Money and Diet?

As a part of Doctor request from Hospital, I am suppose to be eating 'wheat free diet' all time but time hard and I can not afford to I have 3 children to feed.

I am trying very hard to have wheat free diet but due cost of live. I have only manage to do some time or least one more items of food day wheat free.

Anyone got suggest please?

I don't know what to suggest. I only have one daughter, but I'm a single mum, and want to begin scd soon. Looking at the cost of almond meal, brown rice flour, almond milk, ect, I too worry about the financial side of a healthier diet.
I began looking into diff recepies, and I plan to make weekly meal plans when on full scd. This means...like if I have grilled fish, salad, for my little girl I'll put some chips too. Baking almond dishes etc, I plan to have like an almond bans bread for the week, and maybe 2 more almond flour/rice flour dishes, and I'll work out at the beginning of each week, how much of whatever I need to buy, for the meal plan. Then for my daughter, making picklets, on mornings when I might have an almond pancake etc. Eggs, and more eggs, in lots of things, which are quite affordable. People on here seem to go all out with psylium husk etc added in, but by the time I get the vitamins/meds I need, I don't think they'll be much left in the weekly budget for extravagant health supplement. Fruit I plan to go to the cheapest fruitshop once a week, and work out in my meal plan, how many apples ect I need for my daughter, and fruits for morning tea for me, so I'm not buying so much that it will be thrown out. But it's just a plan as yet, and I have to slowly cut back on lactose before the full scd, but I'm already thinking of these things, so when I am 'dieting' I can stick to the scd without too much fuss. Id love to get all organic too, but there's no way. Anyway, I hope it helps a bit, best of luck with it.

Mine and partner money problem are down to us that end of day but it was more to do my parents died and also my partner had well paid job before the Crohns.

I feel like I am fight lose battle.

Hello!
I had been on the SCD in the past. The cost was surprising.
Some additional items that might help in flour form is coconut flour. Unsweetened.
Also check local growers for imperfect nuts. With a food processor you can do your own nut flour.
The same might apply to honey & produce.
I remember on it I ate so many skinned apples with nut butter and drizzled honey. Funny, to this day I still love it.

It is much easier to find items now then it use to be.

If I ever win the lottery I would love to have a place to provide SCD pre made , ready to eat foods.


Hang in there.

I am trying. I hope in six months we as couple revise are money situation.

Look around for "reduced for quick sale" items - my small local supermarket often puts out bags of fruit and veg that are marked on the surface but perfectly OK inside. Also carrots that are sold as "juicing" are usually fine for cooking as well - they are just imperfectly shaped. Same with juicing apples.

Rice is great gluten-free staple that is quite cheap and can be used in very many ways and puffed rice, millet or buckwheat make good breakfast cereals (just watch that they have nothing else added). Use fruit juice on them rather than milk. Many Asian countries eat "rice porridge" (called "congee" in China) for breakfast - rice, lots of water and cook until it's mushy - good with stewed fruit.

Good luck -I know it's really difficuly to eat specific diets on a tight budget. :hug:

You can begin making soups more like stews. Bean soups have a great deal of protein and add plenty of vegetables. I also make my chicken soup with plenty of veggies and it seems more like a stew. The soups are great for you and the children and will get them more into vegetables. There are also chili recipes that are filling and without gluten. Many of us were raised with bread that is hard to think of not having it every day. Once your diet changes, you will not really miss it. You will realize it was more of a filler and not truly a nutritional additive. Keep cut celery and carrots in a cup with water in the fridge for the children to munch now and then. Once they are accustomed to it, they will be fine. I did not find altering diet increased budget; in fact I found it was less costly.

Do you work Josephine? Are you in the UK? I'm thinking disability as there are different levels and some of the questions involve your ability to make meals etc. I do sympathise as I've found it expensive to be on the SCD diet and my son just doesn't like what I eat so we often eat separate meals.

To be honest, I do not work at moment I am currently looking, not sure whether I would be liab due fact that on outside I looking perfect health person. which we know is wrong. Before I was told about having crohns I trying six or more diets in space four months and we were slightly better of then.

It case of feed me the correct diet but my children go without basic thing.

Asda for example last week end, 4 loafs small Warburton bread, 4 bake well tarts, 6 cookies, 6 ready salted crisps, 6 Carmel slices and 6 brownies two lot of pasta , 6 vegetable stock cubes.all wheat free. Cost £25.

