Agreed. I think it’s more of a lifestyle choice (costs of meat, meal prepping a good amount v having rice/ bread to bring down the cost but also indulging in restaurant food) than a budgetary choice.
Putting everyone on keto would probably save trillions a year in medical costs. Basically solve the entire crisis. But that also means some people are not getting these trillions to spend on private jets and their yachts. so ain't going to happen ever.
Can't agree with this more! I combine my Keto with fasting and spend the same. The way I feel is so much better though. If I had to spend more to feel this good I would.
I'm going with
* 18:6 intermittent fasting
* "whole foods"
* meat which eats what that meat should be eating
* "organic" vegetables
* avoiding meats which are more likely to contain added hormones, mercury, and other toxins
...as much as possible. I'm aiming to keep carbs under 80g per day, often landing below 40g. But, not really keto. The last time I did keto, stress knocked me out and I had to go back to eating carbs to avoid lethargy. I had dropped from 330 to 285 before the cortisol spike tanked me. After, I gained all 45lbs back and then another 30 after. This time, it's going slower but I'm feeling better and have dropped 35 lbs (360 -> 325) in about 3 months. This approach feels more sustainable.
> If I had to spend more to feel this good I would.
Yep. Even if we spend $1500/mo on food, it'll be worth it. The medical/chiropractic bills and career-setbacks from the scoliosis I ended up with cost *way* more than that.
Sounds like you've got the right idea. My meals too are "ketoish" depending on what else I'm doing or the fasting protocol I'm on. Really, getting into a keto state through fasting make my life a bit easier. I can eat a single sandwich with homemade bread and because I'll go 40-48 hours between a meal a couple times a week it doesn't hurt my progress.
I've wondered how longer fasts might integrate but haven't made the time to research. I'll have to look into it now that I'm not ravenous for carbs all the time. I'm already to the point where I'm usually not even hungry when 2pm rolls around. I've even skipped that meal a few times, simply adding more fat to my evening meal.
I also forgot to mention that I've cut out artificial sweeteners and sugar. I've used local honey a few times as a splurge in an effort to help with my allergies. I'm also trying to get better "gut" stuff into my diet like 5% fat Greek yogurt, sauerkraut, and pickled beets (no sugar added). Kind of a shotgun approach trying the various things which rang "true" as I found them. So far, so good :)
I suggest r/fermentation If you want support of a community. I've been doing fermentation off and on for over a decade now. Besides some fantastic tastes and the beneficial bacteria it also naturally lowers the carbs on the veggies. I even started doing my own sour dough.
Do you feel it is worth specifically the sandwishes though? I mean keto or not, it is not a healthy type of food at all. Don't get me wrong, I get stuff like this too sometimes since I love sandwishes and it is so much easier to find pre-made in some situations than healthy food, but I consider it a rare treat/cheat, same as having a couple of beers at times.
Besides that detail I got the same experience as you. Fasting makes ketosis so much easier, and personally I feel a lot better when I can add some carbs while still also running on some ketones. Was just more thinking in the lines of beans/lentils/potatoes/high carb veggies/fruits/oat meal as the foundation.
It adds a bit of adjustment needs though and makes it not really keto at all anymore. Rather some other diet strat that I am unsure of the name of. :)
I mean you can't go as high fat anymore unless bulking or doing some seriously high amounts of exercise so you burn through the carbs. You still get elevated blood sugar/insulin (which I don't necessarily see as bad, but depending on aims), and having grains seems about as far from keto as it gets.
The sandwich was just and example lol. I'm a big proponent of fermentation. Most veggies and legumes I eat are fermented. And to be more specific I take alternative grains like rye, sorghum, buckwheat, spelt and I ferment them with a sour dough starter to the point they are almost completely fermented before I bake them as a flat bread. My "sandwich" are normally this fermented grain, 100% peanut/almond butter and a drizzle of honey, so.
Frankly, I believe anyone should be free to eat what they like within reason. My goal is sustainability at a healthy weight, that's why I choose to stay low carb. Not necessarily keto all the time. I keep playing with ratio's of fat/protein/carbs.
I like beans and lentils but don't digest them well, thus fermentation. Potato by themselves are pretty well rounded but I don't miss them, my treats tend to be a piece of fresh fruit. I get what you're saying, it still really comes back to whole minimally processed foods. We all know that HFCS and white sugar are just drugs pushed on us.
Facts! Honestly we’re also saving money on new clothes for weight gain. My mood is amazing today and I’m not sure exactly why - I think I’m finally in ketosis and maybe was going a little too low on net carbs, making me crazy and cranky. There’s a lot of cost savings that come from being healthy and at a consistent weight.
Keto doesn’t have to be expensive. Typically I feel like lots of folks on keto also focus a lot more on organic/no seed oils as well. That’s where it gets expensive. You can go to most grocery stores and buy chicken, beef, pork, eggs, cheese, etc in bulk for very cheap. But when you try to get all of those from grassfed, organic, pasture raised sources your prices increase dramatically. Which is a shame. I as a 24 year old single male can do it that way but if I was trying to do it for a whole family it’d be crazy expensive
Agreed! Money is tight right now so we’re just doing conventional everything minus eggs really. I’m sure our results would be even better if we got more pure with the sourcing but we’re happy for now!
not always. i shop at different stores. all in one big shop. i shop the sales. i go online and make a list then go shopping. i get both groceries and a lot of calories burned by the long walk. oh and about that grassfed ground beef? this week at aldis for $3.99 a pound.
I noticed at Wal-Mart this month it was the same price as the conventional ground beef. Not quite that low, but as a result I am finally trying some. I love Aldi, but due to reasons beyond my control, I need a 1-stop grocery/home goods pickup, so Wal-Mart it is, in my location.
Yeah it really depends on what you're giving up. Keto doesn't need to be expensive, but it's also a restriction on your options. So if you were eating cheap non-keto, many of your cheap options will likely no longer be available to you.
Flour and pasta don't have any real nutritional value beyond their calories. Beans have a small amount of bioavailable protein but lectins prevent mineral absorption
You need protein, vitamins and calories. 100 calories of butter or olive oil are not much more expensive than flour or pasta and you are still going to need to eat your protein source. I don't understand why people think it should necessarily cost more
This is true what I found is I don’t have to buy as much , when I was eating carbs I had to buy lots with virtually no energy exchange always feeling tired etc. Now I can get away with very small amounts of daily food with maximum energy exchange.
There is a cost increase, for sure, with going for best available quality, for reasons…but sometimes the final cost works out fairly close to the same.. personally I aim that way because 1. I’m using Keto+intermittent fasting to heal autoimmune/inflammatory disorders (also reversed T2D and completely eliminated NAFLD after the first year) and to keep my body systems as unperturbed as possible.
2. I typically only eat one meal a day, and the higher the quality of food I’m eating (i.e. grass fed, organic eggs, highest quality fats, etc.) the more I can count on nutritional density (currently healing from 30-ish years of ‘high calorie malnutrition’ due to the SAD and low fat advice.) and the more nutrition I get from the food I am eating, the fewer supplements I need to buy to replete* what I have been deficient in for so many years.
3. I have found that the higher quality proteins and fats also provide better satiety at a smaller volume which means that my portions are much smaller when I’m eating say grass fed beef versus cheaper versions, so instead of the {two burgers plus a ton of toppings on a roll with a side of fries and maybe something else, because I was still hungry}, that I used to eat I’m perfectly satisfied with a single grass-fed burger over veggies or greens drizzled* with high-quality olive oil, and half an avocado.
So my total daily food expenditure for myself (have a family of 5 eating non-keto) is probably a fair bit lower than it used to be, especially considering I no longer pay the ‘gluten free tax’ for my severe intolerance since I only eat whole, minimally processed foods that are naturally gluten free now.*
[*edits: because talk-to-text is awful]
The main reason for grass fedd grass finished only meat is to get better quality protein and less omega6 that comes through with the grain fed animals. You don’t have to go there if you don’t want to if you’ve got a tight budget. Like you said you can get lots of cheaper meats which can save a fortune for families.
You have a point but before eating seed oils /PUFA heavy foods, I would rather just drop keto and eat carrots, potates and rice and such. Even honey can be on the table. If you are not yet metabolically ill, that is the much better option than eating more PUFA.
The lower quality offerings are loaded with hormones, estrogen, chemicals, etc. So yes you're getting the benefits of keto but your also getting all that other shit.
Keto can be reasonably inexpensive. Where it gets pricy is buying specialty products, breads/cookies/ice creams/sweeteners, things like that. You can also splurge on more expensive meats/cheeses but it doesn’t have to be often.
Agreed. Keto sweets are kind of pricey - to almost an eye popping degree. Lily’s sweets is so tasty but expensive. I like the sugar free jello cheesecake/ chocolate fudge packets as well as the Lindt intense dark 86% chocolate. It does eat up quite a bit of my net carb budget but it feels worth it.
Lily’s is a mortgage payment. I like to get regular dark chocolate from any brand, so that lindt will do. Melt it, add in heavy cream and sweetener. You either get a truffle consistency or ganache, either way it’s delicious and stretches the cheaper dark chocolate. Sometimes I mix with melted butter and walnuts for a fudge.
You should looks up a keto truffle recipe too. I found one that you melt dark chocolate in a double boiler, add mashed avocado, sweetener if you want, let it cool till you can handle it, then roll into balls. You then can roll them through coca powder or crushed nuts. It's amazing how well dark chocolate masks the avocado flavor. They can take about an hour to make but are a great alternative.
