Anyone who follows a gluten-free diet knows how costly a trip to the supermarket can be. Exactly how much more expensive are gluten-free foods? In the February 2019 edition of Nutrients, Anne Lee, R.D. and fellow doctors at the Celiac Disease Center, Columbia University Medical Center, published an article titled, “Persistent Economic Burden of the Gluten Free Diet.” In it, they explained findings such as “the overall cost of GF products was 183 percent more expensive than their wheat-based counterparts.” 

They also found that “the largest difference between GF and wheat-based products was for crackers (snack food category) which were 270% more expensive”. Additionally, shopping for other gluten-free basics like bread and pasta can also feel extravagant with prices that are “229 and 227 percent more expensive for these items, respectively.”

Couple these sobering facts with inflation and today’s tighter pocketbooks and it’s enough to make you think hard about what you put in your shopping cart and your mouth. With this in mind, we share with you ways to maximize deliciousness and nutrition and minimize expense while enjoying a GF lifestyle.

Eat whole, naturally gluten-free foods.

What they say about shopping the perimeter of grocery stores is true—it’s where you’ll find all the whole ingredients and the cheaper prices as well as avoid the more processed/less healthy foods. 

What you lose in the convenience of readymade (processed) foods, you make up for in wholesome flavor and nutrition. Yes, you may need spend a little more time in the kitchen, but we’ve got enough recipes to keep you busy with fruits, vegetables, lean meats, chicken, fish, tofu, dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese), and eggs, all of which are naturally gluten-free and comparatively well priced. 

Embellish a mostly whole food diet with healthy additions.

Venturing to the center aisles of the grocery store, there are great, economical gluten-free foods that are equal parts delicious and nutritious—as well as some treats that deliver without extreme cost. For example, dried beans are a very inexpensive and excellent source of protein and fiber; buy them in bulk, make large-batch bean dishes, and freeze them in airtight containers for future meals. Check out just a few fantastic dishes featuring lentils that you can make. Ditto delicious dishes using canned beans, which are slightly more expensive but still very reasonably priced.

Rice and quinoa are also wonderful, inexpensive whole ingredients that can round out a meal or be spruced up for a low-cost, hearty main course. They are also nutritious and have a long shelf life if stored properly—perfect for purchasing in bulk.

Snacks aren’t as straightforward in cost or nutrition; most processed gluten-free snacks are super-expensive. But if you need ready-to-eat items around the house, consider options like nuts and popcorn; while bagged popcorn seems relatively cheap, it’s way more expensive than making your own and is a good alternative to costly crackers and chips. 

For desserts, stick with items that are common and never include gluten, such as ice cream (check the label to be sure it’s GF). 

Be a smart shopper.

Buy in bulk: Pretty packaging and brand names result in higher prices. Instead, buy gluten-free favorites in bulk where you can; some stores even have GF baking flour offered in their bin-foods section. However, if you have Celiac Disease or are very sensitive, avoid bulk bins as they are a potential source of cross-contamination. 

Also, reach for larger-sized items, multi-packs, online discounts, and sales at big box stores. 

Here are some examples  of our frequent bulk purchases:
Jovial pasta, spaghetti or penne
Tolerant lentil pasta
Simple Mills crackers, cheddar or sea salt
Pamela’s pancake mix

Shop online: Try websites like Vitacost and Nuts.com that offer excellent prices on many gluten-free products. Vitacost is a great source for gluten-free flours and pantry staples and they have fast shipping and frequent promotions and coupons. Nuts.com has many certified gluten-free products, including but not limited to nuts, that are available in bulk and shipping is very quick.

Shop around: Get to know the supermarkets in your area like Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Costco, etc. and learn where to find the best prices for specific foods you enjoy. Some stores might have gluten-free store brands that are much more affordable.  Watch for sales and stock up on pasta, crackers, cookies, baking mixes, etc. 

Use coupons: Watch for coupons in the mail or local store flyers. Some of our favorite brands offer them online. Try Canyon Bakehouse, Schär, Jovial, and Enjoy Life.

Shop locally and seasonally at farmers’ markets and farmstands: While produce at these markets can sometimes be a bit more expensive, there are deals to be found especially if you can buy in bulk at the end of the season. For example, buy a case of tomatoes and can them or blanch, remove the skins and store in airtight bags in the freezer, or buy a case of winter squash or sweet potatoes and store in a cool, dark place. We often ask the strawberry producers if we can buy a flat of the slightly bruised berries, which they would otherwise throw out. We get them for $5, freeze the berries, and have smoothie makings at the ready!

