GFCF Diet on a budget....

Many parents have been stressing about how to begin a GFCF diet on a budget. I found this article, I hope it helps, You can also contact Carolyn Lewis or Sueson Vess they are on facebook, look them up and ask their advise.

By southernotmom user-submitted article
http://www.ehow.com/how_5186835_begin-gfcf-diet-budget.html

To begin a GFCF diet on a budgetGFCF stands for gluten-free casein-free. Many people want to start eating a diet that does not contain gluten or casein, but are unsure where to start and afraid it will be too expensive. Gluten is a binder that is naturally found in wheat, rye, barley, and spelt, and because of cross-contamination also oat products. Casein is a curd-like protein in milk that is often hard to digest. Since many recipes and pre-packaged foods contain either gluten or casein, it can be over-whelming to think of what foods you will switch to instead. Some people choose this diet for better health such as with Autism or "leaky gut" whereas others must choose this diet due to Celiac Disease, allergies, or other health problems.

Difficulty: Moderate InstructionsThings You'll Need:
computer foods that do not contain gluten or casein
Step 1 Familiarize yourself with the words on food labels that let you know the item has gluten or casein. If you do not do this, you may spend money unnecessarily on the wrong foods.

Step 2 Do not buy foods with casein in them. Cow, goat, and sheep's milk products all contain casein, therefore do not buy cheese, yogurt, cream, butter, or milk from these animals. Words you may see are: caseinate, lactose, lactulose, cream, butter solids, or buttermilk. Lactic acid, lactate, and lactylate do not contain milk, therefore do not have to be avoided.

Step 3 Buy non-dairy beverages for cooking purposes. When a recipe calls for milk, just substitute it with one of the following enriched liquids: rice milk, soy milk, oat beverage, DariFree- potato based, hemp milk, almond beverage, and/or hazelnut beverage. Each of these non-dairy beverages has different advantages due to different amounts of protein, fat, Omega 3, and vitamins. The hemp, potato, and rice beverages are the better choices for people who tend to have food allergies. Cooking with an alternative saves you money, because then you may not need to give away or throw away those foods in your pantry that needed milk.

Step 4 Do not buy foods with wheat, spelt, barley, or rye in them. Some oat products may say gluten free on them, but if not, do not buy the oat product. The following ingredients should be avoided: wheat flour, modified starch, couscous, farina, starch, bran, wheat germ, durum, semolina, vegetable starch, and vegetable gum. Many cereals, breads, pastas, and crackers will have to be avoided.

Step 5 Find similar foods that do not contain ingredients listed in step 4. Examples include pasta or cereals made from corn or rice. Instead of crackers as a snack, consume potato or corn chips.

Step 6 Look for coupons online or in the newspaper for discounts on meats that are organic (animals had no antibiotics or ate food without pesticides) and/or have no additives. Often, lunch meat contains preservatives. That is why it has a longer shelf-life. Organic meats with no additives have to be consumed quicker due to spoiling and might be more expensive. Waiting for the discount is worth it.

Step 7 Look for coupons online or in the newspaper for organic fruits and vegetables. Canned fruits and vegetables often have preservatives. Also, buy the fruits and vegetables that are in season to save money. Strawberries bought during the winter months will be more expensive than when bought in the summer months.

Step 8 Get ideas on foods you can consume from websites geared towards people with food allergies or Celiac disease. These sites might have suggestions for which items from cetain restaurants have foods that are GFCF. Also, go to the website of the restaurant to look at food ingredients. McDonald's and Chili's are two restaurants that list each ingredient out for you.

Step 9 Buy cookbooks that have recipes just for a GFCF diet. Also, recipes for the slow cooker (crock pot) tend to use lots of fruits and vegetables for flavors as opposed to additives.

Step 10 Once you find GFCF items that you and your family like, make a list of the brand and store that you bought it at. These stores might be local or online. There are many pre-packaged foods that are GFCF such as pancake or brownie mix from Cherrybrook Kitchen. When buying food online directly from the supplier, buy in bulk to save on shipping costs.

Step 11 Join a support group. The other members may have great recipes to share with you and know of inexpensive strategies you could use for your GFCF diet. You may also find good recipes in books loaned from the library or bought at a discount book store.

Step 12 Find vitamins that are GFCF. Until you get the hang of how to successfully eat the nutrients you need, you may need a supplement. Many specialty pharmacies and health stores will have vitamins, enzymes, and probiotics that are GFCF for a reasonable cost. Remember to investigate the ingredients, especially with a calcium supplement.

Step 13 Unless you are blessed enough to live in an area where the tap water tastes great and has limited additives, you should drink filtered water. Filters can be placed on your sink or a special pitcher. This is less expensive than buying bottled water.

Step 14 Once you have a good plan in place, stick with it. If your health depends on following a GFCF diet, then you will be saving money when strictly following the diet because less money will be spent on healthcare costs. If you are having your child follow the GFCF diet due to a diagnosis of Autism, money may be saved by needing less behavior and speech therapies if the diet improves the child's development and behavior.