Guide to Entertaining a Gluten Free Guest: Money Saving Guide

Preparing a meal for a gluten free guest can be can be costly.  Here are some prep questions to ask yourself prior to making a gluten free meal to make sure you are first up to the task:

Question 1: Can you answer…What is a gluten free diet?  If yes, go to answer #2.

Question 2: What foods can those living a gluten free lifestyle consume on a gluten free diet? If yes, go to answer #3.

Question 3: Can you answer…What is gluten cross-contamination & am I prepared to take steps to avoid gluten cross-contamination? If yes, please continue reading.

YAY! You passed our entertaining a gluten free guest quiz! 

Here are a few tips that can save you a few dollars and will most likely produce a better eating experience for your gluten free guest…

1)     Look to buy foods that are naturally gluten free like fresh produce & dry goods.  Fruits (like avocados, blueberries and tomatoes) and vegetables (like spinach, asparagus and potatoes – although I consider legumes a starch) will make any gluten free guest happy.  Obviously fruits can be eaten plain and adding a little salt, pepper, olive oil and garlic to any cooked vegetable makes a tasty, healthy, gluten free, side dish.  Rice, dried/canned beans, peas, lentils, and quinoa are examples of good side dishes that won’t break the bank.

2)     Look to cook foods that are naturally gluten free like unprepared meats like chicken thighs/drumsticks, ground beef/turkey, roast beef and pork tenderloin.  Oven times, someone entertaining my family will make prepare and bake a meat of their choice and I’ll bring some of the side dishes to take some of the onus off the host.

3)     Look to make your own gluten free foods rather than buying expensive, prepackaged products.  If you simply go down the “gluten free” aisle at your local grocery store and buy all processed gluten free products like cookies, pastas and breakfast bars for your gluten free guest the register will quickly reveal how gluten free foods are more expensive than non-gluten free foods in the same category.  For example, a pound of wheat pasta could cost .99 cents where a ½ pound of gluten free pasta could run you upwards of $5.00.  Rice, as your starch, is a cheaper alternative.

 

 

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