Store ingredients properly: Some gluten-free items have a shorter shelf life than the gluten version, so make sure to store foods properly to maximize the value of your purchase. Gluten-free flours can be stored in airtight containers in the fridge; breads and baked goods that won’t be eaten immediately should go in the freezer.

Cook for yourself!

Use great recipes: We work hard to bring you delicious, doable, well-tested recipes in every category. 

Here are some examples of cravable dishes that won’t break the bank:
Winter Minestrone with Parsley Pesto
Fettuccine with Roasted Squash, Bacon, and Red Onion
Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad

But also, browse our recipe section and sign up for our newsletters for regular inspiration delivered to your inbox. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see what we are up to and excited about.

Follow reliable  gluten-free bloggers: Find the people who share your tastes, lifestyle and dietary restrictions for more motivation and ideas of what you can cook yourself. Two of our favorites are Bojon Gourmet and Cannelle et Vanille. 

Try new cuisines and techniques:  You might find many new favorites that are budget-friendly and fit your diet and taste preferences. 

Slow cookers and Instant Pots can be your best friends on busy nights. 

Many international cuisines are rich in flavors, use whole ingredients, and tend to be mostly naturally gluten free—Thai, Mexican, and Indian are mouthwatering examples. 

Do your research.

Some financial assistance is available. Depending on your income, there could be tax deductions available for GF food according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. There are lots of other resources available depending on your individual needs and situation. For example, if you are experiencing financial hardship or have been impacted by a natural disaster, do some thorough internet searching, and reach out to nonprofit organizations like GIGCares or  Mend Hunger to apply for assistance. 

It might take a bit more finesse, creativity, time, and legwork to make your gluten-free lifestyle more affordable, but if you are proactive and smart, a bountiful, varied, and cost-efficient gluten-free diet is totally possible.

IN 2017, READER’S DIGEST PUBLISHED AN ONLINE ARTICLE ENTITLED “IF YOU WANT TO AVOID HEART DISEASE, DON’T EVEN THINK OF GOING GLUTEN-FREE.” The headline was misleading: The story was actually about how a recent study suggested a gluten-free diet includes fewer cardioprotective whole grains than the standard Western diet and, therefore, doesn’t protect against heart disease. But alarmist anti-gluten-free articles like that one—and there are many of them out there—often leave out one critical detail: It’s not the gluten-free part of the gluten-free diet that creates or doesn’t protect against health risks. Rather, it’s a gluten-free diet that’s high in processed foods and low in healthy whole grains and fiber that’s cause for concern.

Dr. Sheila Crowe, director of University of California, San Diego’s Celiac Disease Clinic, agrees: “A well-balanced naturally gluten-free diet is healthy. As with a normal diet or any other diet, it is the processed items that render a diet less healthy.”

I learned this truth firsthand after my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease when she was four years old. Though we made dramatic lifestyle changes to accommodate her new dietary restrictions, we relied primarily on packaged items. I suspected early on that this was not ideal for my daughter’s health. But she felt better, was suddenly growing, and had much more energy. So I blindly carried on—until an X-ray showed enough constipation that hospitalization was the next step if an over-the-counter remedy didn’t help. Fortunately, it did. It also served as my wake-up call.

I made an appointment with a dietitian to learn how to implement a diet that supports overall health rather than gastrointestinal problems and inflammation. The prescription was straightforward: Drink plenty of water and eat more whole, unprocessed, plant-based foods that are rich in fiber. And it worked.

THE LACK OF FIBER IN THE AMERICAN (AND THE GLUTEN-FREE) DIET
We’ve been told for generations that fiber is an important part of a healthy diet. Yet, as Robynne Chutkan, founder of the Digestive Center for Wellness in Maryland, states in her book The Microbiome Solution, “Most Americans eat only about half the recommended 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily and much of it in less beneficial, processed forms.”

The challenge is even greater for the gluten-free population. According to Dr. Jessica Madden, an Ohio-based pediatrician and blogger who has celiac disease, we consume even less fiber than those who enjoy a gluten-heavy diet because, “None of the alternate flours has as much fiber as wheat.”

