Grocery Budget with Food Allergies

[JLynn1347]

Hi all. This is my first post on this site. I definately do not know all the lingo so you'll have to bear with me. My husband and I have two little girls, one 2 and one 4. We are trying to bring our grocery bills down and it's been really difficult and I wanted some advice. We were doing ok but we like to eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and healthier foods. Which was fine cuz we founda farmers market. But our 4 year old cannot eat gluten or dairy anymore and it has thrown any sense of a food budget out the window. Has anyone had success budgeting with these issues and if they have advise that would be great. Thanks in advance.

[zakity]

Check out the celiac sites. They have tons of info. I have a friend who is GF and I know that she is always on there looking for info.

[canadamom]

We have the same issues. I do Krogers/Scotts grocery. I walk thru every other day and just buy reduced items. nothing else. I find a LOT of safe foods that way. Especially in the healthy food sections. I never go with a list. I just go with what I find on sale and meal plan with what I find. I limit my trips to $20. It works.

[inneedofhelp]

I have had some success (when i actually do like I am supposed to!). It does take having access to different stores...

I am tackeling a gluten problem, and I have found that sticking to brown and white rice and beans is the first step---you still remain full from the fiber. Also, corn tortillas and many rice-based cereals help to have a seemingly normal diet, albeit one that is free of gluten

trader joe's has a good amount of gluten-free cereals.

You can also go with the regular items that don't SAY gluten free (a lot of extra money gets charged with that description, it appears), but is gluten free based upon the list of ingreadients---there are puffed rice, Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Grits, polenta, etc.

Trader joes has brown rice pasta that is good to use when craving pasta, and then of course, there are always potatoes ---yams, and sweet and regular.