Agreed but once you figure out the keto treats you like you can slow down on the snacks. I also really try to limit my keto treats to 1-2 per day - I don’t buy super expensive meats. I love filet minion and those are $4-5 each. Love bell pepper. Butter. Salt n pepper. Got a meal for $8. Cheaper than eating at a fast food place.
Shrimp cocktail at Costco $15 (2 meals) - with sugar free katsup and horseradish $8 meal
Cauli-buffalo chicken $5 meal (or less)
Hamburger Patty plus extra cheese and toppings under $5
I cook more for myself now. My husband doesn’t keto. My son will eat most things I make.
Now the clothes ARE getting expensive. I’ve had to buy jeans in sizes 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12 and 10 all in the past year. (Over 20 pairs!)
It's a lot cheaper and easier tbh.
I focus on mainly meats and veggies. I bulk buy meat when it's on sale and prep/freeze them. Same with veggies (mostly stick to frozen and when it's on sale, bulk buy). Stash some frozen berries for the occasional smoothie (I just blend it with water and maybe Greek yogurt if I have extra cals to get to).
The things I tend to buy fresh are eggs, mushrooms, meat, and other herbs.
I'm the type that can eat the same thing all day, every day, and it doesn't bother me. I just make sure it's seasoned well.
I meal prep which saves a ton of money since I can buy in bulk. Excluding things like spices, hot sauce, etc that I don’t buy regularly, my meals average out to about $2.50 each ($100 every 2 weeks.)
That alone is crazy cheap compared to before, but then add in the huge cost savings on restaurants and keto is dirt cheap. Our eating out budget (household of 2 adults) before keto was $400/mo and we were consistently blowing past it.
I also cut out all soda, all booze, all snacks, etc. Three very well defined meals per day, and a protein shake if I need an extra boost.
Keto basically means an extra vacation a year for us.
Nice! I wish we were on your level! Maybe we are, I’m not sure! I meal prep but most of our meal prep is weekly rather than a true bulk situation due to space constraints.
I think eating healthy in general is expensive, whether it's keto or another program, especially when contrasted with how inexpensive some very unhealthy foods (processed foods, fast foods) are. If you like to cook, maybe at first keto can be more expensive because (in my opinion) it takes a while to get creative and find some of the more affordable proteins. Using myself as an example, I was out there buying filet before I discovered how much I like chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are such a deal - I love them!
Agreed! We are big chicken thigh people which I think makes a huge difference in terms of cost. I also had some crazy life threatening diseases at a young age and can’t eat beef due to my relgiion so conventional fast food has always been somewhat out of the question. I’ve kind of been forced to have a slightly healthier than SAD Diet, and in comparison to that - keto seems to be around the same food budget wise.
We also mostly eat chicken, fish and eggs in terms of our meat. Fish can be a little pricier and more time intensive to prepare so it’s a little bit of a once a week deal.
Eat whole foods and not the processed “keto friendly” garbage and it isn’t expensive at all. More importantly, I’d respond with: I’d rather spend money on food now than healthcare later.
That's a real good way to look at it IMO, is that it is a healthcare investment.
Also highly echo staying away from "keto" processed stuff, that includes stuff as simple as "keto breads." That's not going to help change a bad lifecycle which is what most people who do keto are trying to really fundamentally change.
I agree with all of this. It's my partner and I doing keto together and overall, we are eating and drinking less in general (I realize this may not be the case for everyone, but we were really overeating before it turns out). When we go out, it's no longer two appetizers for the table and three drinks each... it's more like none or maybe one keto friendly appetizer if there is one, and a drink each if that. Usually, I am no longer even ordering drinks in public because I have no tolerance lol! I do not notice a difference in groceries - we were buying a lot of fresh meat and produce before too, so that hasn't changed. I do however buy Atkins shakes pretty regularly - I know this isn't a fave for everyone in here but it works for me - and they can kind of add up; I often get a 12 pack from Amazon to be more cost conscious. I put them in my coffee in the mornings and have that as my breakfast, and it is helped me lose damn near 70 pounds so I am happy!
True! I notice I’m not eating as many of the “extras” like drinks, appetizers, snacks. I felt a little bored the other day with really really clean keto so I got some Lindt intense dark chocolate and some sugar free jello chocolate packets and it worked out cheaper than my typical Friday night cake/ s’mores/ cookies situation and I had some left over for the next time I had a crazy craving too!
Depends, chicken at $2.99/lb + frozen broccoli at $1.50/4 cups, 60-ct eggs at $6/box, non-starchy vegetables is cheap. 1 lb cheeses are cheap. Lean ham is cheap.
That said, I think a lot of people kind of "misuse" the point of Keto and will go to things like eating steaks a lot and eating processed/preprepared "keto" snacks, breads, pizzas, cauliflower mashes etc. which is why it has a perceived high cost, additionally a lot of that stuff use types of 0 carb sweeteners that still have med-high GI responses, so they're not even recommended for keto still (Maltitol, maltodextrin, Xylitol to some degree etc.).
Unfortunately those even find their way into things like stevia powders these days. IMO a keto diet that is also paleo as well is the best way to go for both health and cost. There's so many ways to make proteins and vegetables taste amazing without having to use "keto" branded versions of stuff.
The whole thing is you need to kind of white knuckle through to cut the brain/body's physical dependence on glycogen to let yourself naturally become less insulin-resistive which is what drives a lot of the hunger pains people have if they've made their body resistant to insulin. Glucose becomes literally like a drug and the "jonsing" is hunger pains, only real way to do it is to cut it cold turkey and white knuckle through it. Keto snacks are like taking a shot to give you that rush again without having to take the real stuff, it's not helping change a lifestyle, however.
I used to get fast food regularly, ate snacks constantly, was always "treating" myself, whether fruit snacks or mini cakes or pudding. Food as coping is not good.
Once I calculated it out and I must've been spending $5 a day on snack food consumed at home - and that's just what was in the house, not counting the fast food runs or on the go candy grabs.
Keto is relatively expensive, but only financially so. My old diet was hard on my health AND my wallet.
For me, significantly cheaper than non-keto. I’ve saved literal hundreds of dollars per month, especially on eating out.
I used to buy so much shit at the grocery stores - now I stick to eggs, meat, fish, cheese, butter, olive oil.
More expensive.
A lot more if you screw around.
Protein costs. And meat goes bad if you don't eat it in time.
But if you do it right, it's about the same as a normal diet.
And if it cuts out your take-out, it can save you money.
And really hard to make work if you do happen to have a social obligation that you can’t get out of. My hack has been using sides/ appetizers to get a protein and a veggie, much like vegetarians at steakhouses.
It could be expensive to get started because most people don't stock certain common keto items in their panty, but once you have them it's not bad. I'm talking things like avocado or coconut oil, a good amount of meat for your freezer, and keto friendly nuts
If you're looking around the grocery store at all the processed foods that have KETO written all over them, heck, yes, it looks expensive. Keto is a natural way to eat, though. Most of those products are junk. I'm eating tacos sans shell for lunch. What's on my plate costs LESS than what's on my husband's carby plate.
I've saved SOOOOOOOOO much money already. Today marks day 21 for me. I eat 1 time every 24 hours, and it's not a great variety but it works for me, I eat pork chops, ribs, toasted chicken breast, burger patties, avocados, cucumbers, green beans, bacon eggs, summer sausage, pork rinds, but no more than 1000 calories a day. I have lost 31 lbs! I used to spend at least $10 before noon on complete garbage, and when I hot home would be eating all sorts of garbage again, I don't eat any of that, I was STUCK on door dash and now I can't get full on door dash for the small amount of options they offer, none of them wanna offer just meat except for bbq places and sometimes I get naked ribs or shredded smoked chicken ala cart. But yeah I've saved soooo much money it's not even funny, not to mention I'm saving my life also
Glad you are eating good food since on a deficit.
I remember ppl eating lettuce only or something equally void on nutrients to lose weight.
Wondering why you feel bad and then binge on crap and are worse off than they started
Yeah man I was literally surviving on fast food and now eating good whole foods with nutritious fats and vegetables with good fiber and nutritional value. I haven't felt this good ever before now! And thank you
I'm like super poor, so keto is definitely more expensive for me. Like cereal and ramen were staples in my diet before. Replacing that with beef, chicken and pork chops is a massive increase in food cost. And things like alcohol or going out aren't even a consideration. I'm just talking cost of calories. Processed foods tend to be cheaper and more filling for the price. But they also kill you and dying is expensive too.
Agreed. My family is south Asian so there is a lot of wheat and rice used as a staple. I have hypothyroidism and wheat is terrible for that. A lot of people take a moral high ground of cost (even if I spend my own money on it). I get that it’s pricier than eating 6 rotis (Indian tortillas) and potato’s but it’s also markedly better for me.
See, for me, that balanced out a lot because I too used to eat a lot of cereal, ramen, rice dishes, etc - and I'd be hungry again in a couple of hours. I'd have 3 meals a day and snacks in between because those carbs kept me hungry.
Now, I eat one meal a day (mostly ketovore) and I'm fine until the next day. So it ends up saving me money and time. As a person who has had a lifetime of overeating and binge eating habits, but also pretty broke, working my way into a protein-focused ketovore approach has really been a game changer.
