Eating Gluten Free on a Budget.

Eating a gluten free diet can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. Read my tips and tricks for eating gluten-free on a budget without sacrificing taste or variety.

Seven dollars for a loaf of bread, six dollars for a box of crackers?! Is it possible to eat gluten free on a budget?

Yes, it is possible! You can save money in a number of ways. You don’t have to have sky high grocery bills just because you are gluten free.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Eat Naturally Gluten Free Foods

Focus on the foods that are naturally gluten free, and fill your pantry with those foods first. Beans, rice, quinoa, seeds, potatoes, root vegetables – these items are all gluten free. Meats, fish, dairy products, and eggs are also gluten free foods, and you can use these as the base for your gluten free recipes. There are a ton of varieties of each of these items to add some different flavors and textures to your diet.

Brown rice, Basmati rice, red rice, wild rice, pinto beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, white beans, lima beans, white potatoes, yellow potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, parsnips…the list goes on and on!

Now is the time to experiment, and since these foods are naturally gluten free, and not a processed gluten free item, they are often very affordable and can be found on sale at a normal grocery store rather than a higher priced health food store.

All fruits and vegetables are gluten free – so you can watch for sales on your favorite produce. Buying frozen fruits and veggies is a great way to save money and to always have healthy options in the freezer!

Of course, buying produce locally from your local farmer’s market is another great option when it’s in season. That way you’re supporting your local farmers and saving money!

Make Your Own Gluten Free Snacks

When you are busy and out and about and get hungry, that’s when you are most susceptible to spending more money on a special gluten free snack item. Prepare your snacks at home.

Nut, seed, and dried fruit mixes are a healthy option, and all three of those items can be bought in bulk and mixed up at home. However, if you are eating gluten free because you have Celiac Disease, a wheat allergy, or any other food allergy – it is not safe for you to buy from the bulk bins – there is a huge risk of cross contamination, so don’t do it! 

Gluten free crackers are super expensive, but it’s surprisingly easy to make your own homemade gluten free crackers. Larabars are one of my favorite portable snacks, and if you don’t want to buy them, you can make homemade Larabars pretty easily and inexpensively. It’s also easy to make your own granola bars – make a big batch and freeze them individually so that they stay fresh.

Choosing a Gluten Free Flour Blend

There are a lot of great cup for cup gluten free flour blends for your baking needs. I personally prefer to purchase a gluten free flour blend rather than make my own just because I have two little boys and making my own blend would be just one more thing to do. We love Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend (affiliate link) and it’s available in a huge bag at Costco, so that’s a great deal.  

Of course, there are many different blends available, and you should read the labels on any blend that you choose. You can definitely try making your own blend – this is a very straightforward recipe. It may be cheaper to make your own blend, if you can find a recipe that works well for you.

Check Out Different Stores

There are several surprising stores that stock gluten free pantry items at a very low price.

TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, and Homegoods all have an often changing selection of gluten free foods. I have found chips, crackers, cookies, granola bars, and baking ingredients at these stores. Shopping at discount stores like these can help you eat gluten free on a budget.

We live in an area that has many different ethnic food stores. You can find rice, dried beans, and spices at the Indian grocery stores, rice noodles, rice, and tamari and the Asian grocery stores, and lentils and other items at the Lebanese grocery stores. It is worth checking out some of these stores to save on these staples. Of course, if you have Celiac Disease, you need to be cautious about the manufacturing practices on these items. 

Aldi has a line of gluten free items called Live G Free. They have baking mixes, snacks, pasta, cookies, crackers, and more. As with most things at Aldi, their gluten free products are cheaper than the same type of items in other grocery stores.

If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, they have some gluten free staples at reasonable prices. Gluten free waffles, bread, granola bars, candy, and more can be found at Trader Joe’s.

Buy Gluten Free Products Online

I also use Amazon to buy some gluten free staples that we use frequently. Since I am an Amazon Prime member (affiliate link), the free 2 day shipping is very convenient, and I can usually find what I am looking for at a competitive price.

I use the Subscribe and Save option on items that I know we go through regularly. That simply means that I tell Amazon how often I want a product shipped to me, and when I subscribe to that product, I receive an extra dollar or two off of the item. If you search for “subscribe and save gluten free” you’ll get an idea of what gluten free staples are a part of the Subscribe and Save program.

Another good thing about Amazon is finding some of our favorite products in bulk sizes. I can buy a ten pound bag of Wholesome Brand Sugar at a low price – much lower than buying the two pound bags that are available in stores. The same is true for items like rice, gluten free flour blend, and some spices.

Vitacost is another great site to save on allergy friendly items. The prices on gluten free and allergen free items are often lower than at the grocery store, plus they often run specials each week – a percentage off, free shipping, etc. It’s worth checking out!

Try Target for Groceries

If you shop at Target, it is worth it to use the Target app. Target often offers discounts on groceries. I’ve saved money on rice, gluten free crackers, tortilla chips, and produce by using their Target Circle coupons. They also will have blanket discounts like 15% off your entire grocery bill. from time to time.

I hope this was helpful. What’s your favorite way to save on gluten free items? How do you keep your food bill down when you have to buy allergy friendly foods? I’d love to hear your tips in the comments.

If you’re new to food allergies, you’ll want to read my tips about baking and cooking for food allergies and stocking an allergy friendly pantry.