Wegmans targets celiacs with money-saving tips

Wegmans Food Markets is helping celiac sufferers — who eat a gluten-free diet to treat their disease — better manage their grocery budgets.

Though greater availability of these specialty products has helped lower costs, gluten-free products are still more expensive than conventional foods.

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"A 2008 Canadian study found gluten-free products cost an average 242% more than their regular counterparts — bad news for any food budget!" posted Wegmans dietitian Trish Kazacos on the retailer's Fresh Stories blog. "For those with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, living gluten-free is not a choice. It’s the only treatment currently available for both conditions."

Kazacos suggests shoppers plan purchases with the wegmans.com shopping list builder or app, and the retailer's Gluten-Free Wellness Key. Opting for Family Pack-size offerings like gluten-free Glutino Pretzel Sticks and Crunch Master Crackers, multigrain, 5-seed, is another way to save, she says.

Read more: Wegmans goes gluten free for Passover

There are also naturally gluten-free options "such as plain, unseasoned meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and gluten-free grains," said Kazacos.

"Include a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in various forms—fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice.  To stay on budget, stick with seasonal fresh produce and use canned, dried and frozen options for off-season items."