Doubting it if keto on a budget is possible? You’d be amazed after reading through this article!
Eating a high-quality, healthy ketogenic diet without breaking the bank is pretty feasible, even if you are not loaded with cash.
Listed below are some clever tips to help you eat keto on a budget and get the results you want:
How to Eat Keto on a Budget
1. Make “Ingredients” From Scratch
This is a great money saver tip for keto lovers. Rather than buying ready-made ingredients, such as salad dressings, flours, salsas, nut butter, soups, and the likes it is advisable you make them right from the scratch.
By so doing, you will be able to cut some costs while also shielding yourself against food additives and added sugar, both of which could lead to serious health conditions.
In addition to that, it is also advisable you have your own kitchen appliances as they will help to make your cooking much easier. This includes food processor, blender, cooking pots, knife, cutting board, food container, etc.
The fortunate thing is that you don’t need to spend heavily to get any of the aforementioned. All you need is a high-quality appliance and you are good to go.
2. Skip the Fancy, Packaged Keto Diet Foods
The market is filled with a number of keto-compliant foods, such as meal replacement bars, fat bombs, or shakes.
The plain truth is that you don’t need all that to be successful on your keto diet.
When you restrain yourself from these foods, it will not only help save your money but will also prevent you from certain side effects that come with processed and packaged foods.
Read Also: 7-Day Beginner Keto Diet Meal Plan for Weight Loss
3. Choose Your Cuts of Meat Wisely
There are a number of meats you can opt for out there, with your area of residence, the shop you wish to purchase from, the cut of meat, and the type of meat you intend buying serving as the price determinant.
Basically, pasture-raised meat is usually more expensive than organic, the roast cut is cheaper than Beef, pork shoulder roast are cheaper than bone-in pork chops, Chicken thighs are sold lesser than a boneless skinless breast, and the list continues…
At this juncture, what you need do is to go for the more budget-friendly meats so as to help save some money for other expenses.
4. Keep It Simple
A keto meal doesn’t have to feature a wide number of different elements. The fewer ingredients in a meal, the less money you tend to spend when it’s time to buy them.
This is why it is imperative to opt for only simple diets that require fewer ingredients.
5. Create A Meal Plan and Grocery List and Stick to It
Scheduling the foods and snacks for each weekday is among the best ways to eat keto on a budget as you will not have to keep thinking about what to eat for each day.
Again, there are a lot of keto meals available out there, if you don’t have a clear list of what you intend to buy, there’s a high probability that you will spend more than you ought to.
Therefore, be sure to first create a shopping list for the basic ingredients needed for your meal and go get them from your desired online or offline store, sticking to that list.
Part of the benefits of creating and sticking to a meal plan and grocery list is the fact that it will help you not to spend more than what you intended while also giving your weight loss goal a huge boost.
Read Also: 10 Easy Keto Dinner Recipes for Weight Loss
6. Make Your Meals, Condiments, and Sauces At Home
Eating out or buying readymade meals is one of the common mistakes some keto lovers usually make, and the plain truth is that it can drastically drain your budget.
This is why it is always advisable to opt for homemade meals.
When you make your meals at home, it will help you save more and boost your overall wellbeing.
Again, it will help avoid those extra costs, calories, and carbs that you could’ve gotten when you eat readymade or restaurant meals.
7. Cook in Bulk
If you are the type who cooks a fresh, separate meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on a daily basis, it will drain your energy levels and money very quickly.
To prevent against such, opt for keto recipes that have multiple servings so as to help save the cost you’d have incurred on buying ingredients and cooking daily for the entire week.
If you want to better save your money, you can try to plan your meals during the period when there are ongoing weekly special offers or discounts on keto foods, such as meat, high-fat dairy, low-carb vegetables, to name but a few.
8. Buy Fresh Meats That Are About To Expire
Fresh meats that are about to expire are always sold at incredibly low prices, which is an advantage to you.
This is because grocery stores wouldn’t want to lose the entire money invested in the expiring products, and for this reason, they usually sell at reduced prices or discount it by as much as 20%..
Read Also: 11 Superb Keto Snacks for Rapid Weight Loss
9. Buy In Bulk
Buying in bulk is one of the best money-saving tips to help you eat keto on a budget.
This is because most foods are sold at lesser prices when you purchase them in bulk as opposed to smaller quantity [which is actually pricier] that many dieters practice.
Therefore, always buy the necessary ingredients you need for your keto diet in bulk to save some costs.
That said, it is equally important to let you know that there are some demerits associated with bulk purchasers.
For instance, if you buy in bulk without adequate storage in place, your ingredients tend to waste away or perish.
To avoid such, make sure to buy foods in large quantities only when you have the required storage facility.
10. Other Money-Saving Tips to Eat Keto on A Budget
- Always purchase whole instead of chopped ingredients as they are kinder to the wallet.
- Opt for recipes with few ingredients or the ones you already have the ingredients at your disposal.
- Plan your meals around deals, discounts, and coupons.
- Buy your eggs, meats, and cheeses in bulk
WRAPPING UP ON FOLLOWING THE KETO DIET ON A BUDGET
You don’t necessarily have to break the bank to stick to a keto diet. All you need do is to keep to the aforementioned tips and see the changes yourself.
That said, below are some recommended keto grocery list for you:
Fruits and Vegetables– Avocado, Broccoli, Cucumber, Spinach, Eggplant, Strawberries, Blackberries, Peppers, Olives, Tomatoes, Lime, lemon.
Fish and Meat – Organic chicken, Grass-fed beef, Tuna, Sardine, Salmon, Bone broth.
Dairy – Cheese, Eggs, Almond milk, Coconut milk, Sour cream, Nut milk, Plain Greek Yoghurt, Butter.
Fats and Oils – Avocado, Coconut, Hazelnut, Salmon, Sardines, Flax seeds, Walnuts, Grass-fed butter, Egg yolk, Cod liver oil.
Sweeteners – Swerve, Truvia, Monkfruit, Stevia, Erythritol.
Read Also:
- 10 Best Healthy Fat Burning Snacks for Effective Weight Loss At Home
- Weight Loss Diet: 7-Day Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan to Lose 10lbs in A Week
- Keto Lunch Ideas: 12 Satisfying Keto Lunch Recipes for Weight Loss