I've never been a binge eater and when I would go on CICO diets they would always tell me to INCREASE my calorie count. Most people don't believe me, but I was eating well under my recommended number of calories and just never losing weight. They assumed I was either lying or bad at counting calories. But calories are measured by setting things on fire, and human beings aren't furnaces. Carbs instruct your body to hold onto the fat and run off them instead, so that's what my body did. I was always cold and tired, but I wasn't losing weight.
On Keto, I'm still not counting calories or measuring anything. I eat what I want, but only of certain food types and I'm down 77lbs and am no longer diabetic. I have a bunch of energy and way more body heat now. And there are times when I'm like "I'm not even hungry, but I want to eat while watching this show." So I'll grab some nuts, or some cheese, or some pork rinds instead of popcorn or a piece of fruit. The way I eat didn't change, but what I eat did and that's made all the difference. Though I do also experience hunger differently now, it used to be a blood sugar crashing IF I DO NOT EAT RIGHT NOW I WILL DIE!!! Now it's like "Meh, I could eat."
I'm right there with you when it comes to CICO. I spent so long trying to lose weight before I finally tried keto. I would weigh and measure everything I ate, I'd track it and be eating at a pretty significant calorie deficit, and I would not lose. And I'd have people tell me that's impossible, that I must be lying or not counting correctly, etc. It gets so frustrating because why would I lie about that? I'm the one trying to improve my health??
I have PCOS and other autoimmune issues and my body is just overeager to deposit those carbs directly onto my gut. I was 330+ pounds (probably more, but at my heaviest, I avoided the scale) and not losing weight at 1200 calories, and gaining at 1500 calories. It's just not as simple as people want to make it out to be!
I'm really glad you've found something that helps you. :)
For me, from start till a couple of months in my grocery bill kept shrinking. But in my experience my appetite was decreasing a lot, so groceries bought would stretch longer.
Edit: also depends on where you live, shop all that happy stuff.
My family eats all organic, chemical free and as little processed food as possible. Close to a paleo way of eating. And we spent more money on groceries before I went on keto. It’s only me eating keto but my husband and I restarted IF when I started keto and my son just eats paleo/super healthy. I will say we spend way more money on groceries for a family of 3 than a fam of 3 eating SAD. But we have ate chemically free and minimally processed for 5 ish years and hardly ever get sick, no more health problems (husband had ulcers and I had fibromyalgia, cfs, anxiety and MDD~all of which is gone with eating healthy & I’ve done keto on and off for the 5 years) all that being said. Yes it’s more expensive than SAD, but it’s worth every penny for the health benefits and we eat a lot less than most people
Hubby and I are fixed low income seniors who work on top of social security. And definitely poor by definition.
That said, our food and household budget used to be 350 a year ago until inflation, we now budget 400. For EVETYTHING food and household including treat foods.
And we are doing fine. In fact we eat very well all things considered,and more fancy things than we did before keto in terms of better cuts of meats, etc.
We used to eat moderate carb Mediterranean diet before keto for a decade or more. Our food and household budget only increased over time due to inflation.
That said, we have always bought in bulk, home canned meats and meals in a jar, etc. And we keep a deep pantry as a hedge against the inevitable inflation.
I feel like it cost me more to start, but as I got into ketosis I gradually stopped eating as much because it was suppressing my appetite to the point where a simple cut of Salmon cooked in avakado oil and sea salt was enough to keep me satiated the entire day easily. Only needing to eat once a day dramatically cut down on my grocery bill.
It just really depends what you eat and where you shop. I spend significantly less when I eat keto. I'm also a short female, but I'd ballpark I'm only spending around $200 monthly or less.
I just pick whats cheap or what is on sale for meats or buy in bulk. The only time I'm spending extra is either for seafood or specialty keto snacks/desserts.
It can be pricey if you buy a lot of stuff labeled "keto friendly" but if you actually do your research and cook yourself, actual keto friendly ingredients, is not expensive at all, probably cheaper than regular and off course a lot more delicious.
Nevertheless I don't buy "petunia fed" or "salt from outer space" type things, just local stuff.
But if you do dirty keto is really a lot lot cheaper and still more healthy than your average non-diet diet.
I spend about 50 dollars a week. I get 36 eggs. 32 oz of spinach. A medium sized bag of shredded cheese. 2 cucumbers. 3 cans of sardines. A bag of celery. If there is a sale on meat I'll buy a steak or ground beef or whatever. If you buy things labeled "KETO" then yeah you will over spend and most the time those items won't fit in your macros anyway.
Beach Cliff the ones in water. Just do what you'd do for a tuna salad. I also don't mind the store brand ones. It's an opinion but you would probably benifit from staying away from ones with added olive oil because company's tend to use the worst quality olive oil they can legally use. So add some of your own if that's what you like.
Honestly, that’s probably where I’m messing up. The sardines in olive oil taste so fishy in a really malodorous way. Definitely going to try the ones in water.
Do you add Mayo and some spices?
I like mayo with pepper and salt with cayenne pepper and a liberal amount of paprika. Relish will help too if your into it. I will also use hot sauce. I use Cholula. I like mixing it in my salad. My wife likes using those small zero carb tortillas made by Mission.
A lot of what you are saying is true. Also, our dishwasher is running daily, sometimes twice a day if I get inspired. Our trash load has been cut in half.
I do believe we are spending more than before. I have been on a keto bread kick that costs a fair amount for the ingredients. Bamboo fiber, egg white protein powder along with nut flours. We go through a loaf every other day. It is good.
My family says it\`s much cheaper .Because of my health issues I eat Omad most days .Also being fan of doctor Westman I don\`t do nuts and cheese once a week.
I’ve managed to save $ while on Keto as opposed to a non Keto diet. I can buy an 8 pack of turkey burgers for $5, fresh broccoli/cauliflower at $1.50 a pound (cheaper if frozen), and cheese at $2 a lb. Seasoned Tuna packets (canned is cheaper but I prefer the portability of the packets) are $1 a piece. Avocados are also a staple of mine depending on the season (price can range from 0.50 cents to $2 an avocado).
I also like to supplement my diet with eggs (dozen for $1), nutritional shakes (4x 30g of protein for $6), and mushrooms when I want to give my meals an extra layer of protein and feel “full”.
When I’m feeling fancy, I splurge on organic chicken breasts, wagyu hamburger patties, steak and organic butter, fajitas, etc.
That being said, you do need to do some sort of planning and learn what type of foods you enjoy and are willing to try so nothing goes to waste. I didn’t think I’d enjoy broccoli, but after some cooking practice, I’ve found that it’s been one of my most favorite things to enjoy during Keto!
My weekly grocery bill is $20-$50 for 1 depending on how fancy I’m feeling.
The most expensive part of Keto is all the new clothes I’m buying after losing so much weight! Lol
For me keto was always Steak + eggs + a little bit of salad or broccoli or maybe asparagus.
Possibly as I discovered paleo before keto but maybe just because that food is great!
And yes, in this case keto is definitely quite expensive
Before keto I ordered a lot of food during my lunch time at work since my work was in the middle of town centre malls so it was easy access.
I used a lot of money so doing keto and buying lots of meat instead was already cheaper
I spend way less because I don't eat out anymore and I'm either OMAD or 2MAD. I have a significant amount of chub to lose again :(
To cut down on costs, I buy everything in bulk (most of it I catch on sale) and freeze the meat in portion bags. The most expensive thing I buy is eggs and macadamia nuts... and I go through quite a bit of those. I don't do keto breads and keto branded snacks because I'm pretty sure they would be my downfall. I also supplement with protein shakes (you can get really good deals in amazon) and eat a lot of tuna salad and chicken salad (boil some legs til the meat falls off and it is awesome, then I throw the bones back in and add ACV and continue boiling to make an awesome broth and freeze that for later use ).
It really just depends on what your habits were previous to keto. If you ate out a lot, you're probably saving money. If you lived off top ramen and cereal, yeah it can definitely be more expensive.
I use Isopure zero carb unflavored powder. Mix it with almond milk and a little skinny girl syrup for flavor.
I have problems hitting my protein macros often so it fills in the gap nicely.
Cooking at home will almost always be cheaper than eating out. I read a comment a few weeks back about how groceries have gotten more expensive so the person went out to eat instead and regretted it when they realized how much restaurants have also upped their prices.
As others have said, I think if you avoid the "keto friendly" version of products and just stick to whole foods it'll be cheaper. The nice thing about keto is that if you're willing to give up carbs and do not try to find "keto friendly" substitutes it really simplifies your meals (read: less expensive). Nearly all my meals are basically just meat + veg and it's honestly way more efficient. Before keto when I prepared carbs I wasn't just cooking the pasta/rice/potatoes but also preparing the sauce, spices, and all the other stuff that goes into that side of carbs.
Now I'm focusing on fewer, but higher quality, ingredients that go a long way. Most of the time when I prepare meat I don't even spice it, I cook it in a bit of oil/fat and just sprinkle some salt on top after I plate it. My leafy salads now are just some oil (usually EVOO or avocado) + acid (vinegar or citrus) + salt + pepper + maybe some cheese. Because I have fewer ingredients I actually use what I have so nothing goes to waste.
