Last month I shared that our food bill has been $1400 a month for the past 5 months. It hasn’t always been that way.
When we first started the GFCF diet, our food bill went up slightly as we tried the prepackaged GF products on the market. It was summer, so mostly we ate grilled hotdogs, chips, popsicles, fruit, and raw veggies.
At that time I did not eliminate high fructose corn syrup or soy or nitrates or food colorings. If you are JUST eliminating gluten and casein, you can do that without adding much to the bottom line of your food bill.
I have also confessed I am a cook out of necessity, not desire or talent, so prepared mixes are always going to win out over “made from scratch” for me. I am also a working mom. My hours are flexible, but necessary, so we need prepared foods on occasion.
Our big costs came in when I eliminated:
- soy
- egg
- all high fructose corn syrup
- nitrates
- artificial food colorings
- tomato
Since Lizzie will have been on the “diet” 2 years this May, I have started to buy some higher priced items to augment her regular fare.
Another expense I have is that since my kids are both grade school age – I bake all the holiday treats for both classes at every holiday. I have an awesome sugar cookie recipe that does not taste like it is egg free, gluten free, soy free, and casein free. But it takes 7 different flours to make. You can imagine the cost.
To keep Lizzie on the diet and have her eat the same foods as her friends at parties is priceless.
That being said, I am looking to cut back on our grocery bill. Summer is a great for us. Fresh fruits and veggies with grilled meat is cheaper and tastier than anything I can get in a box.
If you are looking for some value conscious ways to eat healthy, check out another local bloggers post today 5 Healthy and Frugal Super Foods. $5 Dinner is written by Erin. She feeds her family every night for $5 or less.
Oh, and I just read she has kids with food allergies too! Check her out!
