'Free from' products

rubydust

rubydust

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10 Jul 2014
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Having recently started a wheat/gluten free diet because of my son's digestive problems, I've been focusing on sourcing special 'free from' products. I have noticed that a couple of supermarkets have a pretty decent range. However, the prices for these products are extortionate. I'm on a tight budget, and simply cannot afford to spend that much on food.

Where do you buy your gluten free food? I'm wondering if there is anywhere online that you use, to find such products at more reasonable prices.
 
I've not had to follow a gluten free diet, but I think if I did, I'd try and adapt my diet to eat things that are naturally gluten free, instead of things that try to be like stuff with gluten in, if that makes sense. So I mean I'd eat potatoes and rice, and ditch pasta. Obviously, I'm not all that knowledgable (Satnav will know plenty!), but I've always assumed that there's a big mark-up on special dietary products, more than there needs to be, to take advantage of people.

I think you can follow a diet much more economically if you do a lot of cooking from scratch, then you can bake your own breads etc using non-wheat flours.
 
Being on a dairy free diet due to anaphylactic shock issues with the slightest amount of dairy, I often find I end up gluten or wheat free as well, especially with snacks.
We buy in bulk and keep an eye out on both eBay and Amazon for people selling them special offer. We also buy direct from the supplier via their websites, picking up short best before dates and combining these with special offers. the result is that our favourite bars (Nakd bars) tend to come in at around 36p a bar rather than the RRP of 99p.

I'm pretty certain you are state side rather than UK side of the pond, so there is not much point in linking to products or even recommending them, but making your own if often the best way to go! We also cook everything from scratch which makes life a lot cheaper once you have stocked up on what you need. you will have one or two disasters along the way, that is to be expected, but if you note of what you did and where you think you went wrong, rather than trying to remember it, you will not make the same mistake next time around.
 
You're right that the Free From foods are expensive. I am on a strict gluten free diet so I understand. The worst part is the Free From food is more expensive, and then it doesn't even taste that good haha. I would suggest making your own foods, that has been something I do to keep costs down and also so I enjoy the food more, Also like Arch said, adapting your diet to eating foods that are naturally gluten free, but not specifically the 'Free From' range helps to keep costs down also.
 
Arch said:
I'd try and adapt my diet to eat things that are naturally gluten free, instead of things that try to be like stuff with gluten in, if that makes sense.
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This is pretty much what I do. Meat, eggs, and vegetables are all naturally wheat free and taste way better than processed foods anyway. Rice is good as a dinner staple, and you'll be surprised how little it really affects you to go without bread and pasta etc.
Wrap sandwiches in lettuce if you need school lunches or similar for him, or cook bacon/ham in muffin tins to make a little case you can fill with avocado, egg, mushrooms, or whatever else you have on hand. If you have leftovers from dinner which can be eaten cold, they also make a good lunch (and other people are usually jealous compared to their sandwiches!)
Also most taco shells (the hard ones, not the soft ones, obviously) are made of corn and zero wheat, so they're a fun dinner :)
 
I don't know much about trying to go gluten free but I also think if you made most of your food from scratch it would be more affordable cost wise. It would only take more of your time.
 
rubydust said:
Having recently started a wheat/gluten free diet because of my son's digestive problems, I've been focusing on sourcing special 'free from' products. I have noticed that a couple of supermarkets have a pretty decent range. However, the prices for these products are extortionate. I'm on a tight budget, and simply cannot afford to spend that much on food.

Where do you buy your gluten free food? I'm wondering if there is anywhere online that you use, to find such products at more reasonable prices.
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I don't buy gluten free foods. I think I am seeing less of them in stores as well. I think that you could order them online. Amazon has a huge food and grocery section that offers just about everything you would want to have in terms of foods. Also, you might be able to write to the manufacturer and explain your situation. Maybe they would send you some coupons. Good Luck!
 
Christine Garcia said:
Which are those supermarkets? I'm thinking also about following a gluten free diet and I just moved to London, so no clue where to buy those products. Don't know if you are from UK or not, though.
Also: what kind of snacks you eat? I eat a lot of pastries and sweet food between hours and I really need to stop with it as my colesterol is high and I don't want to make it worse. Any help? Thanks in advanced
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Welcome to the Forum! All the leading supermarkets in the UK do gluten free! But I would be wondering why you are considering such a diet. Its a very small minority of people who are gluten intolerant and unless you have been tested and know that you are, you are just making your own life difficult!

Re snacks... ask yourself if you need them. If you really do then eat raw vegetables, popcorn or potato based products such as potato crisps (called chips in US).
 
