Report on Gluten-Free Experiment with Daughter

[Kate]

I'm not sure if I mentioned in another thread that I was going to try some gluten-free foods for my daughter... but I did that and bought some last shopping trip. (WHY do they cost *so* much more?! )

After it nearly broke the wallet, I'm glad to report that the things I've chosen have so far been very good when it comes to taste. I have a loaf of gluten-free bread frozen and just thaw what she'll need... a piece or two at a time. And I have English Muffins frozen (more like muffin-bread and very tasty!) She's also tried chocolate wafers and some crackers. All met with approval.

I still need to try the gluten-free pasta, flour, and .... something else that I bought. So while I'm excited about this, I'm not understanding why they think charging more than $5 for a small loaf of bread or nearly $8 for English muffins is acceptable. I know I'll have to end up making my own, but for this experiment, I'll keep testing the various options and hope I don't go broke because of it!

Any recommendations for gluten-free food I can buy online that may be priced a bit more reasonably?

 

[LivetoErr]

Sadly, I don't think you'll find a way to find gluten free products that are cheaper.

I'm only offering an opinion here and not actual fact but, I think the price of the foods has more to do with the current 'gluten free is trendy' mentality than the actual cost of making such items. Everyone is touting 'go gluten free' and the food makers know that. I have a friend who was told go gluten free to see if it helps reduce his sinus issues. Unless, the person is actually allergic to gluten not eating them shouldn't help the sinuses. He's trying it though, with little to no improvement.

There are many people who are going gluten free for reasons other than being allergic or intolerant to gluten. It's a heath fad and like all health fad products are higher in prices. Unfortunately, that effects those who actually need to go gluten free.

I'm happy you found products your daughter is happy with though. I ate some rice pasta the other day (because the previously mentioned friend left Mexico and gave me all the stuff he didn't eat) and it wasn't bad at all. I should also mention that, if you think gluten free products are expensive, you should see the prices here! All the stuff is imported so it's at least 1/3 higher in price than the US.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

<snip>
I have a friend who was told go gluten free to see if it helps reduce his sinus issues. Unless, the person is actually allergic to gluten not eating them shouldn't help the sinuses. He's trying it though, with little to no improvement. <snip>.

Your friend would be better off cutting dairy out of his diet to clear sinus issues, or at the very least changing from cow's milk to goat's milk (which is very mild nowadays). Just google "Cow's milk and sinus problems" and look at the results. Even my mother-in-law has now moved over to goat's milk after coming to stay with us for a week many years ago, then going home and her sinus problems getting significantly worse. She had not realised that she was consuming goat's milk at our home (I just don't tell people) and went back to cow's milk...

 

[LivetoErr]

He hasn't had dairy from any animal in years. He's allergic to the protein found in it. He drinks soy, which also could be the culprit; however, he doesn't like almond. I'm not sure if he's tried rice, or not. I'll have to see.

 

[Kate]

I'm only offering an opinion here and not actual fact but, I think the price of the foods has more to do with the current 'gluten free is trendy' mentality than the actual cost of making such items.

I'm pretty sure you're right here, LivetoErr... it has to be that because the ingredients they're switching to when making something gluten free do *not* cost that much more (if any more at all) to produce. So yes, it's because of "demand to be trendy" and the bad part is that many of the people driving the costs up by wanting to be trendy don't medically need to eat gluten free at all.

Everyone is touting 'go gluten free' and the food makers know that. I have a friend who was told go gluten free to see if it helps reduce his sinus issues. Unless, the person is actually allergic to gluten not eating them shouldn't help the sinuses.

Well now that's just strange. I hope it helps him, but I've never heard of a connection between these two things at all. Hmmmm.... but I'm just starting to research, so I may be wrong. Did they at least start your friend out by trying to go *lactose* free... at least that is something that's been known to mess with sinuses.

My latest "report" is that we still haven't found a gluten-free food that tastes horrid. There's a pasta that comes in shapes that needs to be cooked twice as long as the instructions say, and then gets much too hard to eat even the next day, but besides that, no problems, luckily! My daughter even likes the gluten-free bread, English muffins, and bagels better than regular.

 

[luckyfox]

I get bits from ebay and amazon and tbh you'll find much more variety with online shopping if you have that where you live.

I'm coeliac so i have no choice but if it's for any other reason i would just cut those type of foods out and up the fruit and veg. Gluten free is expensive because it's not mass produced like normal, breads, cakes ect and the ingredients are extensive. Tbh, the ingredients in gluten free are in no way better; soy, Enumber and gum and paste. Look at normal bread and gluten free ingredients and theres a world of difference. Also the process of making them isn't as simple. Honestly it's not worth it. my son is coeliac too and we mainly have a box of cereal, sliced bread and pizza bases in the freezer. If i ate like anyone else i know with the subs i would have no money. I made my peace with it years ago. Our fruit and veg bowls are massive, seriously you name it, it's in there. If it's a special occasion or we have guests i'll get a few bits but it's not vital. It's up to you, it can be as easy or hard as you want.

 

[DancingLady]

There are some very good rice pastas and even quinoa pastas. I am not really into pasta so I haven't looked at the prices lately but at least the rice pasta I remember was not that much more than the whole wheat pasta. They have both white rice and brown rice pastas. If you use white rice you will get a lot of starch on the pan, so be sure to rinse it out really good immediately after dishing up or it will get really stuck.