Learn how to eat gluten-free without breaking the bank. Here are cheap, gluten-free options for anyone who needs to cut costs while staying true to their diet and nutritional needs.
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Many people are making the switch to a gluten-free diet due to food allergies, sensitivities, or dietary preferences. Luckily, shopping for gluten-free food has become easier and is less expensive than it was five years ago. But, it can still add up. Here are some tips on how to keep your food budget reasonable while eating gluten-free.
Focus on naturally gluten-free foods and buy them on sale
Meats, fish, dairy, eggs, nuts, nut butters, potatoes, beans, rice, quinoa, corn, vegetables, and fruit are all naturally gluten free before processing. While you should always check the ingredients on any packaged food, this also includes most corn tortillas, tortilla chips, salsa, yogurt, potato chips (check flavoring), rice pasta, and ice cream (with safe add-ins).
While oats are naturally gluten-free, they are often found to be contaminated during processing, so you may need to buy specific gluten-free oats if you have an allergy or have reactions to regular oats. Stock up on these basics when they are on sale.
- One 6 oz box of Kraft Gluten Free Mac & Cheese Dinner
- Gluten Free Kraft Mac & Cheese contains no artificial flavors, preservatives or dyes
- Box contains brown rice and corn pasta with original flavor cheese sauce mix
- Gluten-Free Goodness: Enjoy fluffy, delicious pancakes without gluten - our pancakes mix is certified gluten-free, ensuring a safe and tasty breakfast option for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease
- Non-GMO Verified: King Arthur pancake mix is made with carefully selected non-GMO ingredients, providing you with a wholesome and natural breakfast option. Serve these delicious pancakes to your family with confidence
- Kosher Certified: This gf pancake mix meets strict kosher dietary guidelines, making it suitable for those following kosher diets. Enjoy a versatile breakfast option that caters to various dietary needs and preferences
- GLUTEN FREE: A gluten free breakfast cereal that contains no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial colors or flavors; Provides 17g whole grain per serving (at least 48g recommended daily)
- BREAKFAST ADDITION OR SNACK: Crunchy lattice squares made with whole grain rice that seamlessly go from a simple addition to breakfast to trail mix to dessert
- EASY HOLIDAY RECIPES: A key ingredient in homemade Original Chex Mix, Muddy Buddies, and many other easy recipes and trail mixes your kids can help create; Make more memories in the kitchen with Chex
Read product labels
Since you probably are going to want to eat packaged or processed food sometimes, you need to learn to read labels. Gluten is present in wheat, rye, barley, and barley malt.
To quickly read a product label, first look for the “contains” statement that will list any of the common allergens if they are present in the product. This is usually toward the bottom of the back label, under the list of ingredients.
For example, it may say “Contains: dairy, soy, wheat, peanuts.” This method isn’t fail-proof, because while barley malt contains gluten, it isn’t one of the top allergens, so it won’t be listed in the “contains” statement.
I use the statement as a means of elimination: If it contains wheat, I put the product back without reading the ingredients. If wheat isn’t listed as an allergen, I scan the ingredients to make sure barley, barley malt or another forms of gluten aren’t listed.
Shop in the regular aisles versus the gluten-free aisles
You pay more for condiments, dressings, and sauces if you shop in the specialty section for gluten-free brands. Popular food brands realize that the market for gluten-free foods is growing and some will specifically state “gluten free” on the label. Many national or store brand condiments, dressings and sauces are gluten free.
For example, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce is gluten free, as well as many Kraft dressings and barbecue sauces. Since these are national brands, coupons may be available and the products are more likely to be on sale. Be sure to read the ingredients every time you purchase the item, as formulas can change.
If you’re highly sensitive to gluten, you may need to purchase processed items from companies that only make gluten-free foods, so there is no chance of cross-contamination in processing.
However, most people with wheat sensitivities are fine as long as the individual product doesn’t contain gluten.
- The goodness of Cheerios bursting with the taste of real berries
- Whole grain cereal with a blend of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries and other natural flavors
- Toasted oat cereal made with whole grain oats
- One 3.5 oz box of Good Thins Simply Salt Rice Snacks Gluten Free Crackers (packaging may vary)
- Simply salted to give these rice crackers a versatile flavor and baked for a crispy texture
- Certified Gluten-Free by GFCO, Non-GMO Project Verified, no high-fructose corn syrup and no artificial colors or flavors
Seek out coupons for gluten-free brands
Go to websites for gluten-free brands and sign up for newsletters and coupons. Some companies will send coupons if you write or email them to compliment their products. Or, you can simply ask if any coupons are available.
Make bread and baking items yourself, or buy them only on occasion
Gluten-free breads and baked goods can be very expensive, have texture issues, and questionable nutritional stats. To keep costs down, skip those items, eat them very rarely or make your own.
Bread: I don’t find the effort to make it or the expense to buy it worthy, so I usually skip it. When I see gluten-free bread on sale, I’ll buy it and freeze it for occasional use. Learn to roll up your sandwiches in corn tortillas, spring roll wrappers, lettuce leaves, or potato skins, or just serve fillings like pulled pork or sloppy joes in a pile on a plate.
Gluten-free Wonder Buns are easy to microwave individually and are perfect for summer cookouts if you really want your burger on a bun.
