Grain-free help needed (skinny budget)

[hsingscrapper]

I am done with fighting with nasal allergies. The more bread and gluten I eat the worse it gets.

 

I'd like to start swapping out my flours as a starting point. I'm wondering which is more cost effective between coconut flour and almond flour/meal.

 

Are there other options to consider? Both Fury and Dragon's metabolisms are starting to fire and their appetites show it. I'd like to do this without breaking the bank OR spending eons in the kitchen.

 

Many thanks!

[SparklyUnicorn]

I think the coconut flour is less expensive because usually you need very little.  Nuts have become quite insanely expensive.  I once bought 2 pounds of the coconut flour thinking hey this is only 2 pounds.  It lasted me over a year.  LOL  I keep it in the freezer. 

 

Really my tip though is to just not make stuff requiring the flours.  Make simple stuff...eggs, less expensive meat, canned tuna, veggies, etc.  I've even made pancakes without any flour (the base is eggs and cream cheese..the technique is to whip the whites separately and fold them into the mixture...just google low carb flourless pancakes). 

 

 

[Sunshine State Sue]

Are there other options to consider?

 

Well, I don't know that I will be very helpful, but what do you use the bread for?  Would you consider reducing/eliminating ground grains in favor of whole grains?  I cook a lot of ethnic food.

 

Ground grains:

I use masa harina and make corn tortillas.  I use teff flour and make injera (for Ethiopian dishes).  I use chickpea flour and make chickpea flour crepes (for Indian dishes).  I buy flax/millet chips instead of crackers.  I buy flax/millet lavash and toast it in place of hamburger buns/pita bread.

 

Whole grains:

I use more brown rice and quinoa and oatmeal.  There are other whole grains that I need to experiment with, ex. buckwheat.

 

Veges:

I use romaine lettuce leafs for taco shells, taco salad, hamburger buns. I use spaghetti squash in place of spaghetti.

 

I don't bake much anymore.  No muffins, cookies, cakes, pies, etc.  They do not promote health.

[umsami]

If you have a Costco, I do believe their giant Udi's loaves are a good deal.

 

Personally, I like almond flour more than coconut.  The issue with coconut is you need more eggs/fat.  Honeyville in 5 pound bags is good IMHO.  (I use both, though.)

 

Have you looked at GF on a Shoestring?  Her tapioca wraps are popular.  http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/soft-tapioca-gluten-free-wraps/

 

We make GF cornbread muffins, and then put cut up hotdogs in them.  (Homemade corn dogs. :))

 

There are lots of good GF pastas available at most stores these days.  They even go on sale. :)

 

I would also start looking at rice, potatoes, quinoa and other things as the main component of your meals.  So instead of burritos, do burrito bowls, etc.

[hsingscrapper]

We don't eat corn or soy as most are GMO crops. I will look into GF on a Shoestring.

 

The bread gets used for peanut butter bread or pb&j for the boys to snack on, especially Mr. Picky. I like it too as a quick post-workout.

[StaceyinLA]

I have been making Danielle Walker's (Against All Grain) waffles and was just wondering if I could modify the recipe to where I could make a thin pancake I could use for wraps. It's not a super cheap recipe to make (uses raw cashews), but the waffles are fantastic. I think if it were thinned a little and cooked like pancakes or crepes, it would be great for slathering on peanut butter for your boys. I was hoping to do it and roll up eggs and sausage like a breakfast burrito.

[snickerplum]

For my daughter who has several allergies I use a mix of sorghum and tapioca starch in place of wheat flour. Be glad you can use eggs and dairy. :-) rice flour is good and so is potato starch, but we can't use those. Try finding a good tortilla recipe to use for roll-ups and quesadillas. This is the recipe is use for my gluten-free-only girl, she loves it.

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/03/finally-gluten-free-bread-that-doesnt-suck.html/comment-page-7#comment-250028

I haven't done the math on cost, but it's a very good recipe. Good luck! I have a friend who reacts the same as you to gluten.

[hsingscrapper]

If you have a Costco, I do believe their giant Udi's loaves are a good deal.

We do have a Costco here but a membership there is not in our budget as we get food stamps and what little cash we have goes to diapers and household stuffs.

[prairiewindmomma]

If budget is that tight, I would not try to bake with alternative flours. They are flat out expensive. Romaine leaves make nice sandwich wraps. Buy regular bread for your kids if you aren't seeing allergy symptoms in them.

[FaithManor]

I think the coconut flour is less expensive because usually you need very little.  Nuts have become quite insanely expensive.  I once bought 2 pounds of the coconut flour thinking hey this is only 2 pounds.  It lasted me over a year.  LOL  I keep it in the freezer. 

 

Really my tip though is to just not make stuff requiring the flours.  Make simple stuff...eggs, less expensive meat, canned tuna, veggies, etc.  I've even made pancakes without any flour (the base is eggs and cream cheese..the technique is to whip the whites separately and fold them into the mixture...just google low carb flourless pancakes). 

 

This is what I have chosen to do. While it's not always fun to give up all of the flour based products, the reality is that it is far cheaper and less frustrating. Baking without gluten is really tricky. In order to get a tasty product, one does spend a boatload of money on the MANY different products that must be combined in order to have a good outcome. So, it is far easier to go without.

 

There are a few things that can be made well without a huge expense. GF cheesecake, a few pies. Indulge in those. Cakes, and other confections, breads...those can really break the bank, and if the rest of the family is not going gluten free, they will still want the regular product so you have to do both. On top of which, most GF recipes are not created with a single consumer in mind, and it is really hard to get the measurements right to make it ins really small quantities. You'd have to make a pan of brownies for yourself, and then freeze the extras and hope they taste good when thawed, or over consume the brownies in order to use them up before they go bad, cakes, pies, cookies, etc. which isn't good for you anyway.

 

I've learned to live without, and the surprising thing is that without bread and bread type products which feel very filling at the time, it has meant that I eat larger salads, take larger servings of cooked vegetables, snack on celery with cheese, etc. and that's been healthier or me.

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Personally, I hate gluten free breads with a passion.  Even Udi's.  The only gluten free bread product I've liked is Van's gluten free waffles.  The others are gummy cardboard in my opinion!

 

So I use rice crackers or rice cakes or corn tortillas or corn tortilla chips or pop chips when I want something to make a sandwich with or just want something crunchy.  

[ocelotmom]

I appreciate this thread. It reminded me, in a roundabout way, that I have coconut soaking on the counter that I need to turn into coconut milk before I go to bed. Which is relevant to this thread because I use the leftover pulp to make coconut flour, so it is very cheap.

[KungFuPanda]

I think it gets expensive when you try to duplicate foods that should have grains. It's probably cheaper to just eat other things, like potatoes or corn bread made without wheat flour.