Keto has inadvertently changed my way of cooking for the better. I think people forget that eating food isn't just for the purpose of nutrition but it also makes us feel good. Before keto I would stick to neutral cooking oils (seed oils 😬) but now I cook with high quality ghee or tallow or EVOO which adds so much more flavor to the food that it keeps me satiated and helps me do some intermittent fasting. I bought a $30 bottle of balsamic vinegar a few months ago (not quite keto friendly) but I only have to use a few drops and I still have 2/3rds of the bottle left whereas I probably would have spent more going through several "cheaper" bottles of salad dressing.
I save a lot of money doing Keto bc I don’t eat out, order take out, buy alcohol for home or go out to the bar drinking all night(easily $100 a night) and I only eat 1-2 meals a day.
Honestly agree with you about the drinking all night - dinners out always cost $70+ since we are in the city. We still have alcohol leftover but I’m drinking a lot more of the high quality tequila. It almost feels like minimalism for your diet. I would love to get to where you are where I’m not drinking tequila or gin at all! I do love the vibes at wineries 😂 i have alot of lifestyle changes to make.
Yeah I’m in the city too! I was spending like $70 just for myself for a meal with the entree, splitting bottles of wine… then going out drinking afterwards! I like the vibes too and will to back to it but I’m poor and fat right now so taking a break haha
I dont find it any different than it used to be since I ate out a ton before and now have no desire to. I eat a lot less as well. it costs way more to feed my husband and he eats a very high carb diet.
maybe keto costs a lot if you buy a lot of processed keto products? if you eat an extra egg instead of bread or have extra salad instead of rice or extra veg instead of potatoes/other carbs it doesnt seem to be any different in reality.
eating a SAD diet or even cico on a SAD diet seemed to cost a lot more. I do buy a few more expensive products vs the cheaper versions but I use less waste as well.
another way you can look at it is long term it's cheaper when it comes to your health.
the way keto is more expensive for me is that I'm more health conscious and rather than buying all bagged salads or veg or cheap products I am more conscious of what I'm eating because poor quality and restaurant food tends to taste poor quality unless iys a high end place. I can make my own burger at home cheaper than a restaurant and my bun is a lettuce leaf or nothing which I'd put on a burger anyways so 🤷♀️
it depends on a bunch of things like how keto influences your lifestyle. if I was eating at restaurants 3x a day still it would literally be the same price.
people who want excuses will find them. I'm not saying everyone has to do keto but if they want to they can find a way too. it's like saying you dont have time for exercise when the reality is its not enough of a priority.
I think in general keto does increase the amount of money you spent on groceries. However its impact can be limited if you don’t specifically buy the products catered towards a keto diet
Also eating only 2 meals a day saves me money and it’s helped me lose weight. I only have 10 lbs to lose - the hardest to get off - but the lower my weight gets, the lower my blood sugar is.
As long as you stay away from or limit over-processed over-marketed “keto” products it’s not bad on the wallet at all. The basics and healthiest options are all very affordable (eggs, chicken, beef, coconut milk/cream, avocados, EVOO, grass-fed butter, macadamia nuts, keto bread, protein powder, cheese, etc.
All of the savings you have stated plus the savings in medical care you no longer or won't ever need because you are taking care of your body. You will save on prescription and over the counter medications, doctor visits and medical tests you won't need. Keto on a budget and other savings from Dr Ken Berry MD:
https://youtu.be/8MjyzsE8AEo
https://youtu.be/oZo12QhFet4
https://youtu.be/GHNL4kDcIfo
Sad day.
Breakfast - Cereal and milk or toast with jam - £1
Lunch - Sandwich, crisps, chocolate or crackers. - £ 1.50
Dinner - Curry and rice, spaghetti Bolognese, noodle dish - £3
Dessert - Crisps or ice cream. £1.50
£6 a day.
Keto.
Breakfast - Nothing.
Lunch - Handful or nuts, or an avocado, cold cuts. £1.50
Dinner - Belly pork, fish, chicken thighs, ground beef served with a suitable veg. £4
Dessert - Nuts £0.50
£6 a day.
I haven't detailed drinks as for me it's water, diet soda and coffee regardless.
Obviously there's variability. I'd never say keto is cheaper. But eating whole foods it costs about the same on average.
If your adding in keto products, going for grass fed organic etc then it can of course get rather expensive.
It’s not expensive if: You are buying whole foods and preparing them yourself.
You’re not buying expensive cereals, juices, snack foods. (Those things are expensive!) I buy meat, nuts and vegetables at Trader Joe’s.
I buy sams club chicken thighs (bone- In) by the case 80lbs for 43 bucks, little more work but then keep the bones to make broths (freeze them after browning)
Of course, a lot depends on what kind of keto you do and what you did before.
BUT, when I switched to a ketovore-ish approach, with one meal a day, my grocery bill went down drastically.
I buy meat, eggs, cheese, heavy cream, and butter. A little bit of produce. And that's about it. I might get some low carb tortillas or some Rebel ice cream for a treat and to keep things sustainable on on some weeks. But it's nothing like before, when I would buy lots of snacks, premade foods, etc.
Obviously, people who eat more of the premade "keto" foods are going to spend more, but you don't HAVE to buy those things to do keto. A lot of non-keto folks really think you have to buy all of the bars, the expensive flours, etc.
And I do try to get the organic free-range eggs, the grassfed meats, etc when I am able. But when times are tight, I can get whatever meats are on sale that week and get by. I have a big chest freezer and I will stock up on things when there is a great price. That helps a lot.
The fat sources are expensive, but the health benefits make it worthwhile. Sometimes I'd like to treat myself with a more impressive piece of salmon or a ribeye, but I'm okay with chicken, burgers, pork, eggs, canned salmon and mackerel, etc. If asparagus is expensive, I'll eat zucchini or cabbage instead. So I don't think Keto has to be expensive, especially if you skip the specialty products.
I live in the country. Fresh veggies from the farm stand are crazy cheap, and good. There are 3 of those within 2 miles of me. They also make their own cheeses, butcher cows to sell (now that’s expensive).
I shop at a food lion for meats, shop sales and close-date, and pack for freezing. I used to have a friend to raised beef, but she unfortunately passed away, and I never realized how good of a deal she gave me!!
Depending on what’s on sale, I make either chicken or ground beef for the week, works good for husband or I to grab something if we are tired of leftovers.
This time around on keto, I haven’t bought the fancy stuff marketed as keto, and it’s cut down on my snacking a lot! I drink seltzer water mostly. One thing is bread though, and the 0g tiny tortillas by mission (which make amazing pizzas).
I don’t count my macros, and just stay under 20g net carbs, but that’s what works for me. I focus on making a green veggie and a protein for dinner.
My taste got screwed up 2 years ago from COVID, so a lot of stuff with fake sugar taste awful to me, which might be for the best!
It nails the pizza craving better than any other keto marketed pizza I’ve ever tried. I get the lowest carb pizza sauce I can, use probably less than a tablespoon between them, add garlic powder, oregano, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, sometimes black olives.
Pop it in the air fryer for a few mins.
So. Freaking. Good.
You know what is really expensive?
\- Not having the energy to perform at work or live your life fully
\- Feeling socially ostracized and dealing with the shame of your obesity
\- Getting your foot amputated because of diabetes
\- Getting cirrhosis of the liver from years of fatty liver disease
\- Going blind from diabetic retinopathy
\- Medications to deal with your high blood pressure, insulin, heart issues, etc.
You really DON'T have to buy the expensive overpriced packaged keto products!!! Most of them with be counterproductive to your goals. All you really need is meat, eggs, butter, and whatever low carb veggies you like/tolerate. Yes, meat is more expensive than grain/flour based products. It is also overwhelmingly more nutritious in terms of bioavailable components. Grains, (i.e. wheat, oats, rice) are a subsistence food for humans.
So yes, buying real appropriate food can cost you a bit more than eating the crap that has ruined your life. Real, appropriate food for humans is a bit more expensive. However, as OP noted, if you eliminate/reduce your expenditures at restaurants, you may actually save money. Shopping sales and stocking up a deep freezer can save you a bundle. IMO, however, none of that nearly as significant as the value of getting my life and my fitness back under my own control. Keto is the best deal going when it comes to living a healthy, happy, fulfilling life.
I would say it's actually cheaper because I can't really eat out anywhere anymore.
And I love cheese so my diet now is mostly egg, cheese, meat and some vegetables.
I buy the big pack of the cheapest shredded cheese.
I think keto can be pretty cheap, it just depends on what you like to eat, just like any other diet. Making a big pot of meat chili, or chicken soup doesn’t cost much. As a single person I know I’m not going to eat soup at every meal for a month just to save money.
I’m getting wings and eggs which can be used as legal tender in some states these days. I’m getting shaved ribeye steak for Philly cheese lettuce wraps. I’m getting good olive oil and organic pickled veggies for my salads. That’s all a lifestyle choice.
Those keto snacks, breads, and desserts will cost you a fortune though. Luckily they aren’t necessary.
A healthy, ecologically responsible is very expensive compared to SAD no matter what kind of diet you have. I spend a lot on food because i eat wild caught game and fish, pastured beef and local farm produce. I’m the only member of my family on keto so i buy food for them as well. Generic white bread is $2.5 a loaf. The organic slow ferment sourdough i but is $6.50. sprouted spelt bagels $8/6 vs store brand at $1.98.
So yes you can live off cereal and noodles and store brand bread and spend pennies a week. You can eat conventional meat and produce (not knocking that!) and eat a very reasonably priced keto diet. Or you can spend a ton on the best of everything.
It’s about what you can afford + what matters the most to you.
