DALLAS - Six years ago, when doctors told Amy Twomey of Lake Highlands, Texas, that she had celiac disease, she was overwhelmed.
The only treatment is to stop eating all products that contain gluten, including wheat, rye and barley. That meant she had to give up many of her favorite foods or buy higher-priced gluten-free mixes and prepared foods.
Like many people who find themselves on restricted diets, Twomey found that eating carefully can be expensive.
"The budget was a huge issue, because we were in the middle of starting our family, and money was tight," says Twomey, 38, a freelance photographer, mother of three and Dallas Moms blogger.
She has learned to adapt. Nutritionists say that whether the problem is celiac disease, lactose intolerance, allergies, diabetes or other issues, there are ways to make flavorful meals without breaking the bank.
Kathy Miller, a registered dietitian with the Cooper Clinic, says it can be cost-effective to cook or bake your own food from the raw ingredients allowed in your meal plan.
Since January 2006, food-item packaging has been required to note any of eight known foods or ingredients that can cause problems: wheat, eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fin fish and soybeans. And for celiacs such as Twomey, gluten-free flours can be found in local grocery stores.
For more money, you can buy ready-made mixes for some goods. But Miller notes that you need dedicated cookware, baking pans or a bread maker to prepare these gluten-free or allergen-free foods. Even a residual amount of an allergen can have dire medical consequences, depending on the severity of the allergy.
So if that's too much of an investment, it may end up being more cost-effective to allow yourself to purchase the occasional treat. Whole Foods Market and restaurants such as the Kozy Kitchen offer ready-made gluten-free items at $45-$55 a cake (or $5 per slice) and $12 per loaf of bread.
Miller notes that increasingly, neighborhood grocery stores carry gluten-free products. So before you go to a high-priced specialty store, comparison-shop.
Do you need it?
While the occasional treat may elevate your mood, it's important to remember you don't have to spend more money on special foods to stay healthy, says Sharon Cox, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with Parkland Health & Hospital System. In fact, she has reservations about some treats aimed specifically at diabetics.
"There is not sufficient, consistent information to conclude that special, pre-made sugar-free foods will control blood glucose," she says. "It is the amount of carbohydrates that will affect blood-glucose ranges. Sugar-free products can be expensive and, if consumed in large amounts, can increase blood glucose and have other unpleasant side effects."
Sherry Davidson, a certified diabetes educator at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, Texas, agrees.
"People are encouraged to read labels and keep carbohydrate, fat and protein according to their meal plan," Davidson says. "Eating the proper portions can cut cost. Buying in bulk and dividing into proper portions at home instead of buying individual-sized packages is also a great way to save money."
Twomey has learned many of these lessons along the way. At first, when she was dealing with the suddenly increased cost of gluten-free foods, "What made it easier was to start making recipes that didn't have gluten in them. We ate a lot of beans and baked chicken with rice and vegetables."
She since has learned to make meals that her whole family can enjoy by substituting gluten-free flours.
"I don't have time to cook two different meals," she says. "It's easier for me to use the mixes, but they're three times as expensive. So I'll use substitute gluten-free flours or meals that don't require any flour at all.
"Also we can cook or go out for Mexican food because I can eat corn," she says. "With all the great Mexican food here, Texas is the right place to be gluten-free."
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Read Amy Twomey's recipes on her food blog at www.iamaceliac.blogspot.com
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Making your own meals, instead of relying on expensive ready-made foods, can be key to staying on a budget when you have dietary restrictions. Kathy Miller of the Cooper Clinic offers these tips for substituting ingredients:
Celiacs can substitute quinoa or rice flour for wheat or rye flour.
The lactose-intolerant can try Lactaid milk, goat, soy or rice milk, and most cheeses that are naturally low in lactose.
Those with egg allergies should not substitute Egg Beaters for eggs. Egg allergies are allergies to egg protein, which is found in the whites of eggs; Egg Beaters are all whites, intended for people with high cholesterol who need to cut back on consumption of egg yolks.
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(c) 2010, The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.