S
O YOU’VE MADE THE DECISION
to eliminate gluten from
your diet. That was the easy
part! What follows, for many of us,
is the uncertainty of rediscovering
and redeveloping our once simple
relationship with the humble weekly
grocery shop. Faced with the new task
of full food label allergen analysis,
combined with frustration at not being
able to eat or drink previously favoured
foodstuffs, and being bombarded
by a choice of often more expensive
free-from items that sees your receipt
subtotal skyrocketing – it’s enough to
leave you with a sense of anxiety and
aggravation with your new diet! But
take it from a seasoned expert, your
gluten-free transition doesn’t need to be
this way. Going gluten free can help you
improve your health drastically, and
with a few handy tips, it won’t end up
breaking the bank.Don’t believe all you hear
The first frustrating thing that I’m
asked by the majority of my friends and
family members when I talk about my
free-from lifestyle is: ‘Isn’t that really
expensive, though?’ This is made even
more frustrating given that it’s based on
incorrect assumptions. People assume
a free-from diet means you start
shopping at the most exclusive shops
and using fanciful ingredients. This
isn’t helped by the expensive gluten-
free foods on the market and, with a
large number of companies choosing to
create gluten-free ranges at a premium
price, its easy to see how the public can
be fooled into thinking going gluten free
will result in a hefty shopping bill.REALITY CHECK
Gluten free & hassle free
Let’s get a few things straight! When
making the choice to become gluten
free, the best advice I can give to you
is to re-think your diet as a whole, andthis is where most new gluten-free
converts go wrong. Instead of viewing
your diet as (now) limited and your
choice of food items being reduced to a
certain section of the supermarkets or
shops, see this change in eating habits
as a healthy and refreshing chance to
transition your diet towards a heightened
level of nutrition. Simple gluten-free
substitutions and a few clever buying
tricks will help your new gluten-free diet
save you some serious dough (pun fully
intended), while avoiding compromise
on nutrition and enable you to discover
a new and delicious range of new and
exciting free-from flavours.ISSUE1
The great gluten-free
product trap
While it fills my heart with joy to
see a new-fangled gluten-free product
pop up on the market, it also makes me
increasingly aware that many of us will
become accustomed to simply reaching
for easily identifiable, pricier, branded
products. In fact, the average specialised
labelled gluten-free product can be
between 20-200% more expensive than
it’s gluten-containing cousin. By relying
on convenience, branded, gluten-free
products, you could receive a nasty
shock at the checkout!THE ANSWER:
Wherever you can, try to get creative
in the kitchen and make your own
versions of your favourite products.
Gluten-free breads are common
branded money drainers. You can
batch-bake your own loaves of bread or
bread rolls from naturally gluten-free
ingredients using easy recipes (such
as those found in this magazine) from
online recipes and gluten-free baking
books. Also, instead of reaching for a
pre-made brownie or cake from the
shelf, why not make your own sweet
treats? Not only will you be able to