usually how in the world they’re going to grocery shop for their new diet without spending an arm and a leg! And they’re always surprised when I show them how easy it is to eat gluten-free on a budget.

Most of the foods I recommend to my client-base in general will work for a gluten-free diet:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Beans
• Eggs
• Rice
• Quinoa
• Cassava
• Sorghum
• Corn
• Potatoes

All of the above foods are naturally gluten-free. That’s right – rice, quinoa, and potatoes are gluten-free!

You can grab a few bags of frozen vegetables, a large bag of brown rice, and have a big, delicious, healthy, gluten-free meal!! A few of my other favorite gluten-free recipes can be found here as well.

What about hidden gluten?

Yup. Unfortunately there is hidden gluten in strange places.

• Oats
• Processed meats
• Cold cuts
• Ground meat
• Meat substitutes
• Ketchup
• BBQ sauce
• Soy Sauce

The above foods MAY or MAY NOT contain gluten. It depends on the brand.

Kroger brand and Quaker USUALLY carry oats without added gluten, but I would double-check the labels to be sure. For the other products, just pay close attention to the ingredients list. Gluten is used as a filler in some meats, so being an informed consumer goes a long way!

What’s the craziest product you’ve found with gluten in it??