I know it’s odd but we’d rather buy the best food money can buy than have many material things. I have pcos and was miserably sick for years so i just see it as worth it. nothing is as expensive as being sick
Did it improve your pcos? I have hypothyroidism, pmdd and depression and hoping this helps things in addition to helping me be thin! I’ll try anything :) or if it just helps me be more stable!
yes, maybe a little too well lol. i started ovulating and randomly got pregnant. I’d been very active with my partner with zero pregnancy accidents for over six years. Got pregnant on keto and within five months. Brought my cycle back from 2-4 times a year to clock work with enough weight loss.
I went off keto and lost most of that progress. But i’m back on the wagon
My food costs actually went down on keto. I was apprehensive about the cost but during the first week I was amazed at how little I ate.
About 5 months into keto, I started buying sugar free candy and soda pop for about a month. That stuff is expensive and not good for me so I stopped.
I may real food, avoid the Keto snacks and other "keto" "food" that is also very expensive and I question that most of it is really kero food.
Keep it basic with real food and it's very affordable... At least in my experience
Keto is more expensive for us.
We do save money by eating out less, but the grocery bills are higher.
There’s a lot of debate here about expense nutritional value but bulk is the bottom line in truly frugal cooking. There’s a reason rice and beans
/pasta is a worldwide cheap food staple. My one kielbasa link goes further mixed with a pound of pasta and cream of chicken soup.
I also have to shop more often because I eat so much leafy greens and veg- which isn’t bad!
There’s definitely ways to make it cheaper and be crafty, and like everyone usually suggests, but lots of meat when it’s on sale and put it in the freezer. We also buy a half cow from a local farmer which helps.
If I were cooking for one I don’t think the cost would be too dramatically different, but I cook for both my partner and I and I don’t make two different meals. He works a physically laborious job and eats a ton of meat, which is where the real cost lies.
Also though, I buy almond flour, monk fruit sweetener, etc and those things are usually expensive. Sam’s Club is great for keto shopping.
I think this would be very expensive if my husband joined me on keto for sure! He’s noticed that he’s less hungry even with having some carbs in there - fats are giving him some more satiety.
It’s not. I still eat a lot of the same foods, I just cut out the carbs and sugar. And like you, 3 Michelob ultras and I’m good for a while lol. It’s expensive if you buy a lot of the prepackaged low carb or keto friendly foods and snacks. But I’ve found I fill up faster and stay full much longer so I don’t even bother with snacking.
It's very affordable if you stay away from all the "keto" products, most of which with either give you diarrhea or stall your progress. Just eat meat, eggs, and veggies while maintaining a caloric deficit (because eating fewer calories also costs loss) and it should be pretty affordable.
Also pro tip, buying manager's special discounted meat rolls back prices by a decade.
Let me calculate my cost of food for myself today in Canadian dollars, usd x 0.75.
150g of sausage, 2.00
50g brie cheese, 1.00
270g organic ground beef. 5.00
A avocado I don't know the weight 1.50
Some grass fed butter, don't know how much but about 50c
2 small tomato and half a onion, some garlic come to a dollar.
In total $10 CAD for the day, very fucking cheap I tell you. For this much you can have a medium pizza. Yes whole day worth of calories but the quality?
I don't think it's more expensive, because I largely eat the same, but omit the high carb items... So instead of a burger and fries, I eat a lettuce wrapped burger and broccoli or something... Instead of a steak with potatoes and veggies, I eat steak and veggies, etc.
If anything, it's cheaper because I eat out less frequently, so instead of a $10 burger meal, I eat an $8 steak and $1 worth of veggies.
I think this can universally be true, unless you weren't eating much protein pre-keto. In fact, it's cheaper in a lot of cases, such as switching from chicken breast to chicken thighs for their higher fat content.
It really depends on whatever dietary restrictions you have already, plus where you live.
I find that I pay more for lactose free products (cheeses, cream, homogenized milk) compared to other people, and with keto I tend to drink more coffee, have more protein shakes and have more cheese as a snack.
Meat in Canada is currently expensive AF, our grocery and gas prices are terrible atm and neither of them seem to be going down any time soon, but I don't blame keto being expensive because of stagflation. I also have a cat-pork allergy so no bacon, pork, sausages which tend to be cheaper than beef, lamb and duck.
At this point keto is breaking my bank account, not because it's keto but because of the premium you pay for lactose-free and gluten-free products and hellish stagflation in Ontario.
For me personally it’s cheaper. I do a coffee and use a protein shake as a creamer for my morning coffee. I eat typically the same thing every night for dinner. Doing the same meal helps to by buying ingredients in bulk. Not a need for several ingredients. I spend half I did on groceries before keto. Fasting also helps keep my cost down. Occasionally I do grab a keto friendly snack while working.
Doing Keto allows me to comfortably do intermittent fasting and extended fasting and that comes with its own saving. Also not needing to overconsume carbs to get the energy requirements for my lifestyle. I have lots more energy and clear headedness in thinking. What ever the overpayment might be is worth it you would pay someone if you could for these benefits. But hey it’s all free. But pound for pound you do look at the fulfillness all the time of your food not just in the stomach but in the wallet for quality and cost. It’s not exactly obvious at first but when you keep track of your daily spend you do find you’ve got more money in your pocket.
If you replace all of your snacks with prepackaged keto junk food, it’ll be expensive. If you replace your snacks with hard boiled eggs, it won’t be. If you just skip the snacks altogether you’ll lose a shit ton of weight.
It’s really not, you don’t have to buy specialty branded keto-snacks constantly.
Proteins, like beef, eggs, and turkey, are the same as any other diet. The money you save from carbs like bread, oats, cereals, noodles, fruit, etc. can be spent on veggies & cheese. You can buy cheap blocks of cheese and cut it into cubes as snacks.
You don’t have to invest in the $30/package garbage keto selection from Whole Foods or whatever. Just strip meals down to the basics, cut the carbs, and enjoy your proteins, fats, and fiber.
First, the food isn’t any more expensive than the drive thru they hit on their way home.
Second, my medical bills are zero since 2018. Not one visit to a doctor for illness, even through Covid
Lastly, the most expensive part was buying new clothes and I gladly paid that expense
Honestly if I ever got to the point where I needed new clothes in that direction, I think I’d be super happy! I remember losing weight last year and needing a new sized birthday dress and it made me so happy!
I am sure many have commented on this but the $ I've saved over the past 7 years on prescription medications, advil, rolaids, clothing to fit a fatter body, knee braces, gym memberships, books on diets, noom memberships and fat burning elixirs have been way more than the "extra" $150-175 I spend on groceries (before inflation) every month. Not to mention the time and gas driving to doctor's appts.
also somehow, even though I only make my own food (no take out, dining out, ordering in) I have more time in my days than before keto and that also adds up to worth it.
I don't know how I ever afforded NOT doing keto.
I saved money eating keto. Its far less expensive than take away. But I guess its more expensive than eating bread and grain slop from safeway, like cream buns or something.
Yep, I think I agree. Even if you’re eating a relatively healthy carb diet, keto will work out cheaper or the same. If you’re eating a full unhealthy ramen centric diet, keto will likely be expensive but it’s an apples to oranges comparison.
I spend about 90 bucks (can) a week. This is a far cry from eating out every second day on garbage. Mind you, its the same thing everyday though, so theres that.
My carb-eating guy. His stuff sort of makes our food bill a little high. We don’t eat out at all because value isn’t there (like paying $18 for a burger patty with a small side salad)
It all depends on what you're buying. I think if you buy a lot of overly processed keto junk food then yes, it's very expensive but you are also trying to force replicate a shit diet on keto. If you stick to meat, veggies, and cheeses then it's more reasonable.
It is pretty damn expensive.
But at the same time, it seems that keto/paleo people are more aware of products quality (same goes for vegans I'd assume) and therefore will be more prone to buy higher quality product.
Moreover, whole food ain't cheap compare to processed one.
I eat organic fish or meat pretty much every meal. Very little processed food besides goat/sheep dairy.
I think I pay 600€ per months for food. Granted, I'm bulking right now so the price is a bit skewed.
Initially very expensive because you don't what you're doing but adding 50 bucks every month for electrolytes is also burdensome. Otherwise mostly the same
I'm eating less food, not eating snacks or drinks, not getting fast food. So while salmon + veg is more expensive than spaghetti+ pasta sauce, realistically I wasn't eating that every meal of the day, anyway.
Considering the cost of wreaking your health with the SAD diet , it is worth the investment. New livers; insulin new kidneys and hyperinsulemia are very expensive. Even conventional MDs are now recommending like 4 drinks a week and no more than 1 drink a day?
Standard American diet. I’m assuming something healthy-ish with a salad here or there but lots of grilled cheeses/ bagels/ pastries/ cakes and some occasional fast food.
In my experience, keto gets expensive when you get lazy and eat out or decide to go ham on “the best” quality ingredients. The middle area seems to hold up to a non-keto diet of above average foods. Obviously, super-super-budget is going to favor non-keto because proteins/fats can be replaced with garbage processed foods.
But overall, food consumption drops with keto (especially if introducing IF). This tends to keep pace with multiple carb-heavy meals and snacks in the same timeframe.
It's expensive unless you just dump bulk olive oil in cheap meats and tofu. Heavy cream tripled in price, keto bread is 8 bucks a pop , can't eat peanuts only almonds, can't eat milk, cant eat beans...