Lori Welstead, registered dietician at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, agrees: “I think people are mostly relying on swap-outs like gluten-free breads or wraps and crackers for getting their fiber. Unfortunately, these aren’t equivalent in fiber content in comparison to whole-wheat products they may have been consuming previously. Those who eat wheat get 8 to 10 grams of daily fiber even if they eat cheap wheat bread because it’s so easy.”

WHAT EXACTLY IS FIBER AND HOW TO GET ENOUGH
Dietary fiber is the indigestible parts of your food found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Because your body can’t absorb it, it passes through your system, cleaning out your digestive tract along the way. There are two types of dietary fiber, and both are important. Water-soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material that can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Insoluble fiber helps to create bulk and to move material through your digestive system and out of your body.

So how does one get enough whole-grain fiber without eating gluten? Dr. Alessio Fasano, head of research at the University of Maryland Celiac Research Center, emphasizes oats as a highly healthy and easy way to incorporate fiber-rich whole grains. (Though some celiac patients have adverse reactions to oats, Fasano reassures us that they are tolerated by 95 percent of celiacs.) Oats happen to contain much more water-soluble fiber than any other grain. According to Gluten Free Watchdog Tricia Thompson, the safest oats come from manufacturers using a purity protocol where the grain is grown, processed, and transported in a dedicated gluten-free manner, assuring little to no cross-contamination.

Welstead encourages her patients to eat teff, millet, and quinoa as well as chia, flax, and hemp seeds. But she also acknowledges that some of her patients feel better on a Paleo regimen; in that case, she recommends a higher intake of fruits and vegetables, since these individuals also avoid beans, lentils, and grains, which are great sources of fiber.

My daughter’s dietician, Abbey Ricchiuto-Corpuz, likens fiber to a toothbrush for the gut and encourages her clients to make fiber part of their daily eating habits, not just an occasional health kick. She relies on beans, with an average of 13 grams of fiber per cup, to add soluble fiber to any meal. One of the foods with the highest fiber content, beans can easily be added to salads, soups, stews, and curries or enjoyed as a snack through hummus or other bean dips.

Although a half cup of cooked brown rice contains more than 2 grams of fiber, experts don’t point to the popular grain as a primary source of fiber because rice can contain varying amounts of inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen. Since most gluten-free products include rice flour, those of us who eat gluten-free are already exposed to more arsenic than people following the standard Western diet.

FIBER: THE GUT AND HEART HELPER
There are other reasons to consider your fiber sources, starting with the results of the heart-health study mentioned earlier that concluded gluten-free diets should not be promoted for coronary heart disease prevention. Dr. Peter Green, the director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University who helped conduct the study, explains: “Whole grains seem to have a cardio-protective element.” For this reason, Dr. Green believes it’s important to work with a dietician when eating gluten-free for medical reasons and to integrate into your diet alternative, wholesome fiber-rich grains.

According to a Harvard study published in the February 2016 issue of Pediatrics, the gut’s ability to best absorb nutrients relies on healthy intestinal flora or gut bacteria, which is composed of a collection of healthy microbes that feed on fiber. When fiber is missing, the function of the flora is compromised. Mounting research suggests this opens the door to malabsorption and a host of other problems caused by inflammation.

So heed this call to “eat the fruit and vegetable rainbow,” include beans and other high-fiber gluten-free foods in your everyday diet, and start whipping up some of the flavorful, fiber-rich oat-flour recipes.

Fiber High Five
Want to add more fiber to your diet? Follow these tips!

1. Start Slow
Welstead advises to increase your fiber intake by about 5 grams per day to avoid feeling uncomfortable and bloated as you reach an optimum level of 25 to 30 fiber grams per day.

2. Hydrate
Drink eight (8-ounce) glasses of water to stay hydrated and help foster fiber’s journey. Like it lemony? Adding a squeeze of fresh citrus to water adds taste and fiber and aids in digestion.

3. Find Fiber-Fabulous Foods
It’s much harder to keep up your fiber intake with foods you don’t like. Instead, reach for your favorite high-fiber snacks or recipes that incorporate the fiber-rich foods listed at right.

4. Keep a List
It’s easy to forget which foods deliver the most fiber, but if you make a list and refer to it when meal planning and shopping, you’ll be more likely to include a variety of fiber-rich, naturally gluten-free foods in your diet.

5. Track Your Progress
Keep a tally of your efforts in your daily planner or use a free app, such as myfitnesspal, which plugs in the amount of fiber per serving of the foods you eat and monitors your progress for you.

 

Photo credit: Emma K. Morris

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