ARE CLIENTS ON A BUDGET?
ARE CLIENTS ON A BUDGET?
Here’s a Money-Saving Guide to Eating Gluten
Free
By Jessica Jones, MS, RDThese days, clients generally are hard pressed not to find a gluten-free food section in their local supermarket. With 3 million Americans suffering from celiac disease and non celiac gluten sensitivity, it’s no surprise
that food companies are cashing in on the skyrocketing demand for gluten-free
foods. In 2010, gluten-free product sales reached more than $2.6 billion and are
projected to exceed $5 billion by 2015, according to the National Foundation
for Celiac Awareness.
Food and nutrition strategic consultant
Rachel Begun, MS, RDN, CDN
, says there are some notable factors contributing to the rising gluten-free trend. “No. 1 is that there’s definitely an
, says there are some notable factors contributing to the rising gluten-free trend. “No. 1 is that there’s definitely an
increased awareness of celiac disease
[and] gluten sensitivity,” says the founder of The Gluten Free
RD blog. “And for better or worse, [there are many] celebrities who are
endorsing it as a weight-loss diet and athletes endorsing it as a
peak-performance diet” despite the fact there’s no scientific evidence to support
these claims.
Gluten
Free for a Steep Price
For the average person with celiac
disease, buying specialty gluten-free products can come at a steep price since
many cost much more than their gluten-containing counterparts. Dee
Sandquist, MS, RD, LD, CDE, a
spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy), has
experienced this problem, as she has celiac disease. “If you think about it, in
the past, wheat has been subsidized by the federal government,” and since
gluten-free products aren’t made with wheat, they’re more expensive, she says.
The other component is supply and
demand. “Clearly, the gluten-free market is growing, but it’s not as large as
the regular market,” says Sandquist, who opened a specialty gluten-free store
in 2005.
Genevieve Sherrow, MS, RD, LDN, author
of the Gluten Free Warrior cookbook, attributes the high cost of
gluten-free products to their specialty ingredients. “[Gluten-free
products]
often are made with ingredients that are
more costly, [such as] brown rice flour, amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat,” she
says.
“They [also] may be using special
sweeteners, such as agave, coconut sugar, or honey.”
Price gouging also may be a factor, says
Nicole Hunn, author of the Gluten Free on a Shoestring blog and several gluten-free
cookbooks. “To a certain extent, [gluten-free
products] probably have to be a bit more
expensive, [but] I think there’s a lot of price gouging and taking advantage,”
she says. On the other hand, “Most of
the companies are just small players, [and] they don’t have economies of scale,
[which is] reflected in the price.”
Avoiding
Breaking the Bank
The good news for clients following a
gluten-free diet is that it’s possible to do so without breaking the bank. With
a little planning, anyone can attain a healthful budget-conscious diet.
Below are nine tips dietitians can share
with clients to help them save money when eating gluten free:
1. Stick to cheaper gluten-free
carbohydrates.
According to Begun, when it
comes to purchasing gluten-free foods, it’s the type of grains they contain
that are the main cause for concern.
These days, ancient grains are all the
rage, but there’s nothing wrong with sticking to the more basic options such as
corn, rice, and gluten-free oats, which are cheaper. “Don’t get me wrong,”
Begun says, “quinoa, millet, and buckwheat are excellent, and it’s certainly
great when products contain them, but those products might be more expensive.”
2. Choose naturally gluten-free foods. The truth is the healthiest
foods clients can eat contain no gluten. “The best way to save money on a
gluten-free diet is to avoid buying as
many packaged gluten-free products as
possible and buy naturally gluten-free foods such as fruits, vegetables, tofu, nuts,
beans and other legumes, eggs, low-fat dairy, and lean meats,” says Marie
Keogh, MPH, RD, CDN, a clinical nutrition manager at Sodexo who follows a
gluten-free diet.
3. Don an apron. When it comes to cookies and
breads, clients will save money if they make their own. “Once you get a sense
of how much you can do at home, it gives you the chance to resist the impulse
buys,” Hunn says.
While most people are intimidated by
baking, Hunn recommends encouraging clients to start with a regular drop-cookie
recipe, which is foolproof.
And contrary to what many believe,
gluten-free products aren’t harder to make. “It’s just that there’s a steep
learning curve in the beginning,” Sandquist says. “It gets easier.”
4. Become friends with your freezer. Recommend clients make extra
batches of gluten-free meals and snacks, and freeze them for a later time.
Frozen gluten-free products, such as cookies, can last up to a couple of months
as long as they’re stored in an airtight container. For gluten-free bread,
suggest clients slice the loaf before freezing. That way, they won’t have to
defrost the entire loaf if they just want to eat one or two slices at a time.
If clients have
bread with a high moisture content, they
can place sheets of wax paper between each slice, Sandquist says.
5. Buy in bulk. Suggest patients buy gluten-free
specialty foods in bulk. “[And] take advantage of sales and coupons,” Sandquist
says. Many of the gluten-free product manufacturers have coupons, so recommend clients
search online and peruse supermarket circulars for weekly specials, she adds.
Begun also agrees with buying in bulk but
cautions against shopping in bulk bins because they may be contaminated with
gluten-containing product residue.
6. Make gluten free a family affair. If there’s one person in a household
who must eat gluten-free foods, recommend clients buy and prepare glutenfree meals
the entire family will like.
“This way you can avoid the additional cost
of buying gluten-free purchases and regular products,” Begun says.
Having the entire family convert to gluten-free
eating also will improve morale. “In my experience, [individuals who can’t eat
gluten] just want to be and feel normal,” says Hunn, who has a son with celiac
disease. “They want to be able to sit down at the table with their family and
not feel like they have drawn a short straw at dinner.”
7. Shop around for the best prices. While the majority of glutenfree
products can be pricey, there are some brands that offer cheaper alternatives.
For example, pasta lovers can buy Trader Joe’s store brand.
“Trader Joe’s has by far the cheapest organic brown rice glutenfree
pasta at $1.99 for 16 oz,” Keogh says. “And it tastes delicious.”
It’s important that shoppers look at the
price per ounce when making purchases to determine which products offer the
best value. Other supermarket chains, such as Meijer and ALDI, offer
store-brand glutenfree items for lower prices, says Lara Rondinelli-Hamilton,
RD, LDN, CDE, of the American Diabetes Association, who recently coauthored Gluten-Free
Recipes for People With Diabetes.
Clients can even find gluten-free snack
foods at discounted prices at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls.
8. Create easy one-pot meals.
Instead of clients making complicated gluten-free
meals every night, recommend they keep it simple. Clients with a busy schedule
and who are on a budget can benefit from spending a day or two making simple,
gluten-free dishes they can eat throughout the entire week.
“Doing things like preparing large amounts of food in advance and eating one meal over a series of days [is a way to save money],” Sherrow says. One pot meals such as a soup, chili, or stew are all good suggestions.
9. Find deals on the Internet. “There are a few places that
you can purchase gluten-free products online and experience
savings,” Begun says. For example, Amazon.com sells everything
from gluten-free crackers to pancake mixes to toaster pastries. Another
good option is GlutenFreeMall.com, which has a specials section that offers
reduced-priced gluten-free products. Online food retailer Vitacost.com
also has a special gluten-free products section that includes many sale
items, and GlutenFreeDeals.com regularly offers discounts.
By Jessica Jones, MS, RD, is a nutrition
communications specialist and the cohost of Food Heaven Made Easy, a weekly Web series tha t demonstrates how to prepare nutrient-dense, delicious, and budget-friendly plant-based recipes while providing scientifically sound nutrition information.
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