Money Saving Meals

Healthy money-saving meals and snacks on a gluten-free diet

Wednesday, 17 February 2010

Dr Kate Marsh

‘There is much more to your gluten-free lifestyle than focusing on foods you need to avoid,' says Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian Dr Kate Marsh.

‘Eating well is the key to good health for everyone and eating the right foods gives your body the fuel it needs to perform at its best and the energy to get through the day. It's also an important part of managing and preventing other long-term health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer and a range of digestive problems. While it is great to see an ever-increasing range of gluten-free foods becoming available and making life easier for those with celiac disease, many of them unfortunately are highly processed and some are high in fat, highly refined starches and added sugar!'

Focus on foods that are naturally gluten-free says Kate

Fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy products, nuts and seeds, meats, poultry and fish are all healthy, delicious, gluten-free foods. Every day:

1. Eat seven or more servings of fruit and vegetables (at least five servings of vegetables and two of fruit)
   
2. Opt for gluten-free whole kernel grain breads and breakfast cereals with a low GI if you can find them (eg Country Life Low GI bread and Freedom Foods Gluten-Free Muesli with Psyllium). For gluten-free cereals, use a variety in your meals and baking - try quinoa and buckwheat as well as corn and rice.
3. Eat more legumes (dried beans, peas and lentils)
   
4. Include nuts and seeds regularly in your diet
   
5. Choose lean meats, omega-3-enriched eggs and low fat dairy products or calcium-enriched alternatives
   
6. Eat more fish and seafood, and
7. Opt for monounsaturated and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats such as olive and canola oil, and those found in fish, nuts, seeds and avocado.

Buy naturally gluten free, shop around and compare prices per 100 g says Diane

For smart shopping, compare prices per 100 g of the same type of food, buy naturally gluten-free foods, shop around, read the labels, look for products that are healthier for you, and fill up on fruit and vegetables - they are the same price for everyone!

When I compared prices of gluten-free products in different types of food stores, I was pleased to see that some gluten-free flour mixes in supermarkets work out cheaper than making your own mix. This makes gluten-free baking so much easier as these mixes cook up well and can usually be substituted for the equivalent amount of wheat flour in recipes. However check the cost per 100 g as we found prices ranged from 88 cents per cup of flour to $1.08 per cup.

If you live near an Asian food store check out flours like chick pea, rice, tapioca and potato flours as they are often cheaper than in supermarkets.

Health food shops usually stock a wider range of flours than many supermarkets, but check the prices as you may find you are you paying extra for organic.

When buying breads and breakfast cereals, check out the amount of fibre you are getting for your hard-earned cash. You would want this to be around 3 g per serving. Some food manufacturers are producing fibre-rich gluten-free breads and breakfast cereals with nuts, seeds and mixed suitable grains psyllium husks, brown rice flour and legume flours (chick pea, soy flour).

Don't fall for it!

Some naturally gluten-free products now have a big ‘gluten-free' label. We found a major supermarket chain was selling its house brand gluten-free chips for $2.49 per 100 g while good old Smiths chips were nearly a dollar less - $1.67 per 100g. We checked the labels. Both just contained potatoes, oil and salt - like all chips (crisps)!

If you are making your own breads and breakfast cereals buy in bulk says Kate

Buy flours, grain foods, nuts and seeds in bulk if you are making your own breads and cereals. Some bigger health food stores and online retailers/wholesalers like Honest to Goodness http://goodness.com.au/ sell these items in larger quantities, which can be much more economical if you are going to be making these things regularly. Remember of course to store them properly.