On average, gluten-free products are 242% more costly than regular options, an alarming statistic as a full-time college student.
Navigating the aisles of the grocery store as a college student can be daunting, especially when you're following a strict gluten-free diet. Simply seeing a $.99 box of mac-and-cheese next to a $3.49 gluten-free alternative is enough to make me call my Mom and complain for an hour. "Isn't this supposed to be the food college kids live off of? What about ramen? A $13.99 frozen pizza?"
It's taken quite a bit of trial and error to get to the point I am now with cooking and shopping regularly, especially now that I my own kitchen. With prices on the rise, along with tuition costs (yikes), I'm here to give my best tricks to keeping a weeks worth of gluten-free groceries under $75.
1. Don't be afraid to steer away from "certified gluten-free" brands
Of course, having a "certified GF" label on your pasta sauce or vegetable can is going to keep the mind at ease, but it's crucial to save some coin by learning to trust your label reading capabilities. There are few items I shop for that are always labelled as gluten-free, these typically being breads and pastas (of course), but that doesn't mean there aren't viable options out there that are safe to purchase. If you're unsure, I recommend using a scanning app, such as FIG, that is personalized to your dietary needs and can break down the barriers of food allergies or restrictions. Watch my recent video about why I love FIG here.
2. Stick to whole foods
Rather than leaning into those processed and fully-made gluten-free foods, I tend to stick to the naturally GF options. For example, I recently got over my fear of cooking raw meat (yay!), and this has knocked down my weekly spending because I'm not focusing on a $10 box of frozen chicken nuggets or meatballs. This also goes for fresh vegetables and fruits, as the opportunities are endless when you find a good recipe on Google.
3. Meal plan the week before it starts
I tend to begin my week with finding two solid recipes and planning to cook them on Mondays and Tuesdays before the week gets hectic. I am someone who is totally OK with leftovers, therefore one solid dinner can make for at least another dinner and maybe a lunch, too. This also helps to avoid overbuying and thinking you'll give something a test, only to put it off until it's the end of the week and you're getting home at 8:00 p.m.
4. Don't fall for 'organic' and 'plant-based' markets
If you want to eat organic and plant-based, good for you, but here we're talking about the college kids that are eating cardboard as a substitute (me). My go to store last semester was Wegman's, which I thought was great... and by great I mean buying frozen chicken nuggets and salsa for $110 each week. It's funny, because I never noticed I was overspending until I saw a comical reel on Instagram about losing thousands there per year (I was on track). Low and behold, I made my way to the Shoprite down the street and I haven't broke $100 since I started. Honestly, low-budget eating has me in a chokehold and I am now a coupon warrior thanks to Shoprite having weekly sales that tend to help sculpt my recipes of the week.
5. If you have a meal plan, use it
This one's ironic coming from me, because I am a big hater of college dining halls, but finding the dishes that are accommodating for you is one of the best bets. For example, my trust lies in the salad bar at my current college, and I always make sure to get there the second they put it out for the day. Lettuce, feta cheese, radishes, flax seeds, onion, spinach, etc. Whatever I need from there is packed into a box for a meal swipe and used for a recipe back in my oven from 1980. Seriously, who is going to need a full bag of spinach when the recipe yields a few leaves? Not me!
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