Anyone who follows the G/F allergen lifestyle will tell you it's expensive. It is indeed. I hear responses like, "oh but my family's health is worth it." That is a very true statement - however - you STILL have to have the money to pay bills and deal with emergencies so while your family is worth it there are always circumstances which anyone, even die-hard organic G/F folks wish for inexpensive options. I have a few...
Potatoes - very easy to grow, cheap to buy and fantastic for a main course or side - baked, fried, mashed - you name it
Rice - again very plentiful and there are many varieties and many options for cooking from rice balls to risotto to pilaf
Grits - So much fun, expands so nicely - great as a side dish and you can really dress this food up by even going the polenta route.
Quinoa - not as common but getting more and more accessible. You can make it sweet or savory. It comes in flakes too! Make cookies this way :)
Rice Chex - all Rice Chex are G/F (whew) make sure you check the label on most cereals in the breakfast section though before you get too trusting.
Corn tortillas - versatile! Fry them or steam them. Make cinnamon sugar crisps, enchiladas, soft tacos or even huevos rancheros (painfully simple)
Honey - but WATCH the label. Some honey factories add things to their honey!
Veggies - hit the produce section of the store and you'll find a lot of bargains. Heck you can even do farmers markets. It's a lot of fun to try new things this way. I am not a fan of many cooked veggies. So raw is typically the way I like most things. If you don't like something normally, try it raw and it might surprise you.
Eggs, milk and cheese - no two ways about it, most of this is spendy but if you are saving $ elsewhere you can afford a little splurge. Farmers markets can help here.
You can make your own yogurt and cottage cheese (if you want recipes let me know).
There is a local dairy close to where I live and though they are not considered "organic" because if the exceedingly strict regulations of the term "organic" they get their milk from about 6 different dairies and the cows are NOT treated with hormones and they don't feed antibiotics to cows unless they are sick and IF they do. the milk is dumped.
Meats/fish are expensive but I live in Alaska and I always have friends who fish and hunt. I can get stuff that way no problem. However, for the everyday consumer these things present a problem. Stores are now offering more "natural cuts" of meats now which are reported to be fed no hormones or antibiotics.
Make your own jams and jellies - very easy and lasts a year and a half! and you KNOW exactly what went into them. No guessing there
If you have any other ideas, please feel free to let me know!
As always Lynne your advice on eating and living healthy (and fiscally responsibly) is wonderful. Thank you for showing us that there are many more options available. =)
ReplyDeletePS Just got introduced to Quinoa...LOVE it!
ReplyDeletedid you do the quinoa noodles, flakes or straight? I like it straight cooked in a crock pot with lots of dried fruit and agave mmmmmm
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