Gluten free on a budget

[AimeeM]

So we're about to incur a tuition payment for Red. While I suppose we could do so without making cuts, it would be nice to see our grocery budget go down a bit, and it would certainly make the blow softer.

 

I could easily do so without the GF/WF consideration for our eldest, but I can't see *how* to make those cuts with that in place. When I price out individual items to make certain things from scratch instead of buying (like her bread), the cost to do so seems pretty equivalent to what I spend to buy those items already prepared/packaged.

 

Thus far, I have been spending about $850 a month for a family of 5 (myself, dh, dd12, ds4, and ds1) - this includes toiletries. I've seen people say they can spend much less, but I guess the gluten free thing is throwing me. On average, I spend $50 a week on foods specifically GF/WF; I spend about $100 a week on foods that are GF/WF naturally; I spend a small amount to counter that balance on foods that do contain wheat, so that we aren't ALL eating $5 boxes of pasta, and I just prepare them separately (thus far I seem to have been able to avoid contamination, for the most part); the rest goes to toiletries or other odds and ends we need to restock (like seasonings, butter, eggs, etc).

 

Energy is ridiculously low in the Mom department right now - I'm still spending most of the night sleeping on a wood floor, on top of a blanket, with my youngest, so I hesitate to try to dive into making GF items from scratch (and haven't had a ton of luck with the recipes I *have* tried). The only processed GF items I buy currently are breads, pastas, and bakery items. I've had great success subbing out to MAKE normal entrees GF/WF, but baking has been a blow to me - a heavy one considering I've always been a great baker.

 

How do YOU shop GF on a smaller budget? I should add that my husband isn't pushing me to do so - he knows I'm tired and he knows GF/WF prepared costs $$$. I would just like to lessen the tuition payment blow a bit and wondered if shaving some off the grocery budget would do that :p

[Guest]

I would stop substituting foods that would normally contain gluten. Go Paleo and cut out the grains all the way. 

 

I am in a similar boat, except the GF is for myself...it is obviously easier to cut something out for myself than to cut it from my child's diet would be. But, I make foods that don't have a gluten/wheat component to begin with, or else they have a very small component that is easily subbed (such as using Coconut Flour in meatballs as a binder).  

[bettyandbob]

I would drop pasta from your meals. Everyone can eat white or brown rice. I would use that. That also saves you from preparing two pots of pasta at night. 

 

When we first went gf (11 years now) there were no decent breads, so we didn't eat bread for a couple years. We did not eat sandwiches. I learned to make a bean flour crust for pizza after a long time. My dd goes to a public high school. she carries a lunch in a container like a bento box. She doesn't eat any sandwiches. Even if you don't have a bento box you probably have small storage containers that can contain small amounts of fruit, veg, greek yogurt, chicken salad, for lunches. 

 

I did learn to make a good sandwich bread, but I stop making it because we liked it too much. 

[Guest]

 

My dd goes to a public high school. she carries a lunch in a container like a bento box. She doesn't eat any sandwiches. Even if you don't have a bento box you probably have small storage containers that can contain small amounts of fruit, veg, greek yogurt, chicken salad, for lunches. 

 

How do you usually set up your dd's bento boxes? I was hoping to do this for my dd this school year.  Googling doesn't seem to help because I keep getting "real" bento boxes - I want ideas about, say, 3 or 4 things you put together that includes no breads. 

 

ETA: In other words, I want groupings of some things that will go well together. I'm not looking to make them look like a rabbit in a field of carrot-flowers, kwim? Just something like: carrot sticks in one box, strawberries in another, a container with smoked salmon and a box with cheese cubes. Or whatever. 

[idnib]

I agree w/ Quill, forget the idea of substituting gluten foods and just eat lots of veggies, some meat, some eggs, and some fruit and nuts, some fats.

[Rosie_0801]

We are not completely gluten free, but I prefer to keep our gluten intake low. We eat dal and psuedo-grains instead.

[kitten18]

How do you usually set up your dd's bento boxes? I was hoping to do this for my dd this school year. Googling doesn't seem to help because I keep getting "real" bento boxes - I want ideas about, say, 3 or 4 things you put together that includes no breads.

