If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Low-carb on a tight budget
Eric's comment made me want to bring up the subject of doing low-carb on a budget: "Eric" wrote i We're talking at least six dollars a day if you try to eat 2000 calories in meat and fish with some level of variety. That adds up to some serious bread, doesn't it? Rather than blather, I thought I'd just open up the topic to see what everyone has to say. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Low-carb on a tight budget
"em" wrote in message ...
Eric's comment made me want to bring up the subject of doing low-carb on a budget: "Eric" wrote i We're talking at least six dollars a day if you try to eat 2000 calories in meat and fish with some level of variety. That adds up to some serious bread, doesn't it? Rather than blather, I thought I'd just open up the topic to see what everyone has to say. The budget for our family of 3 is $75/week. I buy one "variety pack" of meat from a local butcher that contains 45# of chicken, beef, and pork of various cuts and sorts, for $74.95. The rest goes into fresh and frozen produce, dairy (including eggs), fish, spices/seasonings/condiments mostly, with the occasional - approx. monthly - package of sweetener, jar of the coffee substitute I drink, and nuts/seeds. We don't eat fruit for the most part, but I do have frozen berries in my "shop" (a big kitchen, actually, out of which I run my business) and will sometimes take a half-cup or so for a sauce or dessert. If the budget allows, when one of our foods goes on sale, I buy as much as I can even if it means buying less of something else. When we ate packaged, prepared, and carby foods, I couldn't shop for $75/week. Low carb is cheaper for us. -- Sherry lowcarb.owly.net |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Low-carb on a tight budget
em wrote:
Rather than blather, I thought I'd just open up the topic to see what everyone has to say. It depends on how you were eating before; if you were eating a lot of processed junk, going low-carb with real food is cheaper. But that's really not about it being low-carb, that's about eating whole foods. And it's actually cheaper to eat high-carb whole foods... wheat berries are darned cheap; you can get 100 lbs of them for under $10 and that would stretch anyone's food budget. Grain is cheap; there's no getting around that - cutting it from your diet raises average food cost. On the other hand, there's some seriously expensive costs associated with not eating well. Even one day in the hospital more than wipes out a year's worth of carefully frugal grocery shopping; it gets a lot worse if you're out-of-work for health reasons. Even on high-carb, you need to get sufficient protein and the only really cheap source of protein is eggs whether you are low-carb or high-carb. IMO, the primary thing to save money low-carbing is a freezer; if you buy meats in bulk, you can save a LOT of money on them. I will have 3 or 4 turkeys in my freezer before the holiday is over as this is the cheap time to buy them. I have been trying hard not to care about food cost since my heart attack, insisting on buying pasture-raised animal products which are more expensive, preferring organic fresh produce over regular, using avocado and coconut oils, etc. Some of the individual prices of stuff I buy freaks me out, but I've not been spending more overall. -- http://www.ornery-geeks.org/consulting/ |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Low-carb on a tight budget
UsenetID wrote:
"em" wrote in message ... Eric's comment made me want to bring up the subject of doing low-carb on a budget: "Eric" wrote i We're talking at least six dollars a day if you try to eat 2000 calories in meat and fish with some level of variety. That adds up to some serious bread, doesn't it? Rather than blather, I thought I'd just open up the topic to see what everyone has to say. Eric appears fixated on the all meat approach to Atkins and low carb. Beef and pork average around 400 to 600 Cals per 6 ounce serving, so the 2000 Calorie intake would require 30 to 20 ounces of beef/pork or call it roughly 1.5 pounds of meat per day. Fattier cuts of meat would reduce the required daily poundage by 20 to 40%. Vegetable oil fats are a pretty cheap form of calories, also. The price range of this much meat can range from $2 / lb to $10 / lb so this could be $3.00 / day to $15.00 per day. The basic answer on expense as raised by Eric is "it depends". I tend to now ignore much of what is claimed about reasons to support oddish forms of low carb diets. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Low-carb on a tight budget
On Nov 11, 10:58 pm, "UsenetID" wrote:
"em" wrote in ... Eric's comment made me want to bring up the subject of doing low-carb on a budget: "Eric" wrote i We're talking at least six dollars a day if you try to eat 2000 calories in meat and fish with some level of variety. That adds up to some serious bread, doesn't it? Rather than blather, I thought I'd just open up the topic to see what everyone has to say. The budget for our family of 3 is $75/week. I buy one "variety pack" of meat from a local butcher that contains 45# of chicken, beef, and pork of various cuts and sorts, for $74.95. The rest goes into fresh and frozen produce, dairy (including eggs), fish, spices/seasonings/condiments mostly, with the occasional - approx. monthly - package of sweetener, jar of the coffee substitute I drink, and nuts/seeds. How much of that stuff do you get for $.05? We don't eat fruit for the most part, but I do have frozen berries in my "shop" (a big kitchen, actually, out of which I run my business) and will sometimes take a half-cup or so for a sauce or dessert. If the budget allows, when one of our foods goes on sale, I buy as much as I can even if it means buying less of something else. When we ate packaged, prepared, and carby foods, I couldn't shop for $75/week. Low carb is cheaper for us. -- Sherry lowcarb.owly.net Yes, I was going to bring that up too. If you're an out of control blivitt eating everything is sight, you're going to eat a whole lot less when you're on LC. Not sure it will entirely offset the higher cost of real food, but it certainly is a factor. And it also depends on what kind of carby stuff you were eating. You can also reduce the cost by using more chicken and less beef, fish, etc. Chicken is on sale here for 40 to 50% off at one supermarket or another every week. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Low-carb on a tight budget
em wrote:
:: Eric's comment made me want to bring up the subject of doing :: low-carb on a budget: :: :: "Eric" wrote i ::: We're talking at least six dollars a ::: day if you try to eat 2000 calories in meat and fish with some level ::: of variety. That adds up to some serious bread, doesn't it? :: :: :: Rather than blather, I thought I'd just open up the topic to see what :: everyone has to say. Worrying about cost where one's health is concerned is "penny-wise and pound foolish". Besides, when one gives up junky overly processed foods, the cost will go down because one typically will eat less (assuming one is losing weight). |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Low-carb on a tight budget
Jackie Patti wrote:
I have been trying hard not to care about food cost since my heart attack, insisting on buying pasture-raised animal products which are more expensive, preferring organic fresh produce over regular, using avocado and coconut oils, etc. Some of the individual prices of stuff I buy freaks me out, but I've not been spending more overall. Jackie, I hope you don't mind me asking, but did you have your heart attack before eating low carb? If not, how did you change your diet? O |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Low-carb on a tight budget
"Roger Zoul" wrote Worrying about cost where one's health is concerned is "penny-wise and pound foolish". I remember a time in my life, not so long ago, at a time that I happened to be on a low-cal diet. My budget was so tight at the time that, when buying food, one of my main buying considerations was calories per dollar. Besides, when one gives up junky overly processed foods, the cost will go down because one typically will eat less (assuming one is losing weight). Junk food is pretty cheap. A loaf of bread. The dollar menu at McDonalds. Cheap microwave pizza. Ravioli on sale for eighty cents a can. There are a lot of inexpensive low-carb foods too. Canned meat on-sale, such as tuna, chicken, etc., goes well with salad & cheap lc dressing. I see tuna on-sale once and a while for $0.50/can. Minute steaks, 12 oz "steaks" are $1 each. You can stock up on mayo when its on sale. Eggs keep for a while and they go on sale frequently. I see a lot of steak on-sale for $1.79 a pound, such as London Broil (I think that's what its called.) I rarely pay more than $3.99/pound for cheese. Buying bulk goods makes a big difference, too. I see five pound blocks of cheese on-sale for pretty cheap, and huge packages of five dozen hot dogs. "Back then", I didn't have the storage space for that kind of stuff. I almost always calculate out cost/pound when choosing food. A difference of ..05/oz in price comes out to .80/pound, for example. You really have to watch the cents/oz when you're buying sandwich meat and cheese. When money is tight, its tight. Down-to-the-penny shopping can make a big difference. I guess a lot of this depends on where you live -- I'm in Los Angeles, and I would guess that prices are higher here than they are in many other cities. Being broke sucks, by the way. I am a much happier person now that I am (and have been) working steady for a while. Mike |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Low-carb on a tight budget
em wrote:
:: "Roger Zoul" wrote :: ::: ::: Worrying about cost where one's health is concerned is "penny-wise ::: and pound foolish". :: :: I remember a time in my life, not so long ago, at a time that I :: happened to be on a low-cal diet. My budget was so tight at the time :: that, when buying food, one of my main buying considerations was :: calories per dollar. I can understand...however, "penny-wise and pound foolish" means that while you're eating "low cost" the pounds are piling on. :: ::: ::: Besides, when one gives up junky overly processed foods, the cost ::: will go down because one typically will eat less (assuming one is ::: losing weight). :: :: Junk food is pretty cheap. A loaf of bread. The dollar menu at :: McDonalds. Cheap microwave pizza. Ravioli on sale for eighty cents a :: can. :: Yep. Certainly appears cheap at first glance. However, eating lots of carbs tends to ramp appetite and people end up eating more food than really need. A loaf of bread might be cheap, but when you eat 4 sandwiches at a time, you go through it quickly while racking up a lot of calories. And you start to get fat. Later on, it will cost you more. :: There are a lot of