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​Living With a Gluten Free Family - August 2019

​I have a family of coeliacs. I was initially dairy free too. We live rural with no ALDI . We can empathize. The biggest challenge is to apply the general concepts, especially MOO and stockpiling, but think outside the box for staples. Things like bread and pasta become special treats and I've become excited to purchase a loaf on mark down for $1.80. Rice becomes a staple starch  as does potato. Many pasta sauces work just as well. Corn Thins become the new bread and $1 a package on special is stock up price. A dash of mayo makes a good melted cheese/sour cream substitute in in savoury dishes.as does a cracked egg (e.g. substitute for cheese on pizza). Lard can replace butter in biscuits as can coconut oil, both now often cheaper than butter. A can of coconut cream can be divided into 3, mixed with about 700ml and used as milk for coffee/baking. Making your own nut milks takes a bit of time but is so easy and the results are delicious. I find lots of inspiration from looking at vegan equivalent recipes or ones from cultures that do not rely heavily on wheat (Indian/Asian/Mexican etc). These cultures are also typically poorer people as well and base recipes are simple with few ingredients. For example, cheddar cheese is typically an American addition to Mexican food. Fish sauce can double as soy for some dishes. Lastly get very good at scanning food labels. Many products e.g. Smith's chips are naturally gf, but not advertised as such due to the expense involved. By law products have to state if they contain gluten. It's a huge challenge but it can be achieved....it's all in the mindset:) 
Contributed by Di Watson