 

ETA: In other words, I want groupings of some things that will go well together. I'm not looking to make them look like a rabbit in a field of carrot-flowers, kwim? Just something like: carrot sticks in one box, strawberries in another, a container with smoked salmon and a box with cheese cubes. Or whatever.

I only did this for a week this summer when dd went to dance camp but this is what I put in her lunch box:

Deli chicken and cheese slices that I cut with a scalloped square cookie cutter. Cut up fruit, berries, pineapple, etc. Cucumber sticks or slices. I put in GF crackers for her, I buy the crunch master brand at sam's.

 

ETA - she took a yogurt cup too.

[AimeeM]

I would stop substituting foods that would normally contain gluten. Go Paleo and cut out the grains all the way. 

 

I am in a similar boat, except the GF is for myself...it is obviously easier to cut something out for myself than to cut it from my child's diet would be. But, I make foods that don't have a gluten/wheat component to begin with, or else they have a very small component that is easily subbed (such as using Coconut Flour in meatballs as a binder).

Yeah, I have the feeling Autumn would burst into tears if I cut one more thing from her diet, lol.

 

Now, the paleo diet... I've heard of it, and it sounds good, but isn't it also used to lose weight? How would it affect children who need to gain weight (certainly not lose it)?

[Ellie]

Now, the paleo diet... I've heard of it, and it sounds good, but isn't it also used to lose weight? How would it affect children who need to gain weight (certainly not lose it)?

 

"Diet" is a word used to describe what you normally eat. We say we're dieting, when what we really mean is that we're on a weight-loss diet. :-)

 

Paleo is a style of eating. If you want to lose weight, eat fewer paleo calories. If you want to gain weight, eat more paleo calories. :-)

[bettyandbob]

How do you usually set up your dd's bento boxes? I was hoping to do this for my dd this school year.  Googling doesn't seem to help because I keep getting "real" bento boxes - I want ideas about, say, 3 or 4 things you put together that includes no breads. 

 

ETA: In other words, I want groupings of some things that will go well together. I'm not looking to make them look like a rabbit in a field of carrot-flowers, kwim? Just something like: carrot sticks in one box, strawberries in another, a container with smoked salmon and a box with cheese cubes. Or whatever. 

 

These are things we typically choose from

veggie : veggie sticks (celery, carrots, cucumber), salad mix (add tiny container salad dressing), black olives, pickles, artichokes

 

cut up fruit

 

protien: cheese sticks or cubes, chicken/tuna/egg salad, humus, greek yogurt, chunks of precooked chicken breast

 

sometimes a grain salad leftover from dinner: wild rice and cashew, sweet corn salad

 

soup: we have a thermal soup container, in the morning I'd heat up soup or a leftover dinner soup. before filling the themos I'd fill the thermos with boiling water to bring the container up to an internal temp, then dump the water and add soup. 

 

 

 

So a week might go like this:

Monday: celery sticks, humus, cut pineapple

Tuesday: soup

Wednesday: chicken salad, salad green mix w/ dressing container, apple

Thursday: Cashew wild rice salad (leftover from previous night's dinner), cucumbers, chunks of chicken breast

Friday: traditional greek salad (no lettuce, lots of feta), yogurt, grapes

 

Often her lunches will include dinner leftovers. If daddy is making lunch a small amount of chocolate will be included. Mommy does not know where the chocolate stash is, so that is left out if Mommy makes the whole lunch. 

 

This summer she dances everyday about 7 hours. During the school her food changed almost daily, but this summer she has preferred to eat greek yogurt and a protien bar (core pro protien gf 20g protien, I've been buying in bulk). She comes home and eats fresh veggies and fruit and humus. 

 

Dd has a bento box from laptop lunches. I think their website has ideas. I used to try to fill everything in the bento box. It all looked so small to me. dd said it was too much food. 

[HappyGrace]

I am not GF but I eat very, very little G now. I do as mentioned above-don't do things that need to have a GF sub. Just eat other things (meat, veg/fruit, -basically whole foods as they're found in nature, not processed.) We already eat organic and can't afford to buy GF things too!