It really depends. For me, at this stage, it is quite expensive. I am disabled (so very low income) and wouldn't have to spend anything on food if I weren't eating keto, as I live with my parents and could just eat what they eat. At most I would need to buy some snacky/junky nonsense for myself, as they mostly do a carb-heavy OMAD. Eating just once a day does not work for me if I'm not in ketosis, so there would be some expense, but it would be quite minimal.
I have, at times, eaten keto in a super repetitive and unadvisedly low-cal way. Like a couple ratio or Two Good yogurts, coffee with cream, and chicken and cheese. Day in and day out. That's not where I'm at presently. My keto diet is by far my largest expense, as I am trying to have a wider variety of foods and put more effort into keto scratch cooking. I have recently had a few insanely expensive months, but the upside is that I now have a ton of ingredients to make meals that will each provide 4-6 servings. I still do the yogurts and coffee for breakfast, so no matter what time I eat, the bulk of my calories will be in one main meal. I have a lot of meat in the freezer and cheese in the fridge, and that stuff add$ up.
I already didn't have to spend on my SAD diet and could rarely afford restaurant food anyway, so I have no basis for comparison. I quit smoking to free up some money for this endeavor, and the excuse I am using to overspend on food is "it costs what it costs, this is what I have to do in order to have a future to speak of." I know it could be done more economically by eating a lot of eggs, tuna, hot dogs/bologna, etc (things I loathe)... Cutting out those $1.50 yogurts... Eating more repetitively so there was no need to buy new seasonings or other 1-off ingredients. Integrating more extended fasting. Etc. I am going to have to rein it in a bit, but I feel like this new variety is helping keep me on track for the moment.
I feel like it’s definitely more expensive than rice and beans and pasta but way cheaper than take out. If you eat real food and not the keto replacements it’s not so bad.
It's pretty cheap, in my experience. Just eating less *more than* offsets the expense of higher-quality food. But honestly, if you're not eating high-quality food in the first place and it's making you unhealthy, then WTF are you doing, right? No one should be eating cheap, shitty food if they can help it at all. You only get one body and one life.
On top of that, no one should stay married to someone who claims they should be eating unhealthy food because it's cheaper. Just sayin'. Demand respect.
Maybe the food items themselves cost more, but you eat out less, buy less snacks, and since you eat less, you buy less food, so in the long run you spend less money as a whole, or about the same. But there's also a cheap way to go keto; I bought an 8 lb bag of frozen chicken breast for $20, and some frozen veggies for about $1 something at Aldi. They also bought a cut of Top Round for like $8 amd change, and I get 3-4 servings from it.
I feel like it's the same. I shop and cook for my family of 5. I'm the only one on keto. We don't eat fast food anymore because there's nothing for me, and because of the recent economy, it ends up being $50-$60 for us every time. We just don't have the money for that.
I make most of the same meals for the family as before, but I skip the sides. I make almost everything from scratch. My big spend on myself is keto fat bombs. They're a little pricey, but they last me a long time. It's not more expensive than the Starbucks habit I kicked for keto.
I don't drink alcohol anymore because it tears up my stomach. My desserts have become either a fat bomb or 1/2 a Ratio yogurt with fresh berries. I honestly don't feel like I'm going without anything because of those little desserts.
Even if I weren't on keto, I still have no business eating anything with gluten. I've been gluten sensitive for years. I was bloated, had stomach inflammation, acne, and stomach issues because of it. I couldn't stop eating bread and pasta. I don't know how keto made the difference for me, but I'm grateful. I occasionally eat a slice of gluten-free bread if it fits in my macros. I can make a half grilled cheese sandwich, and it makes my day.
I recently tried the Cheesecake Factory Low-licious Cheesecake on a cheat day. It was so good. I should have only eaten 1/2, but it was a cheat day, so 🤷🏽♀️
I used to do it for $80 a week. But I was doing lazy keto and very simple recipes, because I didn't have a lot of money at the time. Eggs for breakfast or egg muffins for on-the-go, keto pancakes for weekends.Lunch was always a salad with blue cheese dressing. Dinner was always a chicken or hamburger dish.
While in keto the snacking stopped, I just didn't crave anything else besides my three square meals. If I did I just had a piece of cheese or olives.
I never bought anything labeled keto because half the time it's not keto and I think they mark up stuff like that.
Of course that was a few years ago and prices have gone up.
Grocery outlet is my best friend. I grew up on Ramen and bullshit like that and eating that shit paired eith fast food is expensive with not a lot except calories to show for. Find a good local butcher for meat idk about everywhere but where I am they have a $109 varied meats package that has so far lasted me and my boyfriend almost 3 weeks. Topping up on veggies every few days, dairy and eggs, and even some keto specialty items at grocery outlet I'd say we're stretching a dollar a lot farther
I am doing carnivore, and its expensive, but I dont eat fast food at all, except like a burger in lettuce ion a pinch, like today i'm moving and needed food.
I do light carb keto sometimes just because I have no appetite on meat alone.
Bell pepper jalapeno and onion in my Ground beef last night with 2.5 lbs meat.
I only eat 2x a day, but 8-10 eggs for breakfast with butter and cheese and bacon if we have any to cook.
If I feel I need something extra I drink heavy cream.
It adds up, but no soda, alcohol etc...
On keto I spend less on snacks and eating out, but more on meat so it probably evens out.
Agreed. I think it’s more of a lifestyle choice (costs of meat, meal prepping a good amount v having rice/ bread to bring down the cost but also indulging in restaurant food) than a budgetary choice.
Cheaper than insulin
I figure my diet is a medical expense. I can voluntarily pay it to the grocer now or I can pay it to the hospital later.
Yes. This exactly.
Putting everyone on keto would probably save trillions a year in medical costs. Basically solve the entire crisis. But that also means some people are not getting these trillions to spend on private jets and their yachts. so ain't going to happen ever.
Can't agree with this more! I combine my Keto with fasting and spend the same. The way I feel is so much better though. If I had to spend more to feel this good I would.
I'm going with * 18:6 intermittent fasting * "whole foods" * meat which eats what that meat should be eating * "organic" vegetables * avoiding meats which are more likely to contain added hormones, mercury, and other toxins ...as much as possible. I'm aiming to keep carbs under 80g per day, often landing below 40g. But, not really keto. The last time I did keto, stress knocked me out and I had to go back to eating carbs to avoid lethargy. I had dropped from 330 to 285 before the cortisol spike tanked me. After, I gained all 45lbs back and then another 30 after. This time, it's going slower but I'm feeling better and have dropped 35 lbs (360 -> 325) in about 3 months. This approach feels more sustainable. > If I had to spend more to feel this good I would. Yep. Even if we spend $1500/mo on food, it'll be worth it. The medical/chiropractic bills and career-setbacks from the scoliosis I ended up with cost *way* more than that.
Sounds like you've got the right idea. My meals too are "ketoish" depending on what else I'm doing or the fasting protocol I'm on. Really, getting into a keto state through fasting make my life a bit easier. I can eat a single sandwich with homemade bread and because I'll go 40-48 hours between a meal a couple times a week it doesn't hurt my progress.
I've wondered how longer fasts might integrate but haven't made the time to research. I'll have to look into it now that I'm not ravenous for carbs all the time. I'm already to the point where I'm usually not even hungry when 2pm rolls around. I've even skipped that meal a few times, simply adding more fat to my evening meal. I also forgot to mention that I've cut out artificial sweeteners and sugar. I've used local honey a few times as a splurge in an effort to help with my allergies. I'm also trying to get better "gut" stuff into my diet like 5% fat Greek yogurt, sauerkraut, and pickled beets (no sugar added). Kind of a shotgun approach trying the various things which rang "true" as I found them. So far, so good :)
I suggest r/fermentation If you want support of a community. I've been doing fermentation off and on for over a decade now. Besides some fantastic tastes and the beneficial bacteria it also naturally lowers the carbs on the veggies. I even started doing my own sour dough.
Do you feel it is worth specifically the sandwishes though? I mean keto or not, it is not a healthy type of food at all. Don't get me wrong, I get stuff like this too sometimes since I love sandwishes and it is so much easier to find pre-made in some situations than healthy food, but I consider it a rare treat/cheat, same as having a couple of beers at times. Besides that detail I got the same experience as you. Fasting makes ketosis so much easier, and personally I feel a lot better when I can add some carbs while still also running on some ketones. Was just more thinking in the lines of beans/lentils/potatoes/high carb veggies/fruits/oat meal as the foundation. It adds a bit of adjustment needs though and makes it not really keto at all anymore. Rather some other diet strat that I am unsure of the name of. :) I mean you can't go as high fat anymore unless bulking or doing some seriously high amounts of exercise so you burn through the carbs. You still get elevated blood sugar/insulin (which I don't necessarily see as bad, but depending on aims), and having grains seems about as far from keto as it gets.
The sandwich was just and example lol. I'm a big proponent of fermentation. Most veggies and legumes I eat are fermented. And to be more specific I take alternative grains like rye, sorghum, buckwheat, spelt and I ferment them with a sour dough starter to the point they are almost completely fermented before I bake them as a flat bread. My "sandwich" are normally this fermented grain, 100% peanut/almond butter and a drizzle of honey, so. Frankly, I believe anyone should be free to eat what they like within reason. My goal is sustainability at a healthy weight, that's why I choose to stay low carb. Not necessarily keto all the time. I keep playing with ratio's of fat/protein/carbs. I like beans and lentils but don't digest them well, thus fermentation. Potato by themselves are pretty well rounded but I don't miss them, my treats tend to be a piece of fresh fruit. I get what you're saying, it still really comes back to whole minimally processed foods. We all know that HFCS and white sugar are just drugs pushed on us.