inexpensive low-carb foods too. Canned meat :: on-sale, such as tuna, chicken, etc., goes well with salad & cheap :: lc dressing. I see tuna on-sale once and a while for $0.50/can. :: Minute steaks, 12 oz "steaks" are $1 each. You can stock up on mayo :: when its on sale. Eggs keep for a while and they go on sale :: frequently. I see a lot of steak on-sale for $1.79 a pound, such as :: London Broil (I think that's what its called.) I rarely pay more :: than $3.99/pound for cheese. Buying bulk goods makes a big :: difference, too. I see five pound blocks of cheese on-sale for :: pretty cheap, and huge packages of five dozen hot dogs. "Back then", :: I didn't have the storage space for that kind of stuff. Good news. You'll pay less and eat less. :: :: I almost always calculate out cost/pound when choosing food. A :: difference of .05/oz in price comes out to .80/pound, for example. :: You really have to watch the cents/oz when you're buying sandwich :: meat and cheese. When money is tight, its tight. Down-to-the-penny :: shopping can make a big difference. :: Yes, cost of food is one thing. But the affect it has on how much you want ot eat is another. I wonder if you knew then what you know now if your math might have been different. :: I guess a lot of this depends on where you live -- I'm in Los :: Angeles, and I would guess that prices are higher here than they are :: in many other cities. :: :: Being broke sucks, by the way. I am a much happier person now that I :: am (and have been) working steady for a while. I was broke for many, many years. It does suck. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Low-carb on a tight budget
"em" writes:
Eric's comment made me want to bring up the subject of doing low-carb on a budget: "Eric" wrote i We're talking at least six dollars a day if you try to eat 2000 calories in meat and fish with some level of variety. That adds up to some serious bread, doesn't it? $6/day is hardly "serious bread," is it? If you buy fast food or eat in restaurants or cafeterias *at all*, you're going to average more than that. If you can't squeeze out $200/month for the right food (I've been there), then that's a separate issue you need to get handled. I'm a cheap *******, but I don't flinch at spending $200-300 on food for myself every month. Sometimes you do get what you pay for, after all. It's true that you *can* eat high-carb cheaper than low-carb, because grains tend to be very cheap (partly due to government subsidies), but most overweight people who come to low-carb aren't leaving behind a diet of ramen noodles and rice. More likely they're leaving behind pizza, pastries, subs, TV dinners, chips, and plenty of other expensive processed foods. Low-carb foods don't have to cost more than those processed high-carb foods, as long as you're willing to do your own preparation and cooking. If you're smart about it, you can have steak and salad at home cheaper than a Happy Meal or a big bag of Doritos. As someone else mentioned, eggs may have the best nutrition/cost ratio of any food there is. Even if you pay a little more for eggs that didn't come from a factory farm, you can get them for 20 cents or less each. Fry 4-5 in a pat of butter, and you've got breakfast for under $1. I get hamburger and pork sausage from a local butcher in bulk for well under $2/pound, so I can have a couple quarter-pounders with mayo and mustard for lunch for another $1 or less. I watch for sales on canned goods like mushrooms, so I can toss them into dishes like omelettes or meatloaf for maybe 10 cents/serving. Some things are harder to find cheap. Nuts are just plain expensive, but if you can find them in large quantities and raw, they're a lot cheaper than a few ounces roasted in a can--sometimes less than half the price. Roast a whole bunch and freeze them. Cheese can be expensive, but around here it goes on sale regularly, so when it does, I buy up several pounds and freeze them. I only pay $1-1.50/pound for cheese that way. Some salad fixin's don't keep long enough to stock up when they're on sale, so I tend to eat a lot of salads when lettuce is on sale, and then take a break from them when it's not. I get bored with salads if I eat them all the time anyway. It may also help to buy directly from local growers. A lot of people who sell eggs, meat, or garden produce do it because they enjoy it or have a surplus, so they don't necessarily charge much. Even if you end up paying as much as you would at the grocery store, you can get a much better product. There's also the option of having your own garden, if you have a place for it. $25 in seeds can turn into a heck of a lot of food. -- Aaron -- 285/254/200 -- aaron.baugher.biz |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
No Cal, No Carb Chocolate Syrup + Strawberry Sugarless Preserves+ Lo Carb Flatbread | Jbuch | Low Carbohydrate Diets | 1 | November 30th, 2006 04:41 AM |
high-carb vegetarian + low-carb carnivore = wedded bliss? | [email protected] | Low Carbohydrate Diets | 37 | October 9th, 2005 07:11 AM |
Does anyone know about this fat burner called Tight by Sann | [email protected] | General Discussion | 5 | June 9th, 2005 10:15 PM |
could someone pls recommend another quality budget site that won't just send to USA/Europe? | boMBerMAn RUles WitH fIST OF FURy | General Discussion | 0 | January 16th, 2004 04:28 AM |
OT - traveling (and eating) on a shoestring budget | determined | General Discussion | 6 | November 7th, 2003 12:21 AM |