 

I know you would need to buy some things so she doesn't feel deprived though. Could you buy GF bread and keep it in the freezer so it lasts longer? (and more of a pain to defrost so it would by default prbly limit how much is eaten due to inconvenience.) Then it is there if she wants it, but not being eaten up as fast.

 

Make sure she is having healthy fats at every meal-that will help with the weight. (avocados, fish oil, flaxseeds or flax oil, nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.)

 

She is definitely old enough that she can help some-on the weekend she could make a huge thing of homemade granola, or make baked oatmeal for snax (keeps well for a few days), etc. She can then eat the granola for breakfast, or for lunch or snack put it over yogurt (or in a yogurt parfait with fruit too). The baked oatmeal can be cut in wedges and eaten cold or warm. Anyway, this way she would have stuff she can grab and it's not hard for you. Plus they are cheap, filling, and healthy. These are just some ideas to get you started. I would get her invested in the cooking-my dd13 has been baking our bread since she was 6 (I just had to put it in the oven) and she really enjoys it and it's such a blessing and help to me.

 

And remember, you do need to take care of YOU, so do what you need to so you're not wiped out!

[HappyGrace]

Betty-I would love your recipes for cashew wild rice salad and sweet corn salad!!!! :drool5:

[bettyandbob]

Betty-I would love your recipes for cashew wild rice salad and sweet corn salad!!!! :drool5:

 Ok here's the wild rice. I need to look for the corn

 

Wild rice salad with cashews

1C uncooked wild rice

4C chicken broth

3T olive oil

1.5 C chopped red or green pepper

.75C cashews coarsely chopped

2 green onions, sliced

 

Dressing

3T rice or apple cider vinegar

2T olive oil

1T asian sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

.25 t salt

Dash fresh ground pepper

 

1.       Rinse wild rice in a strainer, drain well

2.       Bring rice and broth to boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer covered 45-50 min until tender. Drain and set rice aside.

3.       Heat 3T oil over med-high heat. Add peppers and cook 3-5 min until tender. Add cashews and green onions cook for 2-3 min until nuts begin to brown. Remove from heat.

4.       In a large bowl stir together wild rice and bell pepper mixture.

5.       Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, shake well. Pour over salad and toss to coat.

6.       Refridgerate at least 2 hours. 

[bettyandbob]

Betty-I would love your recipes for cashew wild rice salad and sweet corn salad!!!! :drool5:

Here's the corn

 

Summer Corn Salad

5t olive oil, divided

1T lime juice

.25 t salt

.25 t hot pepper sauce

1.5 C fresh or frozen corn (I prefer white corn)

1.5 C cherry tomatoes halved

.5 C finely chopped cucumber

.25 C chopped red onion

2T mince fresh basil (or 2t dried)

.25 C crumbled feta

 

1.       Whisk 4t oil, lime juice, salt and pepper sauce, set aside

2.       Cook and stir corn in remaining oil over med-high heat until tender. Transfer to bowl and cool slightly

3.       Add tomatoes, cucumber onion and basil. Drizzle with dressing and toss.

4.       Refrigerate until chilled. Sprinkle with cheese before serving. 

[HappyGrace]

:drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:

 

Thank you so much, Betty! Can't wait to try them!

[TrixieB]

Among the few GF substitute foods I buy regularly are bread and pasta, and lasagna noodles.  I get the pasta at Trader Joe's because it is less expensive and my dd likes it.  She eats it maybe once every two weeks.  Bread is Udi's which dd likes the taste of and one local store sells it at a decent price so it's about the same as a loaf of good wheat bread.

 

I bought this cookbook:

 

Gluten Free Cookies by Luane Kohnke, ISBN  978-1416206231. 

 

The cookies I made from the book's recipes were pretty good, BUT the best part is that the author includes master mix proportions that I use to sub for the wheat flour in my standby muffin and cookie recipes.  So I can make, say, blondies using the GF mix and they look and taste just like wheat blondies.  I get tapioca starch at an Asian market, 99 cents a package; almond flour from the bulk bin; and Bob's brown rice flour and potato starch.  A local grocery puts Bob's products on sale several times a year so I stock up then.  I bake muffins frequently and the cost is not a whole lot different from the cost of baking the same batch of muffins with wheat flour. 

