Low Cost Low Carb

Inexpensive Low Carb Eating

There's no doubt about it, eating low carb tends to make the grocery bill grow as we shun cheap starches and sugars. Is this inevitable? How can we eat in a way that is healthy for us without taking out a loan to do it? `

The Problem

Processed foods high in starch and sugar are cheap, and have become staples of budget-conscious consumers. As a consequence, many of us have gotten used to eating a lot of low-cost starchy foods. But note that anyone seeking to improve their diet, whether low carb or not, would want to decrease the amount of products made with a lot of sugar and white flour anyway.

Some Perspective

Before I give you tips for decreasing the cost of fresh foods, let's pull back and consider a couple of things:

1. Consider your health as a long-term investment.

If we neglect to maintain our cars, we will end up spending more on them in the long run when the parts wear out. At the extreme, not maintaining our cars could result in collisions which total the car and potentially ourselves.

So often, we don't give our bodies the same consideration we give our cars, with similar long-term results. Putting healthy, nutritious food into our bodies is an investment in our long-term health. It can even pay off in the relatively short-term if, for example, you are taking medications to control blood pressure or blood glucose. (In fact, if you are taking these medications, it's important to have your doctor in the loop when eating low carb, as there is a good chance your doctor will need to lower your dose or discontinue the medication altogether.)

2. Low carb eating is a cost-effective way to get nutrition. When you consider food expense on the basis of how much it costs to get all the nutrients you need (rather than the calories you need), vegetables, fruits, eggs, meats, and dairy products actually come out on top. A study by the American Dietetics Association showed this to be the case. The reason is that those starchy and sugar foods, while cheap, do not deliver much in the way of the essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats, as well as antioxidants, etc).

3. Be clear on what you are comparing. When compared to eating out, or most take-out food, low carb groceries are probably not more expensive. That said, let's move along to

How To Cut Costs on a Low Carb Diet

First, think about the low carb foods you use most. Undoubtedly, sources of protein and vegetables are the main items on your grocery list, but check your low carb pantry, refrigerator, and freezer and think about your most-used staples. How do we go about finding low cost sources of these foods? Most of the tips known to any smart shopper will help, including:

1. Know your suppliers. Which stores near you have sales on the food you use most? Sales tend to go in cycles, so stock up on nonperishables when you can. Studying the sales for a few weeks will give you a good idea. Also, stock up on seasonal goods. I always throw a few bags of low carb super-star cranberries in the freezer each December.

2. Get to know new suppliers. Perhaps there are stores which are too far to go to often, but have good deals on some foods you use. Keep a list so you can visit them when you have other errands in the neighborhood. There is an Asian market 45 minutes away from me. I don't go often, but I stock up on certain items when I am in the area. There isn't a Trader Joe's in my neighborhood, but there is one close enough to make planned trips to. See if you can find stores which sell overstocked and off-label brands. There used to be a "Grocery Outlet" near me where I could buy some food this way.

3. Get to know local farmers. More and more, farms are offering weekly boxes of whatever is being harvested that week for a reasonable subscription fee (this is called a CSA for "Community Supported Agriculture"). I subscribe to these boxes from two different local farms, which include fresh eggs. Anything I don't like or is too carby I put into the "exchange" box and switch for something I can use.

Farmer's Markets aren't always less expensive than the grocery store, but they often are. I know someone who makes deals with the farmers to take their "less than lovely" vegetables for a fraction of the cost.

To find CSA's and Farmer's Markets near you, go to www.localharvest.org. Investing in your local farm economy will help it to grow.

4. Plan menus around what's on sale, and then make extra and freeze. Zip-type freezer bags take up less room in the freezer than other types of containers.

5. Use non-meat protein. Eggs, tofu, and other vegetarian protein sources tend to be less expensive.

6. Buy spices, nuts, and beans in bulk at health food stores or other stores. If you're lucky you'll be able to find dry black soy beans, which are much less expensive than canned.

7. Start a Small Garden Think you don't have room for a garden, or that it would be too much work? You would be surprised what will grow in containers, or what you can grow in a small space with almost no work. I have a dozen perennial herb plants which cost me anywhere from 0 (cuttings from neighbors' plants) to $2 each, and they keep producing, year after year. I recommend the book Square Food Gardening for tips on gardening in small spaces.

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