It would probably not be possible to list all the foods that fit into the category of “cheap gluten-free food,” because most foods are actually gluten-free!
But to a person who is suffering from celiac disease or who is allergic to wheat in some other way, it probably doesn’t feel like that, especially if you are “addicted” to bread, cakes, pies, and other things made from wheat and wheat flour.
Do You Actually Have Celiac Disease?
It’s worth checking to find out whether or not you actually need a gluten-free diet. 1% of Americans have actual celiac disease. If you think you have a reaction to gluten, it’s a great idea to get a medical test done to determine if the antibodies are present that attack the small intestine. You should get this test done before you start on a gluten-free diet.
Some people have “non-celiac gluten sensitivity.” This condition has some of the same symptoms as celiac disease, but there is no damage to the small intestine.
Here are some of the reactions that people who are sensitive to gluten experience:
- skin rash
- diarrhea and vomiting
- hives
- shortness of breath
- swelling or itching of the mouth and throat
I’m certainly not the definitive authority when it comes to celiac disease, but let’s just throw a few thoughts out, anyway, and highlight foods that both are and are not gluten-free – and “cheap.” That might be a good starting point.
Foods That Are Not Gluten-Free
Gluten is only found in grains and grain products, but not in all grains.
Wheat, and products that contain wheat, are not gluten-free. It’s probably safe to say that wheat is the main culprit. Wheat and wheat gluten are a part of many different products on the market, but here are the biggies::
- bread
- crackers
- baked goods
- packaged soups
- beer
- cereal
- pasta
Barley is not gluten-free.
Rye is not gluten-free.
Triticale (a cross between barley and rye) is not gluten-free.
That’s pretty much it, the best I can discern.
Foods That Are Gluten-Free
So what foods do I have to choose from, if I do not want to eat gluten? Everything that isn’t wheat, barley, rye, or triticale! You really don’t have to eliminate all that many foods from your diet, as long as you use primarily whole foods and avoid processed food.
Just to give a little context to this discussion, it would be safe to assume that in the rice-eating parts of the world (Asia) and the corn-eating parts of the world (Latin America?), not much attention needs to be paid to gluten-free diets. Why? They eat mostly rice and corn!
Rice and corn are gluten-free. Rice and corn are cheap! If corn is gluten-free, so are corn tortillas. And corn tortillas are cheap! For that matter, so are corn chips, but I wouldn’t recommend them, because they don’t really fit the “healthy” criteria all that well.
Beans are gluten-free. All of them. And beans are cheap. So soybeans, black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, and pinto beans – are all gluten-free.
All vegetables, starchy or non-starchy, are gluten-free. All broccoli, cauliflower, peas, green beans, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, green and red peppers, carrots, celery, kale, squash, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, asparagus, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and lots more. Peas, green beans, corn, cabbage, celery, potatoes, and tomatoes are cheap, in particular.
All fruit is gluten-free. Feel free to eat all the berries, grapes, cherries, oranges, lemons, apples, and grapefruit that you want, Prices have gone up, but you can still get apples and oranges fairly reasonably.
Oats are gluten-free. So anything made from oats is great…AND cheap.
All dairy is gluten-free. This includes milk, cottage cheese, cheddar and all hard cheeses, and yogurt. Dairy may or may not be cheap, depending on where you live, but fairly cheap in the United States.
All chicken, turkey, beef, pork, and fish are gluten-free. Of course, red meat should be limited, too much is not healthy in other ways, but it’s at least gluten-free. Meat in general is not cheap, but tuna, sardines, and mackerel are quite cheap.
All nuts are gluten-free. This includes peanuts, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, chestnuts, and coconuts. Peanuts (and peanut butter) are consistently cheap; other nuts vary depending on where thay are bought.
All seeds are gluten-free, except for wheat, rye, barley, and triticale. Sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, psyllium seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds – all gluten-free. Which ones are cheap? Sunflower seeds and flax seeds are “dirt cheap,” in bulk, in any case!
What You Need to Do to Avoid Problem Foods
It would seem like it should be easy to avoid foods with gluten – after all, it’s only 4 foods you have to watch out for, right? Yes, but those foods are found all over the place, hidden away in all kinds of products! So you’ll have to become an ingredient reader – look closely at the fine print! Take your reading glasses for those hard-to-read labels if necessary! If you truly have celiac disease, you should – at least according to what I understand – avoid all gluten.
“Gluten-free” Products
There are a lot of gluten-free products available, but the problem is, they are not cheap. Some of the naturally gluten-free foods mentioned above are cheap; the problem is, they don’t taste like bread! The problem with some gluten-free bread is, it still doesn’t taste like bread! So that is the conundrum faced by gluten-allergy sufferers.
It would not be possible for me to say which gluten-free bread, for example, tastes the best for the lowest price. One thing, though: If you use a gluten-free bread recipe, and make your own gluten-free bread, the cost is – according to people “in the know” – 35-50% lower than buying it pre-made in the store. If it were me, and I knew that I would be needing gluten-free bread for the indefinite future, I would likely consider it in my best interest to make my own. In this case, making your own is truly the way to save the most money.
Costco has some relatively inexpensive gluten-free bread, but I can’t say whether it meets your needs. There are also other foods made especially for those who eat gluten-free only, such as, for example, cauliflower crust pizza instead of regular crust… You’ll have to explore.
Conclusion
Some people in search of answers might feel like this post is not all that helpful, that I didn’t really help you find much cheap gluten-free food! The answer – as I would see it, but you have to decide for yourself – is to learn to like naturally gluten-free foods as much as possible. Then if you still crave bread and other wheat products, consider making your own alternative gluten-free bread to save the most money. Otherwise, go out and search until you find gluten-free products in the open market at a price you feel you can afford that taste good enough to satisfy your bread craving.
These are some thoughts that (I hope) can be helpful!
If you have any thoughts or questions about this topic, please feel free to share them in the comments section below.
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