WHETHER you’ve been on a gluten free diet for one day or several decades, you’ll very likely already know how expensive products and ingredients can be.
Whenever I tell friends and family that the price of a supermarket loaf of gluten free bread can be up to seven times more expensive than a ‘normal’ one, I’m always met with a look of pure shock.
Yes, that’s right, some people spend their disposable income on holidays of a lifetime, but I spend mine on making a sandwich.
But that gluten free premium doesn’t end at bread.
Other everyday essentials like flour, cereals and pasta are often twice as expensive as their gluten-containing counterparts, with other non-negotiable key ingredients being no exception.
Research carried out by Coeliac UK in 2024 showed that a full weekly food shop suitable for a gluten free diet can be as much as 35 per cent more expensive than a regular one – and that doesn’t surprise me!
Imagine if I was to add up all those extra costs I’ve spent over my 16 years of being on a gluten free diet… I shudder to think of how much extra I’ve spent in total.
But what’s the solution? Abstain from them entirely and live in a world where we all eat soup (without bread!) for every meal?
I think not. Against all odds, I’m here to show you that you can make a real difference to your supermarket receipts.
In my new book, Budget Gluten Free, I share all the tricks behind my own budget-friendly cooking and baking philosophy across 100+ delicious recipes that nobody would ever know were gluten free or made on the cheap.
Not only will you quickly be able to make savings that will more than cover the cost of the book, you’ll crucially learn how to offset the dreaded ‘gluten free tax’ that’s inevitably applied to most gluten free products and ingredients.
Using this book won’t mean spending hours in the kitchen either, it actually encourages quite the opposite – time is money, after all!
THE ‘GLUTEN FREE TAX’
THERE are quite a few factors that affect the price of gluten free food, it’s not just one thing.
One of the main reasons is that factories that manufacture gluten free food must have zero cross contamination on those lines, and the logistics of making this happen generally mean it’s more expensive to produce.
Another is the fact there is less demand for these products compared to those for the masses; manufacturing smaller quantities leads to increased costs due to economies of scale.
There are also further costs involved. For example, testing products to ensure they are actually gluten free (below 20 parts per million of gluten legally in the UK) takes time, and therefore money.
Plus, the ingredients themselves can actually be more expensive, so the product has to be too. This isn’t always the case, but very often is.
Ultimately, it can feel like you’re being punished for something you can’t avoid.
The cost of eating gluten free
ABOUT one in 10 of us now follow a gluten free diet in the UK, estimates show.
This could be for several reasons, including coeliac disease (an autoimmune condition that affects one in 100 people), gluten intolerance or sensitivity (thought to impact about 13 per cent of people), and irritable bowel syndrome (which up to 20 per cent of people are said to have).
Coeliac disease requires a strict gluten free diet, but this can come at a cost.
- A weekly food shop suitable for a gluten free diet can be as much as 35 per cent more expensive than a standard one
- The cheapest gluten free loaf of bread remains more than six times as expensive as regular bread
- Bread loaves are 4.5 times more expensive
- Plain flour is twice as expensive
- Bread rolls are 3.1 times more expensive
- Pasta is twice as expensive
- Crackers are 1.7 times more expensive
- Cereals are 2.1 times more expensive
Source: Coeliac UK
Although I understand why, that doesn’t change the fact that essentials like bread can be six or seven times more expensive.
This simply makes a gluten free diet less accessible to people who have no choice but to follow it for serious medical reasons.
I’ve received messages from people in the past who continue to eat gluten despite being diagnosed with coeliac disease (an autoimmune condition) simply because they can’t afford to be on a life-long gluten free diet.
Needless to say, the consequences this will have on their health in the long term are not positive.
This might start with constipation, diarrhoea or headaches but can result in liver abnormalities, fertility issues, miscarriages, neurological problems and, in rare cases, cancer, Coeliac UK warns.
This is definitely not something anyone should ever have to do, but also reflects the sad reality of what gluten free people have to face.
BUT IT CAN BE CHEAPER
WHILE gluten free supermarket products tend to lean towards the expensive side of things, not every meal of the day always requires them.
Plus, when used in modest quantities, even products like gluten free soy sauce can go a long way in saving costs and adding the required effect to your finished dish.
Though gluten free food has a reputation for being inferior to ‘normal’ food, I try to prove in my seven recipe books that that certainly doesn’t have to be the case!
My newest, Budget Gluten Free, shows across over 100 recipes that you can enjoy delicious and varied gluten free food on a budget.
It doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming; it can be quick, easy and enjoyed by the entire family!