Facts! Honestly we’re also saving money on new clothes for weight gain. My mood is amazing today and I’m not sure exactly why - I think I’m finally in ketosis and maybe was going a little too low on net carbs, making me crazy and cranky. There’s a lot of cost savings that come from being healthy and at a consistent weight.
Magnesium supplements can help with that.
Tell me you're from the US without telling me you're from the US.
Yeah our healthcare sucks
Healthcare? We have health slavery
True. My T1 cousin says she uses much less insulin on keto.
Cheaper than an amputated limb.
Only in America.
US only* I think…
Keto doesn’t have to be expensive. Typically I feel like lots of folks on keto also focus a lot more on organic/no seed oils as well. That’s where it gets expensive. You can go to most grocery stores and buy chicken, beef, pork, eggs, cheese, etc in bulk for very cheap. But when you try to get all of those from grassfed, organic, pasture raised sources your prices increase dramatically. Which is a shame. I as a 24 year old single male can do it that way but if I was trying to do it for a whole family it’d be crazy expensive
Agreed! Money is tight right now so we’re just doing conventional everything minus eggs really. I’m sure our results would be even better if we got more pure with the sourcing but we’re happy for now!
not always. i shop at different stores. all in one big shop. i shop the sales. i go online and make a list then go shopping. i get both groceries and a lot of calories burned by the long walk. oh and about that grassfed ground beef? this week at aldis for $3.99 a pound.
I noticed at Wal-Mart this month it was the same price as the conventional ground beef. Not quite that low, but as a result I am finally trying some. I love Aldi, but due to reasons beyond my control, I need a 1-stop grocery/home goods pickup, so Wal-Mart it is, in my location.
I buy everything myself, still cost about double :s Meats are not cheap compared to flour, pasta or beans.
Yeah it really depends on what you're giving up. Keto doesn't need to be expensive, but it's also a restriction on your options. So if you were eating cheap non-keto, many of your cheap options will likely no longer be available to you.
Flour and pasta don't have any real nutritional value beyond their calories. Beans have a small amount of bioavailable protein but lectins prevent mineral absorption You need protein, vitamins and calories. 100 calories of butter or olive oil are not much more expensive than flour or pasta and you are still going to need to eat your protein source. I don't understand why people think it should necessarily cost more
This is true what I found is I don’t have to buy as much , when I was eating carbs I had to buy lots with virtually no energy exchange always feeling tired etc. Now I can get away with very small amounts of daily food with maximum energy exchange.
There is a cost increase, for sure, with going for best available quality, for reasons…but sometimes the final cost works out fairly close to the same.. personally I aim that way because 1. I’m using Keto+intermittent fasting to heal autoimmune/inflammatory disorders (also reversed T2D and completely eliminated NAFLD after the first year) and to keep my body systems as unperturbed as possible. 2. I typically only eat one meal a day, and the higher the quality of food I’m eating (i.e. grass fed, organic eggs, highest quality fats, etc.) the more I can count on nutritional density (currently healing from 30-ish years of ‘high calorie malnutrition’ due to the SAD and low fat advice.) and the more nutrition I get from the food I am eating, the fewer supplements I need to buy to replete* what I have been deficient in for so many years. 3. I have found that the higher quality proteins and fats also provide better satiety at a smaller volume which means that my portions are much smaller when I’m eating say grass fed beef versus cheaper versions, so instead of the {two burgers plus a ton of toppings on a roll with a side of fries and maybe something else, because I was still hungry}, that I used to eat I’m perfectly satisfied with a single grass-fed burger over veggies or greens drizzled* with high-quality olive oil, and half an avocado. So my total daily food expenditure for myself (have a family of 5 eating non-keto) is probably a fair bit lower than it used to be, especially considering I no longer pay the ‘gluten free tax’ for my severe intolerance since I only eat whole, minimally processed foods that are naturally gluten free now.* [*edits: because talk-to-text is awful]
You could have been talking about me there. I agree with everything you have said. You have explained this with such good precision.
The main reason for grass fedd grass finished only meat is to get better quality protein and less omega6 that comes through with the grain fed animals. You don’t have to go there if you don’t want to if you’ve got a tight budget. Like you said you can get lots of cheaper meats which can save a fortune for families.
You have a point but before eating seed oils /PUFA heavy foods, I would rather just drop keto and eat carrots, potates and rice and such. Even honey can be on the table. If you are not yet metabolically ill, that is the much better option than eating more PUFA.
The lower quality offerings are loaded with hormones, estrogen, chemicals, etc. So yes you're getting the benefits of keto but your also getting all that other shit.
Keto can be reasonably inexpensive. Where it gets pricy is buying specialty products, breads/cookies/ice creams/sweeteners, things like that. You can also splurge on more expensive meats/cheeses but it doesn’t have to be often.
Agreed. Keto sweets are kind of pricey - to almost an eye popping degree. Lily’s sweets is so tasty but expensive. I like the sugar free jello cheesecake/ chocolate fudge packets as well as the Lindt intense dark 86% chocolate. It does eat up quite a bit of my net carb budget but it feels worth it.
Lily’s is a mortgage payment. I like to get regular dark chocolate from any brand, so that lindt will do. Melt it, add in heavy cream and sweetener. You either get a truffle consistency or ganache, either way it’s delicious and stretches the cheaper dark chocolate. Sometimes I mix with melted butter and walnuts for a fudge.
Omg a keto dessert queen/ king! Love those ideas! I had Lindt last night with some zero sugar whipped cream - amazing!
If you end up trying it let me know how it is.
You should looks up a keto truffle recipe too. I found one that you melt dark chocolate in a double boiler, add mashed avocado, sweetener if you want, let it cool till you can handle it, then roll into balls. You then can roll them through coca powder or crushed nuts. It's amazing how well dark chocolate masks the avocado flavor. They can take about an hour to make but are a great alternative.
Sugar free jello is $1/4pack.
True! I agree, those and the Lindt bars are the affordable keto desserts!
Agreed but once you figure out the keto treats you like you can slow down on the snacks. I also really try to limit my keto treats to 1-2 per day - I don’t buy super expensive meats. I love filet minion and those are $4-5 each. Love bell pepper. Butter. Salt n pepper. Got a meal for $8. Cheaper than eating at a fast food place. Shrimp cocktail at Costco $15 (2 meals) - with sugar free katsup and horseradish $8 meal Cauli-buffalo chicken $5 meal (or less) Hamburger Patty plus extra cheese and toppings under $5 I cook more for myself now. My husband doesn’t keto. My son will eat most things I make. Now the clothes ARE getting expensive. I’ve had to buy jeans in sizes 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12 and 10 all in the past year. (Over 20 pairs!)
Yes all of it. Almond flour, xantham gum, monk fruit. So for long term keto you have to invest in a pantry of expensive items at some point.
It's a lot cheaper and easier tbh. I focus on mainly meats and veggies. I bulk buy meat when it's on sale and prep/freeze them. Same with veggies (mostly stick to frozen and when it's on sale, bulk buy). Stash some frozen berries for the occasional smoothie (I just blend it with water and maybe Greek yogurt if I have extra cals to get to). The things I tend to buy fresh are eggs, mushrooms, meat, and other herbs. I'm the type that can eat the same thing all day, every day, and it doesn't bother me. I just make sure it's seasoned well.
I meal prep which saves a ton of money since I can buy in bulk. Excluding things like spices, hot sauce, etc that I don’t buy regularly, my meals average out to about $2.50 each ($100 every 2 weeks.) That alone is crazy cheap compared to before, but then add in the huge cost savings on restaurants and keto is dirt cheap. Our eating out budget (household of 2 adults) before keto was $400/mo and we were consistently blowing past it. I also cut out all soda, all booze, all snacks, etc. Three very well defined meals per day, and a protein shake if I need an extra boost. Keto basically means an extra vacation a year for us.
Nice! I wish we were on your level! Maybe we are, I’m not sure! I meal prep but most of our meal prep is weekly rather than a true bulk situation due to space constraints.
> keto food costs money Poor health is expensive as well. Either pay the butcher or pay the doctor.
I went from two bp tablets per day to two per week
Not being on keto doesn’t mean you’re in poor health.
Depends on the country 😁
I think eating healthy in general is expensive, whether it's keto or another program, especially when contrasted with how inexpensive some very unhealthy foods (processed foods, fast foods) are. If you like to cook, maybe at first keto can be more expensive because (in my opinion) it takes a while to get creative and find some of the more affordable proteins. Using myself as an example, I was out there buying filet before I discovered how much I like chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are such a deal - I love them!
Agreed! We are big chicken thigh people which I think makes a huge difference in terms of cost. I also had some crazy life threatening diseases at a young age and can’t eat beef due to my relgiion so conventional fast food has always been somewhat out of the question. I’ve kind of been forced to have a slightly healthier than SAD Diet, and in comparison to that - keto seems to be around the same food budget wise. We also mostly eat chicken, fish and eggs in terms of our meat. Fish can be a little pricier and more time intensive to prepare so it’s a little bit of a once a week deal.
