For this week’s blog post, I wanted to look back at my free inquiry introduction and see what my goals and predictions were of going gluten free to connect them to how I am feeling and progressing this far in my inquiry. I took this week to reflect on changes that have occurred so far and the positive, negative or neutral things that have come out of this journey. 

Some of my prompt questions were: 

What is the financial impact of going gluten free?

  • So far my main discovery is that the price of gluten free products and baking ingredients is significantly greater than gluten items. A normal loaf of bread can cost as little as $2 whereas gluten free bread often costs upward of $9. This is the same for flour. Because the supply of bread and pastry items containing gluten is way more than the supply of gluten free items, the price can be lowered through bulk supply. This also has to do with the demand of products. There are only so many gluten free companies so that demand is high making them able to charge more. Because of this I have been consuming more rice based products because it is significantly cheaper. This also goes for eating out at restaurants. Many restaurants have gluten free alternatives to the menu items but they often come at a higher price. For example the gluten free pasta will be $4 more than the original and gluten free pizza crust is an additional $5. 

Are there gluten free recipes to replace my favourite meals and baked goods?

  • Yes! Though hard to find, I have been able to discover and make all of my favourite meals and baked goods gluten free. I have been very surprised by many restaurants having delicious gluten free swaps for all menu items. Origin Bakery has been one of my favourite places to get gluten free baked goods! 

What are some noticeable changes in the food I eat, food I crave and my hunger levels?

  • I haven’t noticed a huge change in the foods I crave but I have noticed a change in my hunger level and the foods I eat. As I discussed in a previous post the snacks I grab on the go have changed to more whole foods rather than fast ready made items. With eating gluten free food, a lot of the products are more dense and filling than gluten options so I become full with less food.

Calorically, is there a significant difference in gluten based products vs their gluten free alternative?

  • As I mentioned above, many gluten free items are more dense. For less quantity, the foods are more calorically dense. Some of the products contain more sugar or fat to mask the texture or flavour of products which is an obstacle I  have had to work around.