Her new book, Budget Gluten Free[/caption]
HOW TO KEEP COSTS DOWN
1. AVOID THE FREE-FROM AISLE
BUY dedicated gluten free products from free-from supermarket aisles only when necessary.
While crucial to a gluten free diet, you don’t need to look there for absolutely everything.
Gluten free essentials like bread, flour, pasta and cereals are likely to be non-negotiable purchases, however many other products you’ll find nearby often aren’t so necessary when push comes to shove.
For example, you’ll also likely to find jars of free-from pasta sauce, which is a product that’s generally gluten free anyway, and boxed cake mixes, when it’s far cheaper to make your own using gluten free flour.
2. COOK FROM SCRATCH
THOUGH we don’t have a whole lot of dedicated gluten free convenience products to choose from in the first place, there are huge savings to be made by avoiding them entirely and taking a ‘do-it-yourself’ approach.
Because as always, with convenience comes cost!
When shopping on a tight budget, obvious examples of things to avoid would include: jars of pasta sauce, pre-cut veg, microwave rice and packet spice mixes. All of these are easy to make yourself at home with very little effort.
And of course, the financial savings will allow more room in your spending for costlier gluten free essentials (and treats!).
A peanut butter curry from Budget Gluten Free[/caption]
3. GO OWN-BRAND
SOURCE naturally gluten free products for the lowest price to help counterbalance the increased cost of buying gluten free essentials.
This is integral – tight budget or not.
Staple cooking ingredients such as vegetables, rice, tinned tomatoes or beans, lentils and pulses can hugely vary in price, especially when branded products are involved.
Yet these ingredients can always be found in a supermarket’s ‘essentials’ or own-brand range at extremely low prices (though always check for ‘may contains’).
You’re free to disagree with me, but I’ve found there’s little need for brand loyalty when buying basic ingredients like these. They taste the same!
4. BULK BUY
WE often pay more and get less if we’re gluten free.
So for ingredients like meat or veg, try to buy the largest quantity you can for the biggest savings.
When shopping with this in mind, it helps to look at the price per kilogram to check how much you’re really paying – and the difference in what you’re paying for the exact same product in differing quantities can be quite scary!
While you might initially be put off the whole idea because you’ll likely end up buying way more than you need (and wasted ingredients = wasted money), using batch cooking recipes that are specifically tailored to using larger quantities will solve that problem immediately.
5. MORE MEAT-FREE MEALS
MEAT never fails to be the most expensive ingredient in a dish.
Simply by enjoying a hearty veggie curry or roasted veg pasta dish more regularly, you can further help to offset the cost of using more expensive gluten free products when you need to.
The important lesson to learn here is that meat-free meals certainly aren’t exclusively for vegetarians, nor does anyone truly need meat in every single meal.
Most don’t turn their nose up at a cheese toastie just because it doesn’t contain meat, so the same thinking should apply to your other meals too!
6. YELLOW STICKERS
KEEP an eye out for reduced items. It’s not uncommon to find a loaf of gluten free bread reduced to be anywhere less than 70 per cent of its original price.
As these ‘yellow ticket‘ finds are usually very close to their expiry, remember they can easily be frozen and defrosted for another day.
But a warning from me first: only buy reduced items you actually need!
It can be very easy to see a heavily discounted product and just grab it ‘because it’s cheap’, but if you don’t end up using it, then it probably wasn’t such a great find after all.
7. YOUR FREEZER IS YOUR FRIEND
YOUR freezer is your friend – not only for freezing your bargain loaves of gluten free bread, but for freezing dinner leftovers too.
It can come in especially handy for batch cooking, which is essentially where you prepare your own homemade ready meals ahead of time and store them in the freezer.
Or if batch cooking sounds a bit too organised for you, you can always purposefully make ‘too much’ food on nights where you do cook, then freeze the leftovers for the future in the same way.
Not only will you save on the energy costs of repeat cooking (and have more nights where you don’t cook) but having meals that are conveniently ready to go might also save you on shelling out for a costly takeaway too.
Becky’s other top money-saving tips
- Plan and budget before you set foot in a supermarket
- Always carry a shopping list
- Bulk out recipes with cheaper ingredients (e.g. adding carrots, onions, beansprouts to a Chinese chicken dish)
- Use low-running-cost appliances where possible (e.g. air fryers, slow cookers, induction hobs)
- Be aware of the high cost that comes with convenience
- Buy wholefoods and spices from budget supermarkets
- Look above eye level and below eye level
- Resist impulse buys
‘SECRET’ GLUTEN FREE SWAPS
UNTIL the price of gluten free products comes down to Earth, there’s sadly no obvious simple swaps that can make a significant difference to people’s supermarket receipts.
