For the last 10 years, gluten has been out of my diet along with sugar, processed foods, preservatives, soy, seaweed, potatoes and evey single grain, and in this remarkable diet switch that saved my life called the SCD Diet.  While this diet is nothing short of a miracle for autoimmune illness and even autism, two other things happened when I moved to this strict gluten-free lifestyle: it cost a lot of money and it was complicated and annoying to make things that I actually enjoyed eating at first.  So:  it wasn’t fun at all.

Flash forward 9 years and I can tell you every single way I’ve learned to make gluten & grain-free lifestyle way less expensive and way more delicious.  It’s easy.  I’ve done it everywhere from Japan to the countryside in Nicaragua, and it’s always stretching my creativity. Afforable and more delicious than you could ever imagine, a plant-filled, gluten-free diet is rejuvenating for your whole life.

Inexpensive & Easy & Vibrant Ways To Eat Gluten-Free

1. Stock up.  Make your own vegetable broth and freeze it for later use. All you need is celery, carrots, onion and garlic.   When making vegetable stock, very few of each vegetable are needed, so you will have leftover vegetable that you can use when preparing other meals or side dishes. Here is a basic recipe for vegetable stock.  You can make your own with anything you have on hand.   You can also make a delicious bone broth with the bones left after you eat a roasted chicken.  In my neighborhood you can buy one single 8oz cup of bone broth for $8.00.  Or you can make 20 cups for a few dollars at home.

2. Purchase bags of dried legumes, such as peas, lentils and beans. These will only cost around 3 dollars a bag and can be used to make soup that will serve up to 8 people.   Soups can be frozen so as not to be wasted.  I love making cake out of white navy beans or lima beans in place of expensive nut flours, and this cake base will thrill you.  Batches of cooked beans can be made into salads with a handfull of fresh herbs and a simple salad dressing.

3. Buy frozen vegetables to keep on hand. They will last much longer than their fresh counterparts that are apt to go rancid quickly.  Frozen peas, lima beans and green beans all seem to hold up beautifully.  Less waste is better for your whole life.

4. Plan a little! Before making your trip to the grocery store, plan out your meals for the week. We are more likely to buy unnecessary food when we haphazardly roam around the grocery store. When you are planning out your meals, try to think of meals that will utilize any leftovers to make other meals. For example, if you are roasting a chicken, for two people you are likely to have leftovers. You can transform the leftovers into chicken salad for lunch or make pulled chicken tacos. Get creative.

5. Sliced apples and cucumbers along with grapes serve as great inexpensive snacks and are great with cheeses and dips. Keep a cheese assortment on hand for some luxury to mix with your sliced fruit.  You can make a quick dip for fruit from peanut butter (1/4 c) mixed with 1 tbs coconut oil and 1 tbs honey. It’s like caramel.  It takes a minute to mix and it’s the best snack ever!

6. Weekly Frittata. Eggs dishes such as frittatas and scrambles can be transformed into dinner when mixed with vegetables such as zucchini or broccoli, or what ever vegetables you think are going to expire. You can find some great frittata recipes HERE. 

7. Make your own beverages. Store bought drinks can get pricey and also contain unhealthy chemicals. You can do simple things like making your own Iced Tea, Lemonade or Infused Fruit Water.   Stocking high grade teas and coffee at home will still be cheaper than a trip to the cafe twice a day, and your selections can be an art in themselves!

Other ideas include… growing your own veggies and herbs, joining a food Co-Op near you, making your own salad dressings and shopping at bulk-buying stores like Costco in the US.

Enjoy feeding yourself beautifully in a way that helps you to thrive!  xoxo Dana

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