How I do it...

I've heard it a thousand times.  How can you be gluten free or have a whole foods diet on a budget?  Most people think it is too expensive to eat healthy and it is expensive, but not as much as people think. The truth is, our grocery bill has not changed very much.  I'll admit that it has gone up about $30 a month, but that's because I've added a butcher into the mix. So, how do I do it?

Step #1 - I plan my meals out in 2 week increments

It takes a lot of planning, but we spend about $150 to $180 every other week on groceries.  That adds up to about $300 to $360 per month, which is below the amount that a family of four receives on food stamps. Take a minute to let that sink in. The average family of four on food stamps gets a little over $400 for food, so it is quite possible to eat healthy on a tight budget.  Now, why did I mention that? Well, because eating foods that are not whole isn't about expense to me.  It is more about convenience. When you are gluten free, soy free, dairy free, or even sugar free (which I am not all of those things yet) you have to COOK or bake to cut cost. It's just that simple. The days of handing your child an Eggo waffle are GONE. I don't cut coupons. I shop at Earthfare and my grocery bill is not crazy, but I no longer have the convenience of processed food. I will admit there is not a lot of variety when doing this on a budget and it takes me a good amount of time to plan our meals in advance.

Here is an example of my 2-week menu plan (I've added links to some of the recipes too)

Date	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snack
Sunday 3/18	Zucchini Bread	Paleo Chicken Nugget w/Sweet Potato Fries	Rogan Josh	Grapes Cheese Cubes
Monday 3/19	Eggs w/toast	Left-over Rogan Josh	Chicken w/rice and carrots	Grapes Banana
Tuesday 3/20	Gluten Free Pancakes	Paleo Chicken Nugget w/Sweet Potato Fries	Chicken Tandoori w/carrots and peas	Granola
Wednesday 3/21	Blueberry Muffins (Gluten Free)	Quinoa Salad	Chicken Stir-Fry	Apple Cheese Cubes
Thursday 3/22	Blueberry Muffins (Gluten Free) Yogurt	Quinoa Salad	Chicken w/rice and carrots	Apple Yogurt
Friday 3/23	Banana Bread	Fruit Salad	Indian Chana Masala	Grapes Cheese Cubes
Saturday 3/24	Banana Bread or Pancakes w/paleo sausage	Quinoa Salad	Curry Goat (Paleo)	Apple Granola
Sunday 3/25	Pancakes or Scones (Gluten Free)	Quinoa Salad	Left-over Curry Goat	Granola Blueberries
Monday 3/26	Eggs w/paleo sausage	Fruit Salad	No Butter Chicken	Granola Yogurt
Tuesday 3/27	Pancakes	Gluten Free Pasta w/Fruit	Chicken w/rice	Granola Yogurt
Wednesday 3/28	Granola Cereal or Gluten Free Chex	Gluten Free Pasta/ w fruit	Chicken w/rice	Apples Cheese Cubes
Thursday	Granola Cereal	Quinoa Salad	Curry Chicken	Apples Cheese Cubes
Friday	Banana Bread	Quinoa Salad	Paleo Pizza	Apples Granola
Saturday	Banana Bread	Paleo Chicken Nuggets w/Sweet Potato Fries	Not really sure	Granola Yogurt

Step # 2 - I write out my grocery list according to what I am going to have for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks. 

Most people I know write their lists and then plan their meals, but in my opinion that will lead to more trips to the grocery store and more money.  If you sit down and write a menu plan, then you can look at recipes and actually save yourself from buying multiple ingredients or ingredients you will use for only one item.  For example, in my menu plan there is somewhat of an Indian/Carribean theme. That helps with buying seasoning, veggies, and other things needed to make meals. You aren't going to save money if your meals are all over the place, especially if you're just starting to change your eating style. Also, select days of the week to have certain items.  For example, we eat chicken (poor mans meat) Monday thru Thursday, Friday is vegetarian, and Saturday and Sunday include beef, goat, or something else crazy my husband likes.

Step #3 - Count out the items you will need

The hardest part for me when changing over to gluten free/paleoish was running out of food before the next scheduled trip to the store.  Now, I actually go through my menu/recipes and count out how many eggs, pounds of chicken, granola, or bananas I'm going to need.  It's time consuming, but it saves yourself from going to the store multiple times and you won't deviate from your menu.

Step #4 - Get a Pinterest account

If you're anything like me, then you want to try new things and even get quick go-to recipes.  Before I changed the way I ate it was quite simple to whip up a meal, but now I want to see what other gluten free people are doing and try out those recipes. In order for me to keep them in order and save the ones I like or want to try, I pin them to my pinterest account. It's quite easy and it will help you get organized.

Step #5 - Relax, but get informed!

It's quite easy to get overwhelmed, but the best thing to do is to take it easy.  I eat this way because I feel better when I do.  My health depends on my diet.  That isn't the case for everyone and if you just want to make changes because you're tired of processed food or for any other reason, then go slow and start eliminating things one at a time. My item now is gluten and I seriously need to incorporate more leafy greens and other vegetables to my diet. I'm working on it, but the plan is to go slow and not overwhelm myself to the point that I give up.

If this is about your health, then you need to inform yourself about all of the things food can do to you. For example, I just learned that certain raw veggies can inhibit thyroid function. WOW! I thought eating raw veggies was the best thing you could do, but that isn't true for everyone. 

Step #6 - HELP ME!

I need help.  I'm new at this, so if you have any tips then give them to me.  If you find a book that will be beneficial let me know.  I don't know everything and honestly, I'm doing this for myself, but also for my children.  I'm the 5th generation of women in my family to have a thyroid disorder.  That tells me that my children are predisposed to going through the same things and if changing their diet will help them, then that is my job as their mother.  I'm beginning to ramble, but I think you get what I'm saying. 

Next time I'll break down cost and show receipts.