Happy Friday everyone! Here's hoping that you do something fun or relaxing this weekend. I will be spending mine having a catch, playing Tiger Woods at Fredie and Mel's, kayaking, golfing and playing the bass. B-e-a-utiful. =)
First, allow me to clarify that I do not have Celiac, and am fully gluten tolerant. I just have an above-average awareness and understanding of gluten-free (GF) and empathize with people who do have Celiac or are gluten intolerant. So when I see something in the news, I read it.
The premise of the article is that when people go GF, their grocery bills increase significantly as a result stocking up on "gluten-free versions of breads, crackers and pizza made from grains other than wheat" that "can be expensive and might not even be that healthy, since most GF products are not fortified with vitamins."
Now, some GF products out there are more expensive than their non-GF counterparts. When you're talking about a $1.29-cent loaf of "bread," everything is going to be more expensive. But hey - now if you're on the price is right and they ask you how much the loaf of bread costs, you know the answer.
I'd like to argue that for most people, the grocery bill increases aren't a result of going GF or even supply-side market conditions. Consider this: The only part of the food pyramid that deals with gluten is "Grains." Meat, nuts, beans, dairy, fruits, vegetables... all GF. Not to mention there are also grains that are GF (any kind of rice, quinoa, oats). Personal note: If you actually eat the proper amounts of meat, nuts, beans, dairy, fruits and vegatables each day, 6-11 servings of grains seems a bit much! (And don't tell me you won't be getting enough fiber - that's what the beans and fruits and veggies are for.)
So, let's say someone has to go GF, and they've already been shopping according to the Food Pyramid. Why should there bills increase much, if at all? The fact is, they probably won't. So that means going GF isn't the real reason people see increases. I propose that true reason for the increases is that people were not buying the natural foods recommended in the food pyramid. I know when I went from eating processed this and frozen that to eating 3 balanced meals comprised of actual food each day, my bills increased.
The NY Times article is awesome for bring attention to the cause of GF - particularly its mention of how Celiac is ignored by the drug industry because there's no way to treat it with a drug (and therefore, no profits to be made). But in my opinion, the article might as well have been called, "The Expense of Eating Real Food - Gluten Free or Not."
That is all. =)
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