Yikes! And I thought Asda was cheap. You can still work and be on disability. Have a look at the NACC site, they have some good advice. It might be worth talking to Citizens advice also.
The only other thing I can suggest is if you can find some time to bake etc, is to make a big batch and freeze some. On SCD, I bake with ground almonds and sometimes gluten free flour. Soup's easy to make too and you can make a huge pot to freeze some for later.

Sorry, but bakewell tarts, cookies, crisps, caramel slices and brownies are not 'basic things'! Your children will do just fine without them. When I go shopping I pick myself 1 'treat' and that is it for the week. Cuts down on cost and is healthier!

Rebecca85 said:

Sorry, but bakewell tarts, cookies, crisps, caramel slices and brownies are not 'basic things'! Your children will do just fine without them. When I go shopping I pick myself 1 'treat' and that is it for the week. Cuts down on cost and is healthier!

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All stuff list above are for me to eat as children to have basic items of three meals and 2 snacks day and stuff for packed lunches. £25 pounds is half of weekly budget.

You are planning on eating all that yourself in a week? Wow!

Personally, I would look into things that are naturally wheat free, for example rice pudding. I think you would be able to get wheat free canned stuff, but if not it's really easy to make your own from pudding rice and milk. It would work out a lot cheaper than buying special wheat alternatives. Other puddings you could try are jelly or fruit salad (with cream) or stewed fruit (with homemade custard).

For savoury snacks you can make your own 'crisps' from potatoes (or other veg) and spray oil.

What about getting the children to help you make Rice Krispy or cornflake 'flapjacks' instead of shop bought brownies and tarts?

If it's just wheat you're cutting out and not gluten, oats are great to use too, in flapjacks or on top of stewed fruit to make a crumble, or muesli/porridge for breakfast, oatcakes with butter or cheese for a snack.

No it last me while for 3-4 week but same thing apply be able afford the inge to make stuff which I have done in past.

Weekly budget £30-50 to feed 2 adults and 3 children. I am happy for you Rebecca that you health and fincial situation is great but somebody are not luck as you.

I wouldn't class my financial situation as 'great'! Which is why I suggested some cheaper wheat free ideas for you. And I am afraid if your finances aren't great the first things to go should be the treats. All of the things I have suggested for you are things I have done myself in the past to either save money or to be healthier.

And if the things are to last you for 3-4 weeks then averaged out it is around £8 per week- so you won't be spending half your budget every week on special wheat free foods.

By the way, looking at your original post- you are only managing to eat one item each day that is wheat free- you do realise that something doesn't have to be labelled as 'wheat free' to not have wheat in it? I would say that I only eat one or two items per day that DOES have wheat in!

The main offenders for wheat are bakery items, pasta and breakfast cereals. The vast majority of fresh meat, vegetables, potatoes, rice and dairy are naturally wheat free so you should be making these the main part of your diet, cut the worst offenders out, eat the same main meal as your children and don't need to bump up the cost of your shopping.

I used to get gluten free pasta and bread on prescription back in the day. May be useful if you have a pre paid certificate.

I am sorry offend you but I do cereal which cornflakes, wheat free bread lunch and have frozen veg and meat and potatoes also I am not stupid I know read labels. My mum when alive had celica disease.

But the point is I can only afford this when extra money and which maybe every few months.

Before last weekend the last I could buy something for my diet was the begin of last year with loaf wheat free bread.

If you can eliminate the sugars from your and the children's diets, you will find health improving. Celery and carrots sticks in a glass of water in fridge or container will be great snacks; as is popcorn or other less costly item. Sugar goodies add no nutritional value and you need as much good nutrition as possible each day. Sugar can aggravate your Crohns.

While I don't live in the UK, it is very possible to eat both healthfully and relatively cheaply on a gluten free diet. I, too, cannot afford to buy most gluten free products, they're very expensive here. What I am doing is just cutting those items out of my diet. I buy one loaf of g-free bread a week and the rest is rice (very, very cheap), potatoes, sweet potatoes, veggies, fruits, nuts and meat, whole foods, in other words. I've been dairy free for a few years now and I don't like the dairy substitutes so that saved money. Most of the expensive g-free products are processed junk food anyway. Nice for a treat now and then but not necessary in anyone's diet. I'm an amateur baker, as well, and one of these days when I have some spare time, I'm on a mission to learn how to bake gluten-free to where I can't (or can barely) tell the difference.

