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With the expense of Christmas over .... well until some of the bills come in .... are you thinking of tightening up on your budget ? Food can be expensive, but with a bit of thought, bargain hunting and menu planning living the LCHF lifestyle doesn't need to be.
I first saw this article on The Diabetes Diet Blog and Emma has certainly given some great tips, and well worth sharing with fellow LCHF bargain hunters.
"Eating low-carb can be expensive as cheap ingredients such as rice, potatoes, bread, pasta and beans are often used in meals as the filler – think lasagne, chilli con carne and shepherd’s pie for instance. Meat and fish can be expensive, but there are ways to eat a low-carb diet without incurring huge grocery bills.
1.Use the cheap cuts. Cheaper cuts of meat (such as those labelled “stewing” or “braising” cuts in the supermarket are much cheaper than quick cooking cuts, such as steaks or chops. If you own a slow cooker, you can make up fantastic stews with these cuts too.
2.Eat chicken legs, not breasts. Again, chicken legs are much cheaper than breasts and much more versatile too as they aren’t as easy to overcook as the breast.
3.Shopping later in the evening means you can often bag some meat bargains – supermarkets mark down the meat that is about to reach its sell-by date. You can either cook it that evening or put it in the freezer straight away.
4.Buy eggs at the farmers’ market. In general, farmers’ markets tend to be really expensive (though the quality is superb), but I’ve always noticed that the eggs are cheaper than the supermarket – and much tastier. They are often free-range and organic too.
5.Develop a taste for liver. Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods there is, so if you can develop a taste for it you’ll be consuming a product which is not only very good for you, but is also much cheaper than meat. My local supermarket stocks 227g cartons of chicken liver for 50p. Fry up sliced onions in butter for a delicious accompaniment.
6.Bulk buy nuts, ground almonds and spices – they are cheaper bought this way. Nuts are a healthy snack, ground almonds can be used in low-carb baking and spices can add lots of flavour to your meals.
7.Use tofu. Tofu is relatively cheap, when compared with meat. The secret is to marinate it before cooking to add in lots of flavour.
While processed, high-carb foods tend to be less expensive than the fresh, natural foods you find on a low carb diet, you might view a slightly higher food budget as a long-term investment – one that will benefit your health and greatly reduce your chances of suffering health problems as you get older. "
Link to Emma's article is here: http://diabetesdietblog.com/2014/12/30/seven-tips-for-budget-low-carb-eating/
Of course each of us have some foods we favour more than others, but it's always good to share and exchange ideas, recipes etc. One of our favourite meals for eating LCHF on a budget is a simple fish dish which can be found here: http://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/tonights-low-carb-very-economical-meal.html
Have you any tips or questions about LCHF living on a budget - we'd love to hear them.
Happy LCHF lifestyle to all.
All the best Jan
I first saw this article on The Diabetes Diet Blog and Emma has certainly given some great tips, and well worth sharing with fellow LCHF bargain hunters.
"Eating low-carb can be expensive as cheap ingredients such as rice, potatoes, bread, pasta and beans are often used in meals as the filler – think lasagne, chilli con carne and shepherd’s pie for instance. Meat and fish can be expensive, but there are ways to eat a low-carb diet without incurring huge grocery bills.
1.Use the cheap cuts. Cheaper cuts of meat (such as those labelled “stewing” or “braising” cuts in the supermarket are much cheaper than quick cooking cuts, such as steaks or chops. If you own a slow cooker, you can make up fantastic stews with these cuts too.
2.Eat chicken legs, not breasts. Again, chicken legs are much cheaper than breasts and much more versatile too as they aren’t as easy to overcook as the breast.
3.Shopping later in the evening means you can often bag some meat bargains – supermarkets mark down the meat that is about to reach its sell-by date. You can either cook it that evening or put it in the freezer straight away.
4.Buy eggs at the farmers’ market. In general, farmers’ markets tend to be really expensive (though the quality is superb), but I’ve always noticed that the eggs are cheaper than the supermarket – and much tastier. They are often free-range and organic too.
5.Develop a taste for liver. Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods there is, so if you can develop a taste for it you’ll be consuming a product which is not only very good for you, but is also much cheaper than meat. My local supermarket stocks 227g cartons of chicken liver for 50p. Fry up sliced onions in butter for a delicious accompaniment.
6.Bulk buy nuts, ground almonds and spices – they are cheaper bought this way. Nuts are a healthy snack, ground almonds can be used in low-carb baking and spices can add lots of flavour to your meals.
7.Use tofu. Tofu is relatively cheap, when compared with meat. The secret is to marinate it before cooking to add in lots of flavour.
While processed, high-carb foods tend to be less expensive than the fresh, natural foods you find on a low carb diet, you might view a slightly higher food budget as a long-term investment – one that will benefit your health and greatly reduce your chances of suffering health problems as you get older. "
Link to Emma's article is here: http://diabetesdietblog.com/2014/12/30/seven-tips-for-budget-low-carb-eating/
Of course each of us have some foods we favour more than others, but it's always good to share and exchange ideas, recipes etc. One of our favourite meals for eating LCHF on a budget is a simple fish dish which can be found here: http://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/tonights-low-carb-very-economical-meal.html
Have you any tips or questions about LCHF living on a budget - we'd love to hear them.
Happy LCHF lifestyle to all.
All the best Jan
