I like looking recipes up online, but then get frustrated when I see the price of certain food items. I'm a low carber, so we're always looking for bread alternatives, and I've really been wanting to try things such as almond flour, coconut flour, etc, then I see the price and stop myself from buying them.

Well, last night I went to Walmart, walked by the Coconut Flour again, stared really hard at the $6.98 price tag and relatively small package, and decided once and for all I AM worth $6.98! I've spent way way way more than that on my family going through the drive through! Why would I even think I'm not worth this especially when, in spite of the small bag, I'll manage to make quite a few thing with it.

Last night I made my first coconut cupcake and it was absolutely delicious! I wish I would have "splurged" on myself long ago!!! Sorry for the small rant, I'm just so glad I thought of myself for once! LOL!

Well any processed/speciality/convenience food is going to come with a higher price tag but I'm guessing if you bought a cupcake, it'd cost more than the ingredients for it. I'm not sure what it'd take to make coconut flour, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to find out either

I've been buying my husband ezekiel sprouted grain bread for years but I decided to give it up. I sprouted whole wheat flour (along with other grain flours) and make bread myself not. It isn't as cheap as buying unbleached white flour but it is cheaper. Sometimes we like a little bit of convenience though and although I'm sure I could make sprouted wheat flour, I'm good with buying it by the bag.

I cringed at my first bag of coconut flour too. However, I did learn that it's not quite as expensive as it seems, because you use far less than other flours. A batch of cupcakes that would use nearly 2 cups of white flour may use only 1/2 cup coconut flour.

One tip for saving money on coconut flour and coconut oil - see if you can find a local Asian grocery (ideally Southeast Asian).

First of all, vealcalf, I must say something superficial right now-- YOU ARE SO GORGEOUS! OMG...

Okay, next thing is, yes, you ARE worth it! I've noticed myself that when I stop buying the chips/snacks and spend the money on things like good whole food items, my money is going towards keeping my snacking down and health food intake up. So think of it in those terms. You will eat less, but the quality of what you eat will be better. Plus, how does the saying go?: If you think eating healthy is expensive, have you priced cancer lately? So keep it up! You're doing great.

Totally worth it! Also, I find that when I go for the good stuff (butter or coconut oil over margarine, fresh flour over the dust on the shelves, etc.) I end up eating way less because it's so much more satisfying!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/201...t-1-50-per-day

I'd be curious to see the actual grocery bills for this comparison, but apparently the gross cost difference between 'healthy' and 'junk' for a year is $550 more for the healthy stuff; which works out to $1.50 a day. I imagine it just requires us consistently choosing the healthy bits.... Food for thought!

Thank you all for your kind replies! Dakini you are such a sweetheart for saying that! I was always such an ugly duckling so I always get a big tongue tied if I receive a compliment

I think I have spent so much time saying things like "This COCONUT FLOUR is $6.98" I need to start saying "This is $6.98 and I'm totally worth it!" I think I was too focused on what I was buying instead of the small price I was ultimately paying.

I am so thrilled with what I've been able to make! I've had it for a few days and experimented with the cupcake and also pancakes. I'm not going overboard (I still remind myself that I have to eat a well rounded meal), and honestly as you said I am so much more satisfied with these creations! Sure regular pancakes taste a bit better BUT I could eat an entire stack of them and still be hungry! When I made my 3 small pancakes (each about 1/2 dollar sized maybe a bit more) I was quite full and satisfied!

I'm hoping by reading this someone else out there will realize they are worth those few extra bucks too and spend the money. It's for your health and happiness!!!!

Ordering specialty foods online sometimes saves money over shopping in the store, depending on what you're buying. You're worth it!!

I am such a cheapskate... And spending the extra money on healthier choices is so hard for me. Thanks for helping me get into the right mindset. It's gonna be a process for me. But, if I'm willing to spend $7 on ONE fast-food meal, then I should certainly be willing to spend $7 on something that will get me through a couple of meals or treats.

I also wanted to ask... Does coconut flour taste like coconut? I keep being advised to use it, but I do NOT like coconut, so I keep pushing the idea aside, but it would be nice to use it for my son's "healthier" birthday cake in a few months.

Coconut flour does have what I consider a mild coconut flavor, which can often be masked with other flavorings (like chocolate) until it's barely noticeable. Whether or not you can mask the coconuttiness enough to enjoy is another question.

Personally, I like the flavor of coconut flour much better than I like plain coconut.

You are worth it, and glad you tried it. I just eliminated grains altogether for right now. I want to try to make some gluten free baking products, but am trying to lay off the sweets.

Good to know! After I read this, I looked up this hot chocolate drink I once had that tasted like coconut. It turns out it had coconut flour as the last ingredient. I had taken a sip of it and threw it out, so I HAVE had this before. You lead me on a search and I got my answer based on my tastes as well. Thank you - I really appreciate it!

I typically substitute other whole foods because I like to stay on a budget and I can get a lot of nutritional bang for my buck (like cucumber sub sandwiches, greens for wraps, zucchini for noodles, cauliflower rice, etc) but I have found a few really inexpensive gluten free products.

Aldi sells a gluten free baking mix for around $3 per box. I assume it's like bisquick, and I used it once for a gluten free crust

Big Lots/Ocean State Job Lot sells Bob's Red Mill gluten free products for between $3-7/bag, and they also sell GF corn and brown rice pasta - $2/1lb bag.

I make a lot of chicken nuggets and meatballs for my little one, and I use breadcrumbs. The price of gluten free breadcrumbs is crazy (my mom buys them for $9 a small tub!) so I keep a container of chex mix breadcrumbs in my pantry. I even use the Aldi brand chex and the entire recipe probably ends up being less than $2!

Don't forget to check out amazon and other sites for some of those health foods too. I got a tub of 54oz. coconut oil for $20 with a coupon from iherb...guess the price is coming down on it too. Now I have enough to last me a year and smear all over my body and hair.