My Prudence Broke

The recession has resulted in serious financial fallout for many. No news there.

Other sources of involuntary fat trimming are divorce and medical illness. All of which are difficult situations to endure in and of themselves. Add in the inability to eat or provide food for little mouths and the stress becomes unbearable, which , then leads to poor (or even worse) eating habits, which is known to cause medical illness, poor stress management and depression, likely exacerbating the situation and initiating the downward spiral toward poverty.

While your average Food Prude is capable of cutting back a little and still maintaining a mostly healthy diet when money is tight, destitute celiacs face more of a challenge.

For example, a struggling single parent with celiac children is not able to utilize the special school lunch program, which offers children a balanced lunch for cents on the dollar, because these programs do not offer gluten free foods.

Nor is it possible for low income celiacs to simply choose generic foods, or sale items in all categories.

Many of you already know these details, but for the sake of the many non celiacs reading this post, let's point out a few of the extrordinary expenses associated with the gluten free diet.

1. Bread: Gluten Free, $6.49 makes 4 sandwiches. A 'regular' loaf costing, on average $3.50 and yielding roughly 11 sandwiches.

2. Pretzels: Gluten Free, $6.99 14.1 oz. bag. Glutinous pretzels, $3.29 for 16 oz bag.

3. Pancake Mix: Gluten Free, $5.69 on average with 10 servings. Bisquick mix $2.75, 28 servings.

So what's a destitute celiac to do? Compromise nutrition seems to be the only solution, hence the broken prudence. While fruits and vegetables are always a good source of naturally gluten free food, it is not enough to round out a diet and supplement those that cannot use knives or cook regularly (the wide and ever growing population of short celiacs)

I am opening up this blog to public comments and asking for tips and suggestions for gluten free diets on the cheap.

Follow along as I divulge the details of our families compromise through tough times.