Saving Gluten Free Bucks: Part 1

I am far from an expert on gluten free cooking- but I do know how to stretch a dollar! This is a list of ideas I have to begin a little money saving to get through the holidays.

1. Automate the days you are most likely to rely on convenience foods- nights you know you will have ball games, church, etc, and prep those meals in bulk along with another meal (I do this with breakfast- pre-cook grains, etc)
2. Determine what GF products are important to you. Search for those items one sale. We get in the mindset that we “need” to be able to eat like “normal” people- especially when it’s our children. Some of the most devastating instances of malnutrition in history where shortly after the introduction of refined flour, before it was “enriched”. Most GF products are not enriched. These products do play an important role in the “fun” part of eating- but only as a beginning, not as an ending. Try a funky fruit or odd-looking veggie- just one at a time- don’t overwhelm yourself. Children are more likely to eat food they help prepare, grow or even buy (save the last one for the produce section, not the candy aisle
3. Pantry shop. Most people cook the same (or similar) meals over and over. Set up your storage areas- cupboards and freezer, to reflect that- maybe even using baskets or shelves for meal groups- Tex-Mex, casseroles, stir-fries. Restock these as the items go on sale. Shop your cupboard and freezer when menu planning before you scope out the sales flyers. If you haven’t seen the bottom of your chest freezer in several years, start there. I try to “turn my inventory” every six-eight months at my house- pantry to freezer.
4. Do you love to cook? Does it get you in trouble when you are cruising the supermarket? Yeah, me too. One way to economize is to choose a cookbook, food blogger or cuisine that you want to explore and add it to your rotation. Want to cook “real” Mexican- get one of Diana Kennedy’s books and spend several months working your way through it. You have the ingredients on the shelf, you have figured out how to translate the cuisine “GF”, you are teaching yourself a new skill and, your family will be less frightened to see which flight of fancy you’re on this week. Even if it is beef tongue. Well, maybe- how do you say, “beef tongue” in Spanish? Will it fool them?
5. Recipe files for the 21st century. Print out or photo copy your recipes- write on them (all 8 ½ X 11) and keep them in a pocketed notebook. When they are perfect, then you can keep them in a computer file. You can even cost them and update occasionally.