Suggestions to living dairy/gluten free? Help!

MakaylaRae4

Hi all!

So I'm 19 and in my third year of college, and I've come to the hard realization that I'm gluten sensitive. This sucks. On top of that, ever since I had my gall bladder removed, I haven't been able to handle dairies well for the most part (some types are okay - such as cheese, and for some reason Greek yogurt, which I seem to process fine.)

So really, I'm just having a hard time finding ways to eat healthy and eat enough - and of course, maybe not spend tons of money on food, since I am a student and my only income is from a 9 hour/week job at minimum wage. I do have a fully stocked kitchen and time for prepping, but what can I do?

I've already gotten into gluten free products also (expensive) so I have the basics - rice noodles, gluten free (gross) bread, basic gluten free snack cookies and granola bars, rice flour, etc. I also really enjoy almond and soy milk.

Is there anyone with similar experiences/suggestions and recommendations for how I can make this work and actually enjoy what I'm eating? Because, while I'm on a diet, I don't think it's a good thing that I dread eating simply because of my options.

Crohns2013

How about eating more naturally GF foods instead of the expensive, usually gross, replacements? Rice, beans, meats, eggs, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds are all GF. Get some GF staples like cereal, gf soy sauce etc and you're all set to make some meals.

As for the dairy - eat what you tolerate, cut out/replace what you don't. It gets easier after you do it for awhile.

Rocbola

Slow cooker veggie soups are super cheap, and gluten/dairy free.

Mokey41

I just eat naturally gluten free foods. The processed stuff is too expensive, usually has more calories than regular foods and often tastes like crap. I can tolerate things that have minimal amounts of gluten and I eat oatmeal without buying special certified gluten free because I'm not celiac so it's more of a discomfort issue if there is too much gluten in something rather than a damaging health issue.

I've just learned to eat more real foods and make food from scratch so I control the ingredients. In the long run it's often cheaper than buying regular processed foods.

BennettV72

I'm in the same boat as you, except I also try to avoid rice. I like miracle noodles, personally, but they're a bit of an acquired taste. I also like to have potatoes, especially Yukon golds. Real food is better for me because a lot of the GF products have rice in them.

If I'm at a restaurant, I'll do the GF bread they offer but I find that most GF bread products are too calorie-dense for every day life (or at least MY every day life).

It's hard at the beginning but soon you'll get into a rhythm. I very rarely miss the wheat-y carbs!

Good luck!

airyn1

Look into Paleo recipes. It might also be a good idea to stop trying to replace those things that you can't eat anymore. The replacements taste disgusting and aren't worth the calories.

eylia

One thing I'd say from personal experience, if you aren't enjoying the gluten free bread (which IS usually icky and quite expensive, perhaps try buying corn or rice thins (cakes) in their place. Many regular brands (not in the gluten free section) are actually gluten free, and they do well enough as a sandwich substitute for me. Just as most regular flavoured rice crackers often gluten free (sakata, and such, just check the packaging) and are much cheaper than trying to find a specialty cracker.

As others have said, soups and stews are a godsend, as are curries. Rice noodles are usually affordable, and rice is always a cheap carb to eat alongside food if you don't have the money to buy pasta. Beans, unprocessed meats, vegetables, rice, quinoa (though I'm not sure of the price of that where you are), and fruits are all reasonable cost items (buy what is cheap and available in your area, make use of specials etc.) I find if you base your diet around those things, you're not really spending anything extra on being GF.

Katla49

I learned I was lactose intolerant as a sophomore in college. It was a tough lesson because the consequences of messing up were painful. Now there is soymilk, almond milk, and rice milk readily available on the market. Luckily I tolerate gluten okay. DH had some sensitivity to it but isn’t actually allergic or highly intolerant. We tried a lot of things while we were trying to deal with it. I have many suggestions, so here goes:

Breakfast: Rice Chex is gluten free. I’m not sure about Corn Chex, but you can easily look it up on line. Cheerios has no gluten in it but I read the oats may be hauled in trucks that also carry wheat so if you’re really sensitive, be careful. Oatmeal is nutritious and filling. Get the organic stuff that isn’t hauled in trucks that also haul wheat. Eggs are wonderful. You can hard boil a bunch and they become fast food. I like one egg white and one whole egg. I also make them into egg salad for lunches.

Lunch: I like to put leftover meats like chicken or beef into a green salad. Yum. No gluten, either. I’d suggest sandwiches, but I don’t like the gluten free bread I’ve had. Soups are great for lunch or dinner. while sandwiches may be out, you can roll up sandwich filling in a corn tortilla. It can be very pleasant, especially if you heat the tortilla just a bit.

Dinners: Beef, poultry, fish. Potatoes are a standby. Quinoa is a seed and is a nutrition powerhouse. Pass on white rice, but consider brown rice. It is more nutritious but takes longer to cook. Sweet potatoes are also a nutrition powerhouse. I like them as French fries, boiled, baked, or fried. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are full of goodness, as are kale, chard, and collards. We like the collards sautéed in olive oil with other veggies. (NOT boiled. Yuck.)

Snacks: Cheese if you can tolerate it, and fresh fruit like apples, oranges and grapes. Raw veggies like carrots, celery and sweet peppers. I personally like raw cauliflower, too. I really enjoyed cuties oranges last winter.

Equipment: Get a crockpot. You may able to find a used one in a thrift store, but new ones aren’t all that expensive either. Put it on your Christmas wish list. You can put on your dinner in the morning and it is waiting for you when you get home after class (unless your roommates eat it all before you get there.)

Good luck.

laurelobrien

Lots of meat. I eat gluten free, but not dairy free, so I also have a lot of cheese and heavy cream. It's pretty easy to make almond flour and almond meal at home, I make a batch every weekend for drinking and baking.