Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are you’ve heard about the ketogenic diet, more commonly referred to as the Keto diet. Everyone has fallen in love with this diet because of great results seen in before and after photos, constant chatter about it on social media, and numerous celebrity endorsements from stars like the Kardashians, Megan Fox, and Adriana Lima; it’s even the subject of a popular documentary, The Magic Pill, on Netflix. Maybe you’ve even thought about trying it yourself. The truth is, because it is a diet that is focused on higher intakes of fat, it can get expensive if you’re not careful. The good news is you can still do the Keto diet on a budget.
Here are 10 tips to help get you on the road to a healthier you without breaking the bank.
Today’s guest post is by Jessica S.
What Exactly Is the Keto Diet?
Before we start talking about how to do the Keto diet on a budget, let’s first understand what it is we’re talking about. The Keto diet is designed to keep your body in a state of ketosis, where it is burning fat rather than carbs.
Photo Credit: My Keto Kitchen
To achieve this, approximately 80% of your daily calories come from fat, 15% comes from protein, and carbs are limited to the last 5% of your daily calories. It’s similar to the Atkins diet that used to be so popular. However, it’s important to ensure that you are consuming healthy fat – think extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, etc. – and not relying solely on foods like bacon and loads of cheese.
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How to Eat Keto and Stay on a Budget
When you eat Keto, you are basically cutting out all processed foods which are heavy in both carbs and sugars. The problem often is that these processed foods are some of the cheapest items on your current shopping list. When is the last time you spend more on noodles than you did on a chunk of meat? You get my point.
While it is true that Keto is heavily based on more expensive ingredients, if you do a bit of planning and use some budgeting techniques you can easily eat Keto for nearly the same price per meal as you have been eating. Before you go on your next grocery run use these tips to make your Keto diet more affordable.
#1 Avoid the Gimmicks
There are lots of foods out there that are advertised as being Keto friendly. It’s not uncommon for people to think they need to include these foods and supplements in their diet. Honestly, the Keto diet is just as effective, if not more, without all these fancy “Keto friendly” products. If you want to integrate them into your diet and it fits in your budget, then, by all means, go ahead.
But if you are on a tight budget and these products don’t fit into that budget, then your diet isn’t going to fail simply because you didn’t buy the special protein powder or other “Keto friendly” products.
#2 Watch for Sales
My grandmother loved the circulars, my mother loves the circulars, and to be quite honest I kind of like them too. Maybe you call them something different; maybe you call them sales flyers or advertisements. Whatever you call them, they are key to being able to do the Keto diet on a budget.
Make sure you check out what each store in your area has on sale for the week and then use that as the basis of your meal plan. This can help you get essential ingredients at cheaper prices, helping you stay within your budget. Also, make sure you check the app for the stores in your area as well if they have one.
Photo Credit: Coupons in the News
Many times, stores will advertise sales exclusively for app users, which can give you even more savings. If you can, don’t be afraid to go to multiple stores to get the most bang for your buck.
Another way to save money at the store is to use the Ibotta app. Check out our detailed review on Ibotta.
#3 Use Less Expensive Proteins
Proteins are an essential component of the Keto diet. While there are many different types of meat different cuts available, if you’re on a budget it makes sense to think about which ones are more affordable.
One of the best methods of saving money on meat is to find your local butcher shop. Going to a butcher allows you to purchase all animals and get the maximum savings on meat. However, this requires having a deep freezer to store the excess.
Another method is to look for quick sale packages or prepackaged traits that are close to their expiration. These are often significantly discounted. Don’t be afraid to buy lean meats as you can always add more fats back in.
If you are simply looking to make a purchase in the store, consider simply using eggs as your protein or the following cheaper cuts of meat.
Cheaper Cuts of Beef
- Flat Iron
- Chuck-Eye Steak
- Sirloin Tip—Center Steak, Side Steak, Steak, Roast
- Top Round—Roast, Steak
- Eye of Round—Roast, Steak
- Bottom Round—Roast, Steak
- Beef Shank
Cheaper Cuts of Pork
- Pork Shoulder
- Pork Loin Roast
- Ground Pork
- Sirloin Chops
- Spareribs
Cheaper Cuts of Chicken
- Drumsticks
- Leg quarters
- Bone-in Chicken Thighs
- Whole Chicken (reuse for multiple meals)
- Wings
- Boneless Chicken Breast
Cheaper Cuts of Lamb
- Breast
- Shoulder
- Chump
- Middle Neck
#4 Create a Meal Plan
Sitting down and planning out your meals for the week can be a huge cost saver when doing the keto diet on a budget. Make a meal plan that is doable for you, such as a meal plan for two weeks.
If that’s overwhelming, simply plan out your meals for the next 3 to 4 days and go from there. When you create a meal plan you know exactly what ingredients you need and how much.
It also helps you minimize the number of ingredients required to make your meals for the week. For instance, if you plan to buy a whole chicken you can use the meat in a couple of different meals, and boil the bones to make a bone broth or soup. Using a meal plan also helps ensure that your meals have the right percentage of fats, proteins, and carbs.
#5 Make a List
Make a list of the different ingredients that you need for the week’s meals, plus any bulk items on sale that you want to purchase.