![Schar Ciabatta [2 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cGz441U1L._SL160_.jpg)
- Upon delivery, FREEZE packages to maintain freshness for up to 8 months. Individually thaw as needed. For maximum freshness, use within 40 days of defrosting
- Manufacturing dates are stamped on each package (not expiration dates). Freeze upon delivery, thaw as needed. Storage instructions included with every order
- Certified Gluten Free and Naturally Vegan
Baked goods: Cookies and brownies are easy to make and much cheaper than store-bought varieties, and quite a few don’t require expensive gluten-free flour blends. I buy an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix and skip recipes that require mixing different types of flour.
Get a couple of gluten-free cookbooks from the library and follow gluten-free bloggers for other recipes. My favorites are these three gluten-free sweets recipes that use only simple ingredients and no flour.
- LOW CARB AND NO ADDED SUGAR: Miss Jones Baking Co.'s Blueberry Muffin Mix contains 0g added sugar and only 4g net carbs
- GLUTEN AND GRAIN FREE: Made with almond flour for a naturally gluten and grain free treat
- MOIST AND DELICIOUS: With Miss Jones Baking Co., you never have to worry about taste. We've taken out the gluten, grains, dairy, and sugar and we promise you won't miss them in this delicious mix
- Receive 1 box of Simple Mills Toasted Pecan Almond Flour Cookies. Not your average cookie. Our perfect Toasted Pecan cookies let you indulge in a cookie craving that does more for you, thanks to our ingredients
- Take a look at our nutritious cookie ingredients. Nutrient dense, purposeful ingredient list for these delicious snacks from Simple Mills.
- See our reviews on your iPhone, iPad, Android, or laptop by scrolling down to see how other consumers rate our delicous taste!
- This golden, tender cornbread is easy to prepare with our mix (we've measured and mixed the same great ingredients you love for you!), loaded with whole grains (that means good and good for you) and is difficult to resist (trust us, we've tried)
- Versatile Baking: Create two 8 in or 9 in round layers, one 9 in x 13 in sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes with this 18 oz gluten free cake mix (cupcake mix). Perfect for birthdays and special occasions, this mix offers flexibility for various baking needs
- Gluten Free Certified: King Arthur Confetti Cake Mix is certified Gluten-Free by the GFCO (Gluten-Free Certification Organization), ensuring a safe and delicious option for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease
- Natural Ingredients: Enjoy a soft-baked cake studded with naturally colored sprinkles. King Arthur cake mix contains no synthetic flavors, colors, or preservatives, providing a wholesome and tasty dessert for your gluten free baking adventures
Baking mixes: If you don’t want to bake from scratch, figure out which baking mixes are worth the money. Sometimes I make cake or cupcakes from scratch; other times I’ll use a mix that I bought on sale.
Pancakes are simple enough to mix up from scratch, but I usually keep a box of the gluten-free all purpose baking mix on hand in case I’m feeling lazy. Good gluten-free pizza is hard to find and expensive. We make pizzas using Bob’s Red Mill Pizza Crust Mix or Chebe Pizza Crust Mix. The mixes usually equal out less than $3 per pizza, which is cheap compared to restaurant or take-and-bake gluten-free pizzas.
- Gluten Free
- Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix is wheat free, dairy free, whole grain and can be made without eggs
- The mix contains a yeast packet and bakes up like a real wheat crust
- 7.5- ounce bags (8 Pack)(total of 60 ounces)
- Gluten-free and great taste
- Lactose and casein-free
We cook ours on the grill, but they are good made in the oven as well. Both of these mixes make a chewy crust instead of the cracker crust that is so common when dining out or with frozen pizzas.
Switch your drink
If you imbibe, beer is out. Gluten-free beers and ciders exist, but they tend to be more expensive, are higher in calories, and lack a real beer flavor. My drinks of choice have become wine, vodka and soda, and the occasional margarita.
- A New Twist on a Classic Flavor: Our lemonade isn’t the lemonade you grew up loving—it’s better! Our fresh squeezed lemons blend perfectly with monk fruit and stevia to give you a tart, and just-right sweet lemonade.
- Drink Swoon, Not Sugar: We make drinks that bring sweetness into your life (without the sugar). For us, it's personal. Our co-founder Jen, is a type 1 Diabetic, who believes that good-for-you should taste good.
- Zero Sugar, Not Zero Flavor: Our Lemonades get their sweetness from monk fruit and stevia, providing the natural taste you crave without the drawbacks of sugar.
Shop at specialty and discount stores
Specialty grocers, like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and health food stores offer a wide variety of gluten-free goods and may have special deals, like case discounts.
Some stores even list all gluten-free products online to help you choose safe foods. Discount stores like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s often offer gluten-free goods at reduced prices. Aldi also offers a line of gluten-free products that are cheaper than brand name gluten free mixes.
Shop online
I tend to find the best deals for gluten-free packaged food and mixes online and stock up when I find discounts on products that I love. I comparison-shop between the following sites to find the best deals.
Amazon has a gluten-free store that offers subscribe and save, sales and manager’s specials.
Nuts offers gluten-free baking mixes and flours that you can buy in one pound packages or in bulk to save money.
Soap has a lot of gluten-free items and offers sales and free shipping over $35. Use referral code cbuscheap to get 20 percent off your first order.
Eating gluten free doesn’t have to wreck your grocery budget, but you may need to adjust how and where you shop to keep things affordable. You’ll save more money if you’re willing to eat mostly whole foods, bake from scratch, and employ careful shopping habits.
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