Low-carb eating is popular. According to LowCarbiz, more than 40 million Americans report they're counting carbs, not calories, to manage their weight. But is low-carb eating too expensive for the people who need it most?
USA Today recently published a front-page article that showed the weekly expense of following a low-carb program is greater than following a diet patterned after the recommendations of the USDA, which uses the Food Guide Pyramid. However, although low-carb eating can be expensive, it doesn't have to be. Low-fat dieters can also include meat, fish and chicken in their diet and stay within their food budgets.
The secret is to modify. If you follow the low-carb approaches without making your own modifications, then it may be pricey. Weight-loss books are written to appeal to the eye, and usually contain recipes and photos of appetizing and delicious foods, often expensive cuts of meat, and higher priced fish. If you're on a budget, you're going to have to be creative.
You don't have to be rich to eat low carb, and you don't need to be wealthy to eat a balanced meal plan. Any meal plan can be modified to be healthier and less expensive. Use these tips for shopping economically, for both low-carb and low-fat eating.
1. Stock up: Low-carb living means more protein and fat and less carbs. Buy large-sized packages of meat, chicken and fish, and wrap into smaller sized portions and freeze. Less tender cuts of meat are cheaper, and just as nutritious. Frozen is less expensive than fresh and just as nutritious. Eggs are very inexpensive, so stock up.
2. Manage your meal plan: At eDiets, you get a brand-new menu of meals and recipes weekly. Economize by changing two or three meals and recipes to repeat. You save on price when you buy in bulk and can freeze the remaining portions for your convenience meals.
3. Cut and chop: Premixed and washed salads are convenient, but you pay a price. Buy a head of lettuce, rinse thoroughly and spin in a salad spinner (a great investment -- it makes the crispest lettuce), then wrap in paper towels and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
4. Buy on sale: Even if your meal plan calls for blueberries, if strawberries are in season (as they are now), buy the large size. I saw a "buy one, get one free" sale on strawberries today. Rinse, pat dry, slice and freeze one container, and use the other as your fruit for the week.
5. Limit low-carb packaged food: These items are generally expensive, and not necessary to follow low-carb programs successfully. Atkins makes low-carb bread that can be used on Induction and helps to satisfy cravings, but you use it sparingly, and you can freeze it.
6. Buy inexpensive nuts, instead of the ultra-expensive macadamia nuts: Some of the low-carb programs call for using macadamia nuts and expensive cashews. Walnuts, almonds and peanuts are dramatically less expensive and offer similar nutritional value. Canola oil and regular olive oil are nutritionally similar to extra virgin olive oil, and much less expensive.
7. Be flexible, and use your substitution list: eDiets members receive weekly menus and recipes for all their diet programs, and show members how to use their substitution list when they go shopping. If your menu calls for steak, and your budget calls for chicken, then substitute chicken, or any other protein that's on sale, including fish or tofu.
8. Stick with water: Water is the ultimate budget/diet drink. Artificially sweetened drinks aren't as good for you as water… period. Even bottled water can be pricy; you can purchase a refrigerator water filter or under-the-sink model for less than $30 and it will save you money in the long run.
9. Save money on vegetables and fruit: Buy in season (local produce), and check the frozen food aisle for sales on frozen vegetables and fruit. Frozen produce is often more nutritious than fresh, due to the extended time necessary to ship to your local store, where it may sit on the shelf for a number of days before you actually eat it. Frozen produce, picked and processed in the field, retains more valuable nutrition. Local produce will be less expensive and generally fresher than shipped.
10. If you're eating out, save money by sharing an entrée and ordering a salad for an appetizer: Eating out is usually more expensive than cooking at home, but an occasional night out can be made more economical by sharing.
