#7 – Saving Time and Saving Money on GAPS

Clock face and American currencySome parents question the value of the time consuming/expensive GAPS diet as many doctors dismiss GAPS as being “unproven”. Until then, be assured that every parent I have spoken to – who has properly implemented GAPS without cheating – has seen huge improvements in their child’s cognition and behavior.

Please also know that I am pushing hard to launch a scientific research study to validate
the effectiveness of GAPS in a clinical research setting. I will continue to post updates on my efforts at brainfoodcookbook.com.

When the going gets tough, just remember that untreated Autism/ADHD is also expensive and time-consuming – and heartbreaking.

Here are some assorted tips to help you save time and money:

• Cheapest food staples are bananas, eggs, carrots, frozen petite peas, ground beef, homemade pumpkin purée. Also beans, but ONLY if they are tolerated.
• Obtain a stand-alone freezer.
• Buy a quarter-cow and freeze. We choose to have the butcher turn the toughest cuts into ground beef rather than keep them as roasts.
• Buy nuts directly from the grower in bulk and freeze.
• Soak/Sprout/Dehydrate a great quantity of nuts at one time, so you always have some nuts at the ready.
• Soak/Sprout/Slowcook a quantity of beans (or lentils) at one time, and freeze them in recipe-sized portions.
• Form a neighborhood buying group with Frontier Wholesale to buy various organic spices/staples in bulk.
• Unfortunately most warehouse clubs sell woefully few grass-fed/organic products. There is a brand new mail-order “warehouse club” called greenpolkadotbox.com that may be of some usefulness to you.
• Bake double batches of recipes, and freeze.
• Buy bananas 2-3 times per week so you always have ripe bananas on hand. When bananas get overripe, peel and freeze until you have enough for a recipe.
• Buy organic produce in season, and “can” in glass jars, dehydrate, or freeze.
• Save leftover carrot pulp/apple pulp from juicing, and freeze. (Use later for baking).
• Try to grow whatever is easiest/most expensive (i.e. tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, butternut squash).
• Pumpkin has twice the fiber of oatmeal, so it will help you feel full. Many of my baked good recipes contain pumpkin.
• Buy honey directly from the beekeeper.
• Buy raw dairy directly from the farmer.
• Join an organic CSA for fresh veggies in season.
• If at all possible, obtain the following appliances to save time in the kitchen:
KitchenAid Food Processor
Omega Juicer
Excalibur Dehydrator
KitchenAid Stand Mixer
Strong Blender (If you don’t have a Vitamix, a Blendtec or Braun may be sufficient for your needs.)
• Ask friends/family/church members to help out with cooking. Hire a personal chef or culinary student to come help out once a week if your budget allows.

Please remember that no matter your dreams or obstacles, you have the power to change your child’s life. I sincerely hope our resources can help you do just that.

Angela Taylor, MS, CNS, LDN is Board-Certified in Clinical Nutrition and is the author of The BrainFood Cookbook. She successfully recovered her son from autism using the SCD/GAPS/Paleo diet. She resides in Baltimore, MD and holds three degrees from John Hopkins University. Angela is a Licensed Clinical Nutritionist and works with clients via Skype and in-person in Baltimore. www.brainfood-nutrition.com She also serves as Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University teaching Clinical Nutrition.

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