I am finding out that I have digestive issues that are here to stay. I am gluten and dairy sensitive, I can eat them but I have to watch how much and what kind (as far as dairy goes). I am looking for ideas that would be good for brown-bagging it. I am a college student on a very tight income. It is just me so I am ok with cooking and eating that item for many meals. I tend to snack more than eat meals. I am also very green (new) to the whole cooking thing, so the easier the recipe is or prep work is, the more I'll make it.

 If anyone has food ideas that would be good for toting along (with or without an icepack) that is tummy friendly, I would appreciate it! TIA
 

Also, I have gone through my pantry and cupboards and have gotten rid of the "bad" things and that is leaving me kind of empty. If anyone has good "stock-up" ideas I would appreciate it. TIA again

  My son has a gluten allergy.  So, I have been very careful and am learning to prepare gluten free foods.  I have found that a gluten free diet is not difficult to eat.  It is pretty simple.  Meat, fruit and veggies are all OK.  He has no dairy problems so milk is a big staple in his diet and he loves milk.  The real issue for gluten allergy are bread and pasta.  I do purchase the gluten free pasta.  It is not something I can make myself.  Gluten free doughs are very difficult to work with as they do not get an elastic texture.  Instead, you end up with something like cake batter.  So, I would recommend buying those products but only take out and use what you actually need for one meal because that type of pasta tends to fall apart easily and doesn't taste as good reheated.  The other issue is bread.  I purchased a breadmaker which has a gluten setting on it.  I use a bagged bread mix for the machine.  It is pricey bread.  I used to make it and keep the loaf out, but since there are no preservatives, a loaf will mold quickly.  Now, after I bake a loaf, I let it cool.  Then, I take my electric knife (a must have for easy cutting if you make your own bread ) and slice the bread.  Then, I freeze the slices 2 per bag in small baggies.  The bread lasts and you just pull out 2 slices at a time and heat in the microwave for a sandwhich.  I also save all the crusts and freeze and then use as breadcrumbs, coating, etc.

  So, stick to a basic plain diet.  You will feel better and it will be frugal!

I think that the reason that your bread sticks together, cschin, is precisely that it is gluten-free.  That is probably also why you need an electric knife.  With regular bread (I bake weekly), after it's cut, I freeze it as is.  I find it easy to separate the pieces upon taking it out of the freezer -- no problems at all.  And so far as cutting it in the 1st place, my aides just use a large chef's knife.

 I just went food shopping. I was able to find out that a local bakery does gluten free bread. Since finding a sweet treat is difficult for me, I bought the gluten free cinnamon raisin bread (it was about $6.59 for a small loaf). It comes frozen so waiting now for it to thaw! (in the frig)  :)

 I hated the month plus I was on a gluten free diet ( mainly cause I had to cook regular for everyone else).  I suggest investing in a thermos.  That way you can have hot soups, stews or even a rice casserole if you have a wide mouthed kind.  I used to have a nice rice bread recipe.  Honey and peanut butter, raisins applesauce make nice treats and also dried fruits.  Split pea soup is very inexpensive and easy to make - just watch out as it really expands! Lentils cook up fast too, compared to regular dried beans. Thank goodness you can still eat all the salad you want! I'd check out oriental cooking as they don't usually contain dairy or gluten.  Rice milk is a nice treat and you can make your own.  Almond milk is suppose to be good too. Maybe you can find a used copy of the cookbook Ten Talents as it has some unique recipes that will suit your needs.

blessings,

joan of ark 

http://www.the-gluten-free-chef.com/  I found this in my wanderings today. Hope it might help too.

joan of ark 

My son and I have celiac disease and have been GF for more than 2 years.  If you can afford it, Amazon.com is a great source for GF food.  You do have to buy in bulk, but with the specials they run and the free shipping for orders over $25.00, it can be a frugal way to go.

Other ideas that are easy and GF are nuts, fruit (fresh or dried), lunchmeat and cheese rollups (use a lettuce leaf or GF tortilla), popcorn, string cheese, hummus and GF crackers.

If you are doing your own baking, see if you have an asian grocery nearby.  They are the cheapest place to get our flours.

Hope these ideas are some help to you.

Wow... thanks for the heads up on the flour. We have several in our area (Asian groceries). I was mainly looking for gluten free things at the Co-Op which has the best selection I've seen so far, but it's the most expensive. I am doing more fruits and veggies, lunch meats are iffy with me (I actually have IBS, with gluten and dairy sensitivities, so some days those are good and some days they aren't).  Living in the dairy state, (CA can say they are but most people know WI as the cheesehead state), I have to watch the intake of kind of cheese and amount otherwise I react the same way with gluten.

Thanks for the extra food ideas!