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Low carb food and diet on a low budget

Doing it on a "low" budget doesn't necessarily mean shopping around (it also depends on how much a low budget constitutes).

Shopping around most likely would make it cheaper but it still can be low budget and done buying in a single place. Food variety and treats might be compromised, but the question is if it is possible to do low carb on a low budget.

One of the aspects that tends to be overlooked is that low carb doesn't necessarily mean high fats or high protein (it can be either or both or none of them). It just simply means reduction of certain carbs.

Some reduce carbs more than others, some eat more than others, some prefer spiced up food, some prefer fairly bland food. Is variety what tends to be compromised, but not the diet itself, if one really wants to do low carb and is capable of compromising, which is easier said than done.

Green vegetables are a very useful low carb tool that tends to be ignored by many. You can have a perfectly low carb meal by having a nutritious, filling, creamy soup, and I normally get a batch of 5 portions out of just a few green veggies and 2 stock cubes. Or as mentioned above, having hummus (if your BG and weight can afford you to eat legumes).

I can eat legumes and salad and be happy with my BG for hours, although it doesn't help me with fast weight loss.

Another tool would be portion control, working out how much protein one needs to feel satisfied. And the right balance with fats.

That can all, if not very indulgently, be done on a budget.
 
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mysupermarket.co.uk will give best offers across a whole range of stores but if it costs you more in fuel or fares to get to the store, you're not saving anything.

90% of the food in supermarkets is useless on a low carb diet and supermarkets tend to discount all the junk not fresh veg, fish, meat etc which doesn't help anyone on a limited budget to stay healthy and I think it's a deliberate move to flog that stuff. Supermarkets just wouldn't survive without all those crisps, pizzas and other ways to sell cheap corn, soy and wheat and make a profit.

If you have markets and Asian/Middle eastern grocery stores they often do cheap fresh fruit and veg and cheaper herbs and spices. In fact, the world foods aisle of your local supermarket can provide things like cheap tinned tomatoes and spices, also.
The labelling has to show ingredients in English but they seem to be able to get away with leaving out other info - I saw a Polish product which had labelling that seemed to suggest how much insulin would be needed by a T1 to cover the carbs but it hadn't been translated.

Shops like Poundland, 99p Stores, B&M, The Range, Home Bargains etc sometimes have suitable food and it's often a question of browsing on their website or instore.

mysupermarket will also help you identify price differentials between supermarkets. If you have the time and it won't cost you more in fuel or fares, it's worth going to several supermarkets, providing you have the willpower to stick to your list. I saved 50p by buying lemons in Sainsbury's not Tesco last week but buying grapes in Tesco not Sainsbury's saved £1. A 10 min walk to Morrisons saved me £9 on a whole chicken compared to Ocado.
 

I've actually found that I spend less since my husband went LCHF. Initially, there were some things I bought like almond flour and some nuts, but they've seemed to last a relatively long time. In fairness, I shop mainly in Aldi where I find cheeses and meat are good value,double cream at 69p. They even have free range eggs at a great price and and there are loads of meals you can use eggs for. We now buy less veg, generally just cabbage, caulis and broccoli, no fruit, no rice, pasta,potatoes or bread no biscuits, cakes, biscuits, jams, readymade sauces & meals and very little milk. Generally, there are no impulse buys as I've already planned the meals. I also have a list. It would be great to get all organic but I get what's available.
 
 
lol at the price of the mayo, I now make my own it's quick and easy in the food processor. There are only two of us so it only takes two egg yokes, it's yummy and i know there are definitely no sugars in it!
 
timerich said:
lol at the price of the mayo, I now make my own it's quick and easy in the food processor. There are only two of us so it only takes two egg yokes, it's yummy and i know there are definitely no sugars in it!
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Yes indeed .

Ironically, the reason i rarely make mayo nowadays is because with just me eating it (MrB dislikes it) i dont eat enough to justify a whole egg and proportional oil. Without the preservatives they shove in the bought stuff, i end up throwing half away...
 

I posted ages ago that I thought lower carb was cheaper than before. We never used many processed foods, but they're even more rare now.

You do make an excellent point about the initial stocking of new or different ingredients in the early days. I know our spice racks have grown considerably, but they last ages, even when used regularly. For those not used to cooking from scratch, with herbs and spices, it must be daunting to have spices in the trolley every week, but I find buying supermarket own brands to be absolutely fine, rather than Sharwoods or the like. I mean, fennel seeds are fennel seeds, surely?
 
But you don't use the whole egg surely? Only the yolk? And you can make nice mayonnaise for one person out of one yolk. What I find a bit difficult is what oil to use.
 

I must confess I haven't made too much mayo; sticking to good old Helmans instead, but could you may use part of the notionally leftover home made mayo to create a small batch of coleslaw or another slaw, using courgettes, perhaps, if you're not fancying the carbs in some of the traditional coleslaws?

My home made aioli legendary for the amount of garlic I load into it, but more moderate flavouring options are available. We almost always have (home made) chilli oil and some garlic oil on the go, and they made decent mayo, provided it's based on a decent olive oil.
 
Yup, i use the whole egg.

That was the recipe that came with my hand blender, years ago, and I've always followed it... Sooooo quick and easy.
 
Totto said:
But you don't use the whole egg surely? Only the yolk? And you can make nice mayonnaise for one person out of one yolk. What I find a bit difficult is what oil to use.
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Don't use extra virgin olive oil tastes too 'olivey' (I know that's not a real word) I use one that's a mixture of refined oils.
 
@Brunneria I would love to try making the coconut yoghurt you mentioned. Could you possibly tell me how to do it? I know you say add live yoghurt to coconut milk........but then what?

I'm doing a real food ND for another 2 weeks but this coconut yoghurt will be on my list of things to try afterwards
 

we've got a thread on it kicking around here somewhere... ah, here you go.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/coyo-and-home-made-coconut-milk-yoghurt.78518/
 
If you like organic food but not the prices, Organic September is an annual promotion which sees higher availability and lower prices all month.

Ocado, Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Tesco take part for example, and price discounts can be as much as 25% off.

The lower prices can be used to make meals to freeze, which are temporarily cheaper than if using conventional food.

If you eat berries, right now you'll find blackberries and blueberries in the country. Doesn't look like a vintage year for blackberries but the elderberries are loaded.
 
I was in Tesco today and I wanted 2 chicken breasts with skins on. They had none on the shelves (I'm not sure they even do it at all) so I had to go to the meat counter - £5 for 2 breasts!!!! How is it that skin on is more expensive when there is less processing needed?
 
I find that when I don't snack and I consistently walk past cakes, sandwiches, etc. in coffee shops, I save a lot of money. For the grocery foods, it depends. I know now where to buy the cheapest nuts, seeds, coconut oil, etc. I get away with cheap meat, thanks to my slow cooker and the guts to try different types of meat, and cheap veggies at the market. Just today I bought 5 courgettes, 2 huge (really huge) broccoli heads and a bag of red peppers for altogether £3.
 
For me,chicken legs or quarters are a must. I roast them,boil them,stew them and what ever else I could think. Generally you can get 4 for £2-3. Own brand frozen white fish fillets are good, lidl has pollock for less than 4 pounds for minimum 10 fillets. I've always gotten 12 or 14 fillets in a pack.
 
Cheaper to buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself. You get more than one meal and a carcass for a soup base.
 
catherinecherub said:
Cheaper to buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself. You get more than one meal and a carcass for a soup base.
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Needless to say I didn't buy those extortionate bits of chicken! I actually did go for one of their cooked chickens, which was much cheaper considering the amount of chicken I got from it. Didn't have time to cook one myself today.
 
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