But small changes do add up, and you can try smart swaps that replace noticeably costly ingredients with super-cost-effective ones that perform the exact same job.
For example, budget-friendly recipes I’ve tried online in the past are often quite happy to use small amounts of expensive ingredients; that’s because the cost of a small amount is relatively low, making the recipe still seem affordable and appealing.
A common example of this would be a budget recipe calling for 20g of an expensive ingredient like Parmesan.
I always think: well, yes, the cost of that isn’t a lot by itself (especially when you divide it per person) but what about the cost of the other 180g I’ve now got sitting in the fridge?!
And let’s not forget that the average block of Parmesan costs the same as the most expensive loaf of gluten free bread.
So to combat that, I’ve simply swapped common expensive ingredients out entirely, usually for affordable ones that I already have in the fridge anyway.
Following this particular example, I simply swap out Parmesan for mature cheddar, which currently costs less than half the price despite fulfilling a similar role.
You could also try swapping:
- ASDA Free From Tomato & Herb Pasta Bake Sauce (£1.30 for 500g) for Tesco Pasta Bake Creamy Tomato & Herb Sauce (£60p for 500g)
- Tesco Free From Red Pesto (£1.10 for 190g) for Tesco Red Pesto (99p for 190g)
- Couscous (which isn’t gluten free) for quinoa
- Breadcrumbs for crushed gluten free cornflakes
- Croutons for crushed nuts
- Egg noodles for rice noodles
- Wraps for rice paper
- Soy sauce for tamari
But remember, always check the ingredients list as things can change!
Budget Gluten Free, By Becky Excell (Quadrille, £20) was published February 13, 2025.
Recipe: Keema curry
- Serves: 6-8
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Hob: 70 minutes
- Slow cooker: 6-7 hours
Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil spray
- 150g frozen chopped onion or ½ large leek, finely chopped
- 500g minced (ground) beef
- 2 tsp garlic paste (optional)
- 2 tbsp ginger paste
- 20g jarred jalapeños, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp mild curry powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes
- 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
- 1 x 400g can of lentils, drained
- 2 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
- 150ml gluten free beef stock
- 200g frozen peas
Method:
To cook on the hob:
- Spray the base of a large pot that has a lid with oil and place over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion or leek and fry until the onion is browned or the leek has softened.
- Add the beef and, once it releases a little moisture, scrape anything stuck to the bottom of the pan until it’s deglazed. Once the beef has browned, add the garlic paste, if using, ginger paste, jalapeños, curry powder and salt. Stir well and fry until fragrant and there is no liquid left in the pan. Stir in the potatoes and fry for 2–3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, lentils, tomato purée and stock, then stir well once more. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer for 45–50 minutes until nicely thickened. Stir in the peas and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until the peas are done.
To cook in a slow cooker:
- Spray the base of a large frying pan with oil and place over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion or leek and fry until the onion is browned or the leek has softened. Add the beef and fry until browned.
- Meanwhile, add the remaining ingredients apart from the peas to the slow cooker and stir well.
- Once the beef has browned, add it along with the onion or leek to the slow cooker and stir in. Pop the lid on and cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3½ hours, stirring in the peas 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe: Cheese and tomato arancini bake
- Serves: 4-5
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Hob and oven: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp ‘buttery’ margarine
- 100g frozen chopped onion or ½ medium leek, finely chopped
- 400g frozen mixed veg (such as carrots, cauliflower, green beans and peas)
- 300g risotto rice
- 500ml passata (sieved tomatoes)
- 1 litre gluten free vegetable stock
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
- 70g mature Cheddar, finely grated
For the breadcrumb topping:
- 1 x 125g ball of mozzarella, cut into small chunks
- 70g gluten free breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil spray
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180C fan/200C.
- Add the margarine to a large ovenproof pot that has a lid and place over a medium heat. Once melted, add the onion or leek and fry until the onion is browned or the leek has softened.
- Add the frozen veg and, once defrosted a little, add the rice and stir well. Fry for 2–3 minutes before adding the passata, stock, salt, pepper and mixed herbs. Briefly stir, then pop the lid on, transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid, briefly stir and place back in the oven with the lid removed for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the grated Cheddar until melted, then scatter the chopped mozzarella on top and pat down to form a flat layer. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs all over the top so that no risotto can be seen below and spray well with oil. Return to the oven for 15 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp.