Christine Garcia said:
Which are those supermarkets? I'm thinking also about following a gluten free diet and I just moved to London, so no clue where to buy those products. Don't know if you are from UK or not, though.
Also: what kind of snacks you eat? I eat a lot of pastries and sweet food between hours and I really need to stop with it as my colesterol is high and I don't want to make it worse. Any help? Thanks in advanced
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I agreed with @morning glory that unless you are known to be gluten intolerant there is no point in restricting your diet and jumping into that band wagon unnecessarily. It will cost you much more in the long run, not help your high cholesterol in the slightest and serve no purpose at all.

High cholesterol comes from too much of the wrong type of fat in the blood. Fat gets there from a number of sources but that main one is a very simple matter of consuming too much fat in your diet in the first place. A high sugar intake (usually in the form of sugar not starches) comes in 2nd but this would get picked up as a high fasting blood sugar level as well, so if high cholesterol levels are the only issue look at the amount of fat in your diet (this can be 'hidden' in milk, cream, cheese (which is 1/3rd fat) and many other sources). Also look at those products designed to reduce your cholesterol levels, they may well help. (I have no idea if they do because they are all dairy based and I'm allergic to dairy).

I will add that whilst excess sugar in your blood (and hence diet) will get converted by the body into fat, this is fat around/in your body and separate to high cholesterol issues and not directly related (to the best of my knowledge, though I am happy to be corrected if anyone can prove it).
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
I agreed with @morning glory that unless you are known to be gluten intolerant there is no point in restricting your diet and jumping into that band wagon unnecessarily. It will cost you much more in the long run, not help your high cholesterol in the slightest and serve no purpose at all.

High cholesterol comes from too much of the wrong type of fat in the blood. Fat gets there from a number of sources but that main one is a very simple matter of consuming too much fat in your diet in the first place. A high sugar intake (usually in the form of sugar not starches) comes in 2nd but this would get picked up as a high fasting blood sugar level as well, so if high cholesterol levels are the only issue look at the amount of fat in your diet (this can be 'hidden' in milk, cream, cheese (which is 1/3rd fat) and many other sources). Also look at those products designed to reduce your cholesterol levels, they may well help. (I have no idea if they do because they are all dairy based and I'm allergic to dairy).

I will add that whilst excess sugar in your blood (and hence diet) will get converted by the body into fat, this is fat around/in your body and separate to high cholesterol issues and not directly related (to the best of my knowledge, though I am happy to be corrected if anyone can prove it).
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Wise words, @SatNavSaysStraightOn. :thumbsup:
 
For my husband who has celiac disease, we don't buy a lot of gluten free products other than pizza dough and gravy. Most of it is filled with refined sugars and other junk. Plus most of it tastes awful. I've started making my own spice blends and he loves his veggies. I have had to watch a lot of things in our home such as my cosmetics. Most of them don't contain gluten but a couple of my lipsticks had to be trashed because they contained it.
 
Instead of trying to find ways to buy those expensive replacement foods with all those weird ingredients, just eat different things! Like others mentioned, most proteins and vegetables have no gluten :) I eat lots of corn tortillas. Like taco shells, they have no gluten and are a complete protein.

Use the expensive GF foods from the grocery as an occasional treat only. As you get your diet slowly changed over to eating naturally gluten free foods, you can then experiment with making your own treats and bread and such. I find it to be a lot of fun, actually. For a while I was on a gluten-free, yeast free kick and had GF sourdough brewing all over the place! My family actually got sick of eating bread and pancakes and dumplins and such!!
 
rubydust said:
Having recently started a wheat/gluten free diet because of my son's digestive problems, I've been focusing on sourcing special 'free from' products. I have noticed that a couple of supermarkets have a pretty decent range. However, the prices for these products are extortionate. I'm on a tight budget, and simply cannot afford to spend that much on food.

Where do you buy your gluten free food? I'm wondering if there is anywhere online that you use, to find such products at more reasonable prices.
Click to expand...
I would love to embark on this mission but I have to find a way to convince my son to stop eating the junk. I have been preparing more foods myself discouraging the junk but I am still learning about the vegan and gluten related matters. The few things I have tried were not well received. Sorry I can't help on the sourcing. I just know it's expensive to eat this way in my country.
 
I don't know if you are still watching this post or not, and not sure if you are in the states. but Trader Joe's has a good array of Gluten free products. and Aldi is a GREAT store for G free stuff. they have a whole line of products Live G Free is the brand.

https://www.aldi.us/en/grocery-home/aldi-brands/livegfree/

they are about 3 us dollars per product.

Hope this helps you and your son!
 
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