eating healthy is expensive

goku89
goku89 Posts: 160
in Food and Nutrition
i live at home and parents do buy groceries but i have to do the gluten free thing on days i work, cause for some reason it effects me.

that's all i have to say i guess...lol.

its been worth it, but i need more filling foods or something, the sanwhiches i make are becoming less apetizing, and filling. turkey and cheese isn't great 5,000 times over and over

Replies

  • Smashley1947
    Smashley1947 Posts: 129
    In Canada
    If you get diagnosed as celiac or gluten intolerance, you can claim gluten free food as a medical expense in your taxes.

    There are rules and regulations in place that you have to follow to get money back but it can be done.
  • jumper3407
    jumper3407 Posts: 3 Member
    I recently found this one and LOVE it. Steamed tofu over spaghetti squash. One spaghetti squash produces A LOT of "spaghetti" and is only 30 cals per cup. A Tofu package is less than a dollar fifty and you'll only need half of it. Top it off with your favorite spaghetti sauce and voila! You get a meal thats less than 250 cals and is SO MUCH FOOD. Honestly, fills me right up.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Why don't you use foods like rice that are naturally gluten free instead of the expensive gluten free breads? Like a meal of whatever meat with a side of beans and rice instead of the sandwich? You can make the portions whatever size you want to be filling.
  • nathaliasmommy91
    nathaliasmommy91 Posts: 9
    there are a lot of foods that are hearty and filling without having gluten in them. for instance "creamy vegetable soups" but instead of using cream you can puree brown rice. Or you can make oatmeal. also instead of buying gluten free flours u can make your flours.....for example rice flour oat flour can be made easily at home for much cheaper then buying store bought. gluten free can be very expensive if you aren't willing to put a little extra work into making your own food at home. pre made gluten free food is crazy expensive which you already know. there are plenty of websites that give great low calorie and clean food options for meals plans.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Eating healthy is cheap if you're willing to cook from scratch. Fresh produce and vegetables, fresh meats, cook in bulk, saves me money over buying processed/prepackaged meals per serving.
  • mistress8956
    mistress8956 Posts: 265 Member
    I second the spaghetti squash comment! I don't do the spaghetti sauce though, a low sodium lite soy sauce ( only about 4 tbsp is good for the whole thing) but it tastes good and you can eat a ton!
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    I recently found this one and LOVE it. Steamed tofu over spaghetti squash. One spaghetti squash produces A LOT of "spaghetti" and is only 30 cals per cup. A Tofu package is less than a dollar fifty and you'll only need half of it. Top it off with your favorite spaghetti sauce and voila! You get a meal thats less than 250 cals and is SO MUCH FOOD. Honestly, fills me right up.

    That sounds so incredibly bland
  • roxazaloah
    roxazaloah Posts: 28
    I recently found this one and LOVE it. Steamed tofu over spaghetti squash. One spaghetti squash produces A LOT of "spaghetti" and is only 30 cals per cup. A Tofu package is less than a dollar fifty and you'll only need half of it. Top it off with your favorite spaghetti sauce and voila! You get a meal thats less than 250 cals and is SO MUCH FOOD. Honestly, fills me right up.

    That sounds so incredibly bland

    Have you actually -tried- spaghetti squash? if you spruce it up with a tad of butter, and salt/pepper/garlic, it is VERY tasty. Sprucing up spaghetti sauce with more garlic, italian seasoning, and a bit of parm cheese on top also helps enhance its flavor. So it doesn't HAVE to be bland.
  • Mother_Superior
    Mother_Superior Posts: 1,624 Member
    It's a lot cheaper than hospital bills and plus-sized clothing! (That last one is a cost I'll be particularly glad to cut down on.)
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    I recently found this one and LOVE it. Steamed tofu over spaghetti squash. One spaghetti squash produces A LOT of "spaghetti" and is only 30 cals per cup. A Tofu package is less than a dollar fifty and you'll only need half of it. Top it off with your favorite spaghetti sauce and voila! You get a meal thats less than 250 cals and is SO MUCH FOOD. Honestly, fills me right up.

    That sounds so incredibly bland

    Have you actually -tried- spaghetti squash? if you spruce it up with a tad of butter, and salt/pepper/garlic, it is VERY tasty. Sprucing up spaghetti sauce with more garlic, italian seasoning, and a bit of parm cheese on top also helps enhance its flavor. So it doesn't HAVE to be bland.

    I have. Ive also had tofu.
    Both bland.
    And all the blandness was just combined
  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
    Jacket potato. The toppings are endless
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Why don't you use foods like rice that are naturally gluten free instead of the expensive gluten free breads? Like a meal of whatever meat with a side of beans and rice instead of the sandwich? You can make the portions whatever size you want to be filling.

    This is my suggestion as well.
  • BarefootSerenity
    BarefootSerenity Posts: 100
    It can be, but there are ways around it. I am gluten and dairy free. I buy and cook food for my husband and a different meal for me. You can buy non-perishable things in bulk: beans, rice, quinoa, etc. I'm sure your parents buy foods that you can use that are gluten free that you may or may not know about. I found delicious gluten free bread in Costco (if there is one near you), I highly recommend it. You won't know you're eating GF. Load up on veggies and fruit. Buy seasonally.

    Good luck!
  • goku89
    goku89 Posts: 160
    ok i'd need ideas for sandwhichs without bread..........lol
  • claudineer
    claudineer Posts: 144 Member
    The spaghetti squash is so true. You can feed 8 people or more on that 1 squash.
  • claudineer
    claudineer Posts: 144 Member
    You mentioned a sandwich without bread. :tongue: You might try doing lettuce wraps. You can cook your vegetables and meat the night before. Make some wraps and store them in a ziplock container. It's a quick alternative to not using bread.
  • eris1981
    eris1981 Posts: 58 Member
    The special gluten-free stuff is so expensive and I don't really care for the taste . . . I definitely concur with going with naturally gluten free! One of my favorite sandwich-alternative lunches is rolling a couple of slices of turkey or ham or what-have-you around a cheese stick and eating it with a side of baked tortilla chips and salsa . . . I don't feel full without carbs so the baked tortilla chips take care of that as well as being naturally gluten free because corn.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    It's a lot cheaper than hospital bills and plus-sized clothing! (That last one is a cost I'll be particularly glad to cut down on.)

    you can avoid both of these pretty easy without expensive food.. OP is convinced he is gluten sensitive while at work and doesn't want anything but sammiches, this appears to be the problem
  • goku89
    goku89 Posts: 160
    You mentioned a sandwich without bread. :tongue: You might try doing lettuce wraps. You can cook your vegetables and meat the night before. Make some wraps and store them in a ziplock container. It's a quick alternative to not using bread.
    like jimmy john's unwhich?
  • goku89
    goku89 Posts: 160
    It's a lot cheaper than hospital bills and plus-sized clothing! (That last one is a cost I'll be particularly glad to cut down on.)

    you can avoid both of these pretty easy without expensive food.. OP is convinced he is gluten sensitive while at work and doesn't want anything but sammiches, this appears to be the problem
    no ill eat anything lol...
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    You mentioned a sandwich without bread. :tongue: You might try doing lettuce wraps. You can cook your vegetables and meat the night before. Make some wraps and store them in a ziplock container. It's a quick alternative to not using bread.

    What about spring rolls? You'd need to check - I'm don't eat gluten free, so I'm not 100% certain - but I think the rice wrappers are gluten free. Spring rolls are easy to make and you can put just about anything that isn't too wet in them.

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