After you have made a list, the most important thing is to stick to the list! Many times we go into the store armed with the list with good intentions, but end up blowing our budget by grabbing goals other items that we “need.”
If you are steadfast sticking to your list, you should be able to stay within your budget. This also helps keep you from wasting food and growing science experiments in the back of your refrigerator.
#6 Coupons are Your Friend
By no means am I telling you that you need to become an extreme couponer. However, using coupons can be advantageous when you are on a budget and looking to save money.
The biggest thing is finding coupons for the items that you need. Just because there is a coupon for a dollar off a product doesn’t mean you need to buy it if it’s not on your list. Pay attention to this when doing the keto diet on a budget. You don’t want to overspend.
There are numerous places you can find coupons including sales flyers, store bulletin boards, store apps, and other coupon websites. It’s important to note that every store has a different coupon policy, especially regarding double coupons, combining coupons, and overages.
If coupons are your thing consider signing up for an app like Ibotta or Fetch Rewards which are similar to a cash back program. All you have to do is scan the receipt and you get points for participating products that can be redeemed for rewards.
#7 Stock Up
Whenever you can, buy in bulk. Buying things in bulk means you will be paying less per ounce. It also helps you reduce your weekly budget if you already have a stockpile of staple ingredients.
Shopping at wholesale stores like Sam’s Club or Costco make it easy to buy large quantities at reasonable prices.
Wholesale stores are not the only places where you can buy in bulk though. Remember the butcher? Purchasing a whole animal can help you by meat in bulk and at a much lower rate than you will find at the grocery store.
Another place to buy bulk is at the farmer’s market. Buy large quantities of vegetables when they are in season and cut and freeze your own. You’ll end up with substantial savings from purchasing important vegetables out of season or frozen.
#8 Think Outside the Store
It’s important to remember that we aren’t just limited to the stores that are around us. (Thank you technology). There are tons of websites where you can buy dry goods and staples.
Sites like Amazon have a whole category dedicated to food and grocery allowing you to possibly find even better deals than your local stores. Other sites, like Nuts.com, sell nuts and nut butters in bulk, which can lead to serious savings. Doing the keto diet on a budget is simple.
Low Carb Keto Snacks at Amazon
If you are looking for a certain ingredient or just stocking up on other dry essentials, doing a quick google search and using browser extensions like Honey or DontPayFull.com can find you savings and help you do your shopping without even leaving your home.
#9 Consider Intermittent Fasting
Wait, I thought this was about Keto. Don’t worry, it is. Intermittent fasting is another popular diet trend right now that can easily be combined with Keto. While there are several different ways of doing intermittent fasting, what I’m talking about here is simply skipping a meal or two during the week.
In other words, maybe you know you’re going out with your girlfriends on Saturday night, so why don’t you go ahead and skip dinner on Thursday? Not only does this help boost your weight loss (it’s scientifically proven!), but you save money by not eating that meal. So ultimately combining intermittent fasting and Keto is a win-win.
#10 Home is Where the Savings Are
I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but I’ll say it again. It’s cheaper to eat at home than it is to eat out (even fast food). It might be a pain, but it will help you stay on budget and likely eat healthier.
This goes beyond cooking though since it even applies to meal prep and ingredients. Buying whole produce (think whole carrots) and cutting it to the size you need (think baby carrots) is much cheaper than buying pre-cut produce.
Another thing that is super easy to make at home is dressing. Go to the store and it’s likely to cost you a $3-5 per bottle, whereas you can make what you need for a fraction of that cost. In other words, with most ingredients, you are likely paying for the convenience.
So, if you have the time consider exactly what you need to make your meals and see if you can make some of it at home and you’ll start to realize not only does it taste better, but you’re saving money too. Here is a list of 50 salad dressing recipes to make at home.
Bonus: Don’t Stress When Doing the Keto Diet on a Budget
Ultimately, Keto is a diet that is intended to jump-start weight loss. The main idea is to meet the allotment of calories between fats, proteins, and carbs. It doesn’t have to be fancy branded foods or special supplements. You don’t have to make every meal look like a Pinterest dish.
You simply do what works for you. Stressing about it is only going to make it more difficult (especially if you struggle with emotional eating). Do your best and remember that adopting this diet is more a lifestyle change than anything else, especially given our conditioning to be dependent on carbs (i.e. the food pyramid).
Before You Go… An Important Thing to Know About Keto
Another thing to point out is that, like all diets, Keto is not necessarily a one size fits all approach to weight loss. It is important to make sure you are getting your macronutrients and that you are not making yourself deficient of any vitamins or minerals. The best way to do this is to ensure you eat a wide variety of foods (and colors).
If something starts to feel off or you aren’t feeling right, listen to your body and visit your doctor.
Have you tried the keto diet or have any questions? Let us know in the comments!
Related Posts:
- My Keto Journey: How I lost 50 lbs and Kept It Off
- How to Save Money on Groceries: 4 Frugaltastic Tips
- Easy Chicken Fajitas: 15 Minute Meals for Picky Eaters Series
About Jessia S.
Jessica is a mother of two and author of OurGlobalLove.com, a multicultural family lifestyle blog. She lives across multiple countries while raising and homeschooling her two little ones. She enjoys sharing about their unique adventures and helping others tackle the challenges that come with a multicultural relationship/family.
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