 

I often serve rice or sweet potatoes for the starch portions of meals.  My non-GF kid and dh always have bread in the pantry for whenever they want it. 

 

As for budget, we live in a high cost of living area.  I usually spend around $675/month for 4 people (2 adults, 1 teen, 1 almost-teen); this amount is only for groceries, not pet food or toiletries, etc.

[Tmhearn]

It was actually easier for us to go GF as a family. We don't substitute, as other people have mentioned, because it can get really expensive. I have 4 kids (9, 6, 3, and 1). The ones with the gluten issues are the 9 and 1.

 

We eat a basic meat dish (roast, roasted chicken, baked chicken, etc.) for dinner with a salad and 2 or 3 veggies to choose from. For lunch we have things like salad, baked potatoes, soup, etc. I often make a lunchable type of lunch for them. I will include a protein or two (boiled egg, turkey slice, cheese slice, yogurt), a veggie or 2, and a fruit. It's a pretty simple formula. I will buy 2 or 3 GF items a week from a rotating list of frozen waffles, frozen pancakes, pretzels, frozen pizza, pasta, bagels, wraps, and bread.

 

Specifically regarding sandwiches, my kids now eat a turkey or ham slice wrapped around a cheese stick in lieu of a sandwich on bread. If we have egg salad or chicken salad, we eat it on a tomato or avocado.

[kiwik]

I wish it was my second son who was gf - he eats nuts, vegetables, eggs etc. Unfortunately it is the one who doesn't like dairy, eggs, meat except sausages, vegetables or any fruit except apples. About 30% of my weekly food budget is gf bread. I used to make it but it was a drag, not very nice and not a lot cheaper. I hope it works better for you.

[bettyandbob]

I wish it was my second son who was gf - he eats nuts, vegetables, eggs etc. Unfortunately it is the one who doesn't like dairy, eggs, meat except sausages, vegetables or any fruit except apples. About 30% of my weekly food budget is gf bread. I used to make it but it was a drag, not very nice and not a lot cheaper. I hope it works better for you.

 

I have one like this. He is not underweight so I am not worried about just getting calories in him (I do not know if that is your issue). Dh and I control the food purchases--we just don't buy that much gf bread and they know it's rationed and you can't take more than that which is rationed for you. My dc know that there are plenty of options for food in my house it is their choice to eat or not. So, if I've got lots of fresh fruit and vegetables (some already cut up) and humus and peanut butter and beans, those things alone make great meals or snacks and there's no need to have bread. This summer my picky eater has branched into eating yogurt and has chosen to make eggs for himself . Anyway, I am basically saying don't make the food available and eventually they will have to choose to feed themselves something else. 

[AimeeM]

I have one like this. He is not underweight so I am not worried about just getting calories in him (I do not know if that is your issue). Dh and I control the food purchases--we just don't buy that much gf bread and they know it's rationed and you can't take more than that which is rationed for you. My dc know that there are plenty of options for food in my house it is their choice to eat or not. So, if I've got lots of fresh fruit and vegetables (some already cut up) and humus and peanut butter and beans, those things alone make great meals or snacks and there's no need to have bread. This summer my picky eater has branched into eating yogurt and has chosen to make eggs for himself . Anyway, I am basically saying don't make the food available and eventually they will have to choose to feed themselves something else.

Wish we could go this route. Unfortunately (I'm not sure if it's the same issue as the poster you quoted), but all of my kiddos are underweight. Now, blessedly, my GF *must* kiddo is NOT picky (but she does adore her breads/pastas); she's actually a very adventurous eater... I cannot go completely GF for the entire family, though, because my seriously underweight child (the 28 lb 4 year old) is VERY picky, and is underweight enough that we were instructed to basically feed him what he wants (because he would indeed rather go without food than eat things he doesn't care for, and we can't afford to take that chance with him).

My husband isn't on for the idea of going GF either, although he's more than happy to help make GF for dd12, and since he isn't pestering me at all to lower the grocery budget, I can't throw that in the mix, lol!

