GFCF Mommy won’t lie to you. It is gonna cost you. And it is unfair.
It is unfair that our kids have autism at all. Doubly unfair that unless you live in one of the few enlightened states that have laws preventing insurance companies from denying benefits for autism or a related diagnosis, you are probably already maxxed out financially just trying to pay for the basic therapies. I know we are. But I digress and GFCF Mommy said she would not get political!
While non-dairy milk substitute items do not tend to cost much more than their cow counterparts, gluten-free items are a bit more. The flours are ridiculously expensive, but can last a long time especially of you refrigerate them. The prepared items (like chicken nuggets) are pretty pricey too. And so is organic produce.
But in the scheme of costs to help my child, going GFCF was relatively cheap. We are a family of 3. My husband and I both went GFCF too, so I buy GFCF for the household. We eat a lot of fresh foods, less of the ready-made GFCF items and I don’t bake that much, just for special treats and occasions. For us right now, after having a few years of experience under our belt, it probably costs me about $100 extra per month to go GFCF. If you are only buying for your child, your cost may be less. On the other hand, if you have a big family and are going GFCF for everyone, your costs could be more.
Tips to keep costs down
In the ideal world, buying totally organic is best, if you can afford it. If you are on a budget—and aren’t we all--Google a list of the most contaminated produce items and buy only those organic. If you have to limit even more, identify the items that your child eats the most and buy those organic. My son inhales bananas. They are not one of the most contaminated items, but since he eats so many, I do spring for organic. Some Wal-Mart and Target groceries now carry organic too.
As previously mentioned (see my post “Secrets to Success Revealed.”), rather than making complicated (at least for GFCF Mommy!) and expensive flour mixes and paying $14 for a small bag of xanthan gum, buy one of the pre-mixed all purpose flours, or a bread mix which has the xanthan gum included.
This is obvious, but watch for sales and stock up, especially if you have access to one of the big health food chains like Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joe’s. Then utilize your freezer for items you have purchased on sale (chicken nuggets, bread, grass-fed meats).
For items that do not spoil easily and that you know you use, buy in bulk and see if you can buy the item directly from the company that makes it. Sometimes it is cheaper that way. Vance’s Dairy-free, for example, could be purchased in bulk. Things like GFCF cereal or cookies need to be eaten right away or they spoil or taste a little weird, so I would not buy these in bulk unless you consume them quickly.
Something else obvious, make a list before you go to the store. If I go without a list, I am enticed by all the pretty things at Whole Foods and end up with sticker shock at the cash register! I usually go once a month and get the GFCF specialty items at the health food store. I am lucky enough to have a big regular grocery chain that has a great organic section and even carries a few GFCF items, so I can do most of my shopping at my regular store.
Although I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I will say sometimes it is worth it to pay the exorbitant price of $7 for a package of GFCF dinosaur chicken nuggets just to see your sweet child, who probably has a limited palate, actually EAT something!
It is unfair that our kids have autism at all. Doubly unfair that unless you live in one of the few enlightened states that have laws preventing insurance companies from denying benefits for autism or a related diagnosis, you are probably already maxxed out financially just trying to pay for the basic therapies. I know we are. But I digress and GFCF Mommy said she would not get political!
While non-dairy milk substitute items do not tend to cost much more than their cow counterparts, gluten-free items are a bit more. The flours are ridiculously expensive, but can last a long time especially of you refrigerate them. The prepared items (like chicken nuggets) are pretty pricey too. And so is organic produce.
But in the scheme of costs to help my child, going GFCF was relatively cheap. We are a family of 3. My husband and I both went GFCF too, so I buy GFCF for the household. We eat a lot of fresh foods, less of the ready-made GFCF items and I don’t bake that much, just for special treats and occasions. For us right now, after having a few years of experience under our belt, it probably costs me about $100 extra per month to go GFCF. If you are only buying for your child, your cost may be less. On the other hand, if you have a big family and are going GFCF for everyone, your costs could be more.
Tips to keep costs down
In the ideal world, buying totally organic is best, if you can afford it. If you are on a budget—and aren’t we all--Google a list of the most contaminated produce items and buy only those organic. If you have to limit even more, identify the items that your child eats the most and buy those organic. My son inhales bananas. They are not one of the most contaminated items, but since he eats so many, I do spring for organic. Some Wal-Mart and Target groceries now carry organic too.
As previously mentioned (see my post “Secrets to Success Revealed.”), rather than making complicated (at least for GFCF Mommy!) and expensive flour mixes and paying $14 for a small bag of xanthan gum, buy one of the pre-mixed all purpose flours, or a bread mix which has the xanthan gum included.
This is obvious, but watch for sales and stock up, especially if you have access to one of the big health food chains like Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joe’s. Then utilize your freezer for items you have purchased on sale (chicken nuggets, bread, grass-fed meats).
For items that do not spoil easily and that you know you use, buy in bulk and see if you can buy the item directly from the company that makes it. Sometimes it is cheaper that way. Vance’s Dairy-free, for example, could be purchased in bulk. Things like GFCF cereal or cookies need to be eaten right away or they spoil or taste a little weird, so I would not buy these in bulk unless you consume them quickly.
Something else obvious, make a list before you go to the store. If I go without a list, I am enticed by all the pretty things at Whole Foods and end up with sticker shock at the cash register! I usually go once a month and get the GFCF specialty items at the health food store. I am lucky enough to have a big regular grocery chain that has a great organic section and even carries a few GFCF items, so I can do most of my shopping at my regular store.
Although I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I will say sometimes it is worth it to pay the exorbitant price of $7 for a package of GFCF dinosaur chicken nuggets just to see your sweet child, who probably has a limited palate, actually EAT something!
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