Processed foods are, for the most part, just not good for anyone. They're cheap (for the most part) and convenient but that's all they have going for them. I've learned that I can make from scratch a meal that tastes 100x better than anything I can buy in about the same amount of time that costs less. It is a process and takes patience and a lot of trial and error but it's very possible.

Maybe next time I should keep mouth shut. Very person situation is different. How anyone can judge me on here because simple question that maybe seem silly to other but to me it quite hard.


Thank you to people who sound sincere and support.

Josephine said:

Maybe next time I should keep mouth shut. Very person situation is different. How anyone can judge me on here because simple question that maybe seem silly to other but to me it quite hard.


Thank you to people who sound sincere and support.

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If this was directed at me, I apologize if you thought I sounded judgmental, I was simply trying to help and offer some advice. I have had leukemia for 15 years and, through necessity, have had to learn how to eliminate processed foods from my diet as they are filled with chemicals which are bad for me. And now that I've discovered I also have Crohn's, I'm learning how to live wheat and gluten free. And I'm a single mom and have no extra money to waste, which is why I'm just learning to live without many products. It's not easy.

Again, my apologies.

I am sorry at sound that it was direct at you but it not. I think if any thing at more angry with myself than anyone else. Got doing research and looking shops.

I know my friend is a celiac and on very little money, and he manages it. He does eat wheat free pasta and bread, but as its quite expensive its as a treat. He does eat a lot of rice and potatoes.

He normally sticks to haribo sweets as a treat as well.

Google gluten free recipes and its good to learn how to cook basics (veg stock can be made from carrot/celery/onion discards and then with a little effort made and frozen into ice cubes for later)

It is very hard to keep away from gluten but it can be done, and can also be done cheaply.

Need to get handle on this before my unhealthy lifestyle catch up with me. Because it here somewhere.

mickey said:

If you can eliminate the sugars from your and the children's diets, you will find health improving. Celery and carrots sticks in a glass of water in fridge or container will be great snacks; as is popcorn or other less costly item. Sugar goodies add no nutritional value and you need as much good nutrition as possible each day. Sugar can aggravate your Crohns.

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Although corn is bad for a very high proportion of crohnnies (corn on the cob and popcorn can cause a lot of painful problems)

Also high fibre can cause a lot of problems as well and a fair few find raw veg to be a hinderance (thats why you will see a lot of people asking about juicing)

Again its all down to individuals so it will be best to cautiously test each one

Some raw veg and spinach stomach can not take, but sometime raw veg salads OK.

Did you check out the 'cooking with Crohn's ' section of the Diet and Fitness forum, Josephine? There's quite a few gluten free recipes on there that are tried and tested.
I'm on a tight budget too and I find that meal planning helps to keep track if what I can afford to make. Sometimes stops me from buying junk too cos the shopping is done say for the week. I try to cook ahead at the weekend too cos I often feel too tired after work.
A whole chicken is good. I can usually get a roast dinner, a chicken pie or salad from leftovers and a soup based on stock from boiling up the bones.

I have being looking and first things is flour almond and to try your recipe for cheesecake. As for whole chicken which we do have, normal no leftovers.

Yea, Josephine, I was thinking that: your family is much bigger than mine. The almond flour is about £2 for a small bag, so I sometimes use half almond and half GF flour to spin it out a bit.

OK not sure Blueberry maybe Strawberries and something.

But i hope you use the bones for stocks and soup. You can normally get a bit more meat off the carcus afterwards which makes a great addition to chicken soup

rygon said:

But i hope you use the bones for stocks and soup. You can normally get a bit more meat off the carcus afterwards which makes a great addition to chicken soup

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You think that I would, I have lazy about cooking even with kids and I use make effort a least when holidays were here. I will this week if dog drag off side first.

All it takes is putting the carcus in a big pan, fill it with water and boil for 2-4hrs, best to put a lid on to stop the water from boiling off too much. If you have any bay leaves, thyme, carrot and onions you can chuck those in but not necessary if you havent. Just scoop of the fat afterwards

Great flavour for about 5mins of input

something to consider may be crock pot (slow cooker) meals. You can begin it in the morning and then it will be ready for dinner. Can make it easier for you.