 

Last night I was on a few paleo recipe sites and I think I'm going to go semi-paleo (without telling them - they're rather used to my randomness, lol); pasta only on Sunday nights (because that's tradition for us and would incite a riot from my Italian husband and kiddos if it didn't happen), but go paleo for dinners otherwise. I'll buy one loaf of bread (regular) for my ds4 (the seriously underweight kiddo) and his other not-GF foods, one GF loaf of bread for dd12, and just try to stick with no pastas or breads otherwise.

I'm not sure that doing so will make a difference, but I'll try.

[AimeeM]

I wish it was my second son who was gf - he eats nuts, vegetables, eggs etc. Unfortunately it is the one who doesn't like dairy, eggs, meat except sausages, vegetables or any fruit except apples. About 30% of my weekly food budget is gf bread. I used to make it but it was a drag, not very nice and not a lot cheaper. I hope it works better for you.

Yeah, it doesn't look like making my own would be much cheaper, lol.

I did just notice that I can order bulk from Amazon. I'll have to price out the difference and see if it's worth it.

[Hikin' Mama]

Aimee, I'm celiac and my son is gluten intolerant. He doesn't eat any gluten free substitutes, but he has a super metabolism and is a distance runner so requires lots of calories. For breakfast, he grates and cooks 4 potatoes and then cooks about 6 eggs. He usually tops this with salsa and an avacado. He took leftovers from dinner to school for lunch each day. (He has since graduated.) I would just make sure to cook extra for dinner so he would have leftovers for lunch. For dinners I usually make some kind of meat, either rice/potato/sweet potato/lentils/legumes, and veggies. I sometimes make cornbread. I have an awesome recipe if you want it. We also kept cornchips (big bags from Costco), nuts, celery with peanut butter, fruit, more leftovers, cheese, and other things around for snacking. Of course a snack for him is like a meal for most of us. If I could keep that child fed without GF substitutes, I think you can keep anyone fed. LOL!

[AimeeM]

Aimee, I'm celiac and my son is gluten intolerant. He doesn't eat any gluten free substitutes, but he has a super metabolism and is a distance runner so requires lots of calories. For breakfast, he grates and cooks 4 potatoes and then cooks about 6 eggs. He usually tops this with salsa and an avacado. He took leftovers from dinner to school for lunch each day. (He has since graduated.) I would just make sure to cook extra for dinner so he would have leftovers for lunch. For dinners I usually make some kind of meat, either rice/potato/sweet potato/lentils/legumes, and veggies. I sometimes make cornbread. I have an awesome recipe if you want it. We also kept cornchips (big bags from Costco), nuts, celery with peanut butter, fruit, more leftovers, cheese, and other things around for snacking. Of course a snack for him is like a meal for most of us. If I could keep that child fed without GF substitutes, I think you can keep anyone fed. LOL!

I'd love your corn bread recipe! I'm loving the recipes thus far on this thread (and dd12 loves cornbread!). I like the idea of taking leftovers for lunch. I know they keep their lunches in a mini fridge in the classroom; I'll ask if they also have microwave (dd says she thinks they do; there is no cafeteria, the school is in an old mansion style home).

 

I think I'll buy her one loaf of bread for the week (it keeps well in the fridge) and then concentrate on buying naturally gluten free foods for her to snack on. After thinking it through, I'm not entirely sure I could get away with no GF substitutes, as I'm sure my husband and son would revolt at the idea of no pasta or breads, lol - but I could simmer it down to pasta one night a week (we usually have pasta dishes several nights a week - spending upwards of $20 a week just on pasta, because of the cost of dd12's pasta).

 

I'm going to look at the bento boxes somebody else mentioned too. She loves veggies and dip; she doesn't care for hummus, but I'll also send some lunch meat and cheeses for her wrap. A couple days a week I'll send leftovers.

 

You guys are great! Thanks!

[Artichoke]

How do you usually set up your dd's bento boxes? I was hoping to do this for my dd this school year.  Googling doesn't seem to help because I keep getting "real" bento boxes - I want ideas about, say, 3 or 4 things you put together that includes no breads. 

 

ETA: In other words, I want groupings of some things that will go well together. I'm not looking to make them look like a rabbit in a field of carrot-flowers, kwim? Just something like: carrot sticks in one box, strawberries in another, a container with smoked salmon and a box with cheese cubes. Or whatever. 

 

 

Take a look at the 100 days of real food website.   Her daughters take lunches like this to school, and she has several posts detailing what she packs.

[Mom-ninja.]

Yeah, I have the feeling Autumn would burst into tears if I cut one more thing from her diet, lol.

 

Now, the paleo diet... I've heard of it, and it sounds good, but isn't it also used to lose weight? How would it affect children who need to gain weight (certainly not lose it)?

You can slowly cut out GF substitutes until she barely eats them anymore. My ds (who needs to be gf) cried and cried when he first found out. That first year I made as much bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, brownies, and so forth as he wanted. Then I slowly scaled back. Now, at three years after starting gf we rarely eat bread. Rarely. I keep cookies or cakes for weekends only. Pasta is not often either. I cook rice, buckwheat, millet, amaranth for grains for the kids. Dinner is usually grain free. I make sure the kids get carbs from eating fruit and some grains for breakfast, lunch, and snacks but dinner is grain free for the most part.

 

By reducing slowly (over a couple years) my kids are just used to not eating bread and pasta all the time any more. We use lettuce wraps mostly when we have things like egg or tuna salad or burgers and such.

 

Corn tortillas are a great bread substitute and they are cheap and last a long time in the fridge. We do a lot of "roll up" type sandwiches with tortillas.

 

Also, I eat mostly paleo. I'm celiac and was underweight. I've gained weight eating paleo.

 

Don't forget her stash of candy/boxes of cookie treats for the school we talked about! Candy is the most important thing to remember. :lol:

[AimeeM]

You can slowly cut out GF substitutes until she barely eats them anymore. My ds (who needs to be gf) cried and cried when he first found out. That first year I made as much bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, brownies, and so forth as he wanted. Then I slowly scaled back. Now, at three years after starting gf we rarely eat bread. Rarely. I keep cookies or cakes for weekends only. Pasta is not often either. I cook rice, buckwheat, millet, amaranth for grains for the kids. Dinner is usually grain free. I make sure the kids get carbs from eating fruit and some grains for breakfast, lunch, and snacks but dinner is grain free for the most part.

 

By reducing slowly (over a couple years) my kids are just used to not eating bread and pasta all the time any more. We use lettuce wraps mostly when we have things like egg or tuna salad or burgers and such.

 

Corn tortillas are a great bread substitute and they are cheap and last a long time in the fridge. We do a lot of "roll up" type sandwiches with tortillas.

 

Also, I eat mostly paleo. I'm celiac and was underweight. I've gained weight eating paleo.

 

Don't forget her stash of candy/boxes of cookie treats for the school we talked about! Candy is the most important thing to remember. :lol:

She's loving the candy list you gave me! It's also come to my attention that most chips are GF by default. Lol.

Oh - and Rice Krispies has a gluten free cereal now, so I can make her some RK treats for school!

[Mom-ninja.]

She's loving the candy list you gave me! It's also come to my attention that most chips are GF by default. Lol.

Oh - and Rice Krispies has a gluten free cereal now, so I can make her some RK treats for school!

 

Sadly, my kids don't like RK treats. Something is wrong with them.

 

 

 

Oh! Don't buy the ready made Rice Krispie treats. They are *not* gf. They have barley malt in them. My mom bought a bunch of them (she doesn't understand what to look for in ingredients) and I ended up donating them. She figured that because homemade treats were gf so were the ready made ones. Nope. For some reason Kellogg (is that the company?) decided to put malt in them instead of another sweetener.

[celticmom]

Have you looked at the gluten free on a shoestring blog? http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/ I have also found recipes on the once a month mom site. You can follow links to recipes without subscribing. This is one of our favorites that I have fixed several different variations of: http://www.artofglutenfreebaking.com/2009/10/autumn-soup-a-la-four-chickens/

[bobbeym]

Healthy Snacks to Go is one of my favorite cookbooks for real food snacks. Katie tries hard to keep the costs down and offers lots of ingredient substitutes for GF, DF, and SF options.

[kiwik]

I have one like this. He is not underweight so I am not worried about just getting calories in him (I do not know if that is your issue). Dh and I control the food purchases--we just don't buy that much gf bread and they know it's rationed and you can't take more than that which is rationed for you. My dc know that there are plenty of options for food in my house it is their choice to eat or not. So, if I've got lots of fresh fruit and vegetables (some already cut up) and humus and peanut butter and beans, those things alone make great meals or snacks and there's no need to have bread. This summer my picky eater has branched into eating yogurt and has chosen to make eggs for himself . Anyway, I am basically saying don't make the food available and eventually they will have to choose to feed themselves something else.

He is not underweight - tall and nicely built really. But he has encopresis and he goes to school. If he was at home with me I might try offering regular small gluten free stuff but he has to have something he can eat at school. He is only intolerant so he can manage porridge etc which he used to love - but now won't touch because he won't drink milk (or alternatives), or yogurt or cheese (all things he used to like). I think he has a list in his head that takes a maximum of 20 items. Every time he adds one thing something else drops off the other end. It will get better.

[kbutton]

The Kitchen Stewardship blog has bento box lunch ideas (not for pretty, but for healthy), and many are grain free or easily adapted. http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/

[Hikin' Mama]

Here is the cornbread I make:

 

Preheat oven to 450. Place a 9-inch cast iron skillet or 8 x 8 glass pan in oven with 1TBS. butter. Take out when butter is melted and a little browned.

 

Whisk together:

 

1 3/4 c. Cornmeal**

1 TBS sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

 

In another bowl, whisk until foamy:

 

2 large eggs

 

Whisk into eggs:

 

2 cups buttermilk

 

Add wet ingredients to dry just until blended.

 

Place batter in skillet or pan in which butter has been melted. Bake until top is browned and center feels firm when pressed (I think I also check for doneness with a toothpick), 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

 

**I use cornmeal from Bob's Red Meal. I've also made my own by grinding popcorn in my grinder.

[AimeeM]

I'm loving the looks of these bento boxes!

[go_go_gadget]

Paleo/Primal done right is a a health and weight-optimizing way to eat: if you need to lose, you lose, or if you need to gain, you gain, to over-simplify a little. I've lost weight, but my kids' body compositions haven't changed in the three years we've been Primal (Paleo for the last six months). 

[Seasider]

Don't think I have anything new to add but I agree with dropping the substitute items. Just eat simply and stick with what is naturally gluten free. Yes, it will mean an adjustment but not a huge one, and will likely be better for your dd in the long run as she ages and takes control over her own food intake.

 

My dd's bento box has four parts. I always do a fruit, a protein, a vegetable, and a duplicate fruit or veg or acceptable carb. Everything is diced and eaten by hand or with chopsticks.

[Leav97]

another desert that is easy to make GF is puppy chow

 

Puppy Chow

Rice Chex

Peanut Butter - optional

chocolate chips

Powered Sugar

 

Melt equal parts peanut butter and chocolate chips.  

Coat the Rice Chex with the mixture

Put the powered Sugar in a container with a lid.

Add the coated Rice Chex and Shake

 

We've used this to accommodate peanut and GF kids at Co-Op.  I think it tastes a little better with the peanut butter but, it's still good without it.

[austen]

I am the only one in my house who's GF. I make the GF bread from GF goddess website. I make it once a week, and keep it frozen in the freezer.

It's so much better than store bought.

I get my flour from the Amazon subscribe and save program, so it's probably $10/month.

I also make a cornbread similar to Hikin Mama's that I use for sandwiches, bread crumbs, and breakfast.

I don't really eat snacks, but when I do, I usually eat rice cakes (the brown rice kind), often with peanut butter or hummus.

For breakfast, I toast and grind up brown rice and make a sort of brown rice mush. (I'm also allergic to oatmeal, even if it's gluten free).

The only prepackaged gluten free thing I buy is pasta, and we eat it only once a week.

Another idea for pasta--I sometimes use cornmeal and make polenta instead of pasta.

 

[briansmama]

Breakfast:

Smoothies with eggs

Eggs/bacon

Apples and peanut butter

Yogurt with frozen berries and honey, maybe sliced almonds

 

Lunch:

Turkey roll ups (no bread), fruit/veggies, potato chips, popcorn, or trail mix

Chicken and rice soup (homemade)

 

Dinner:

Grilled meat or fish with salad and rice

Tacos with beans and rice

Chili with a side salad