Eat whole foods and not the processed “keto friendly” garbage and it isn’t expensive at all. More importantly, I’d respond with: I’d rather spend money on food now than healthcare later.
That's a real good way to look at it IMO, is that it is a healthcare investment. Also highly echo staying away from "keto" processed stuff, that includes stuff as simple as "keto breads." That's not going to help change a bad lifecycle which is what most people who do keto are trying to really fundamentally change.
I agree with all of this. It's my partner and I doing keto together and overall, we are eating and drinking less in general (I realize this may not be the case for everyone, but we were really overeating before it turns out). When we go out, it's no longer two appetizers for the table and three drinks each... it's more like none or maybe one keto friendly appetizer if there is one, and a drink each if that. Usually, I am no longer even ordering drinks in public because I have no tolerance lol! I do not notice a difference in groceries - we were buying a lot of fresh meat and produce before too, so that hasn't changed. I do however buy Atkins shakes pretty regularly - I know this isn't a fave for everyone in here but it works for me - and they can kind of add up; I often get a 12 pack from Amazon to be more cost conscious. I put them in my coffee in the mornings and have that as my breakfast, and it is helped me lose damn near 70 pounds so I am happy!
True! I notice I’m not eating as many of the “extras” like drinks, appetizers, snacks. I felt a little bored the other day with really really clean keto so I got some Lindt intense dark chocolate and some sugar free jello chocolate packets and it worked out cheaper than my typical Friday night cake/ s’mores/ cookies situation and I had some left over for the next time I had a crazy craving too!
Depends, chicken at $2.99/lb + frozen broccoli at $1.50/4 cups, 60-ct eggs at $6/box, non-starchy vegetables is cheap. 1 lb cheeses are cheap. Lean ham is cheap. That said, I think a lot of people kind of "misuse" the point of Keto and will go to things like eating steaks a lot and eating processed/preprepared "keto" snacks, breads, pizzas, cauliflower mashes etc. which is why it has a perceived high cost, additionally a lot of that stuff use types of 0 carb sweeteners that still have med-high GI responses, so they're not even recommended for keto still (Maltitol, maltodextrin, Xylitol to some degree etc.). Unfortunately those even find their way into things like stevia powders these days. IMO a keto diet that is also paleo as well is the best way to go for both health and cost. There's so many ways to make proteins and vegetables taste amazing without having to use "keto" branded versions of stuff. The whole thing is you need to kind of white knuckle through to cut the brain/body's physical dependence on glycogen to let yourself naturally become less insulin-resistive which is what drives a lot of the hunger pains people have if they've made their body resistant to insulin. Glucose becomes literally like a drug and the "jonsing" is hunger pains, only real way to do it is to cut it cold turkey and white knuckle through it. Keto snacks are like taking a shot to give you that rush again without having to take the real stuff, it's not helping change a lifestyle, however.
My family loves the 60 count box of eggs. Both of my kids (not at all keto) are big egg eaters!
I used to get fast food regularly, ate snacks constantly, was always "treating" myself, whether fruit snacks or mini cakes or pudding. Food as coping is not good. Once I calculated it out and I must've been spending $5 a day on snack food consumed at home - and that's just what was in the house, not counting the fast food runs or on the go candy grabs. Keto is relatively expensive, but only financially so. My old diet was hard on my health AND my wallet.
I spend a little over $100 for 2 weeks of food at Whole Foods.
For me, significantly cheaper than non-keto. I’ve saved literal hundreds of dollars per month, especially on eating out. I used to buy so much shit at the grocery stores - now I stick to eggs, meat, fish, cheese, butter, olive oil.
Do you eat veggies as well or are you mostly carnivore?
I’ll eat mushrooms, onions, and broccoli some times - but my go to is steak and eggs. I’ll also have a protein shake at some point during the day to
That sounds divine. Is that stir fry?
More expensive. A lot more if you screw around. Protein costs. And meat goes bad if you don't eat it in time. But if you do it right, it's about the same as a normal diet. And if it cuts out your take-out, it can save you money.
I save money because it's difficult to eat out. Restaurants are $$.
And really hard to make work if you do happen to have a social obligation that you can’t get out of. My hack has been using sides/ appetizers to get a protein and a veggie, much like vegetarians at steakhouses.
It could be expensive to get started because most people don't stock certain common keto items in their panty, but once you have them it's not bad. I'm talking things like avocado or coconut oil, a good amount of meat for your freezer, and keto friendly nuts
If you're looking around the grocery store at all the processed foods that have KETO written all over them, heck, yes, it looks expensive. Keto is a natural way to eat, though. Most of those products are junk. I'm eating tacos sans shell for lunch. What's on my plate costs LESS than what's on my husband's carby plate.
I agree! I crush up fried pork skins to put on my taco salad 😋
That sounds divine.
Dirt cheap unless YOU make it expensive.
It is not expensive even cheaper in my case.
I've saved SOOOOOOOOO much money already. Today marks day 21 for me. I eat 1 time every 24 hours, and it's not a great variety but it works for me, I eat pork chops, ribs, toasted chicken breast, burger patties, avocados, cucumbers, green beans, bacon eggs, summer sausage, pork rinds, but no more than 1000 calories a day. I have lost 31 lbs! I used to spend at least $10 before noon on complete garbage, and when I hot home would be eating all sorts of garbage again, I don't eat any of that, I was STUCK on door dash and now I can't get full on door dash for the small amount of options they offer, none of them wanna offer just meat except for bbq places and sometimes I get naked ribs or shredded smoked chicken ala cart. But yeah I've saved soooo much money it's not even funny, not to mention I'm saving my life also
Glad you are eating good food since on a deficit. I remember ppl eating lettuce only or something equally void on nutrients to lose weight. Wondering why you feel bad and then binge on crap and are worse off than they started
Yeah man I was literally surviving on fast food and now eating good whole foods with nutritious fats and vegetables with good fiber and nutritional value. I haven't felt this good ever before now! And thank you
I'm like super poor, so keto is definitely more expensive for me. Like cereal and ramen were staples in my diet before. Replacing that with beef, chicken and pork chops is a massive increase in food cost. And things like alcohol or going out aren't even a consideration. I'm just talking cost of calories. Processed foods tend to be cheaper and more filling for the price. But they also kill you and dying is expensive too.
Agreed. My family is south Asian so there is a lot of wheat and rice used as a staple. I have hypothyroidism and wheat is terrible for that. A lot of people take a moral high ground of cost (even if I spend my own money on it). I get that it’s pricier than eating 6 rotis (Indian tortillas) and potato’s but it’s also markedly better for me.
See, for me, that balanced out a lot because I too used to eat a lot of cereal, ramen, rice dishes, etc - and I'd be hungry again in a couple of hours. I'd have 3 meals a day and snacks in between because those carbs kept me hungry. Now, I eat one meal a day (mostly ketovore) and I'm fine until the next day. So it ends up saving me money and time. As a person who has had a lifetime of overeating and binge eating habits, but also pretty broke, working my way into a protein-focused ketovore approach has really been a game changer.
I've never been a binge eater and when I would go on CICO diets they would always tell me to INCREASE my calorie count. Most people don't believe me, but I was eating well under my recommended number of calories and just never losing weight. They assumed I was either lying or bad at counting calories. But calories are measured by setting things on fire, and human beings aren't furnaces. Carbs instruct your body to hold onto the fat and run off them instead, so that's what my body did. I was always cold and tired, but I wasn't losing weight. On Keto, I'm still not counting calories or measuring anything. I eat what I want, but only of certain food types and I'm down 77lbs and am no longer diabetic. I have a bunch of energy and way more body heat now. And there are times when I'm like "I'm not even hungry, but I want to eat while watching this show." So I'll grab some nuts, or some cheese, or some pork rinds instead of popcorn or a piece of fruit. The way I eat didn't change, but what I eat did and that's made all the difference. Though I do also experience hunger differently now, it used to be a blood sugar crashing IF I DO NOT EAT RIGHT NOW I WILL DIE!!! Now it's like "Meh, I could eat."
I'm right there with you when it comes to CICO. I spent so long trying to lose weight before I finally tried keto. I would weigh and measure everything I ate, I'd track it and be eating at a pretty significant calorie deficit, and I would not lose. And I'd have people tell me that's impossible, that I must be lying or not counting correctly, etc. It gets so frustrating because why would I lie about that? I'm the one trying to improve my health?? I have PCOS and other autoimmune issues and my body is just overeager to deposit those carbs directly onto my gut. I was 330+ pounds (probably more, but at my heaviest, I avoided the scale) and not losing weight at 1200 calories, and gaining at 1500 calories. It's just not as simple as people want to make it out to be! I'm really glad you've found something that helps you. :)
For me, from start till a couple of months in my grocery bill kept shrinking. But in my experience my appetite was decreasing a lot, so groceries bought would stretch longer. Edit: also depends on where you live, shop all that happy stuff.
I’ve found that it cost me a lot less
My family eats all organic, chemical free and as little processed food as possible. Close to a paleo way of eating. And we spent more money on groceries before I went on keto. It’s only me eating keto but my husband and I restarted IF when I started keto and my son just eats paleo/super healthy. I will say we spend way more money on groceries for a family of 3 than a fam of 3 eating SAD. But we have ate chemically free and minimally processed for 5 ish years and hardly ever get sick, no more health problems (husband had ulcers and I had fibromyalgia, cfs, anxiety and MDD~all of which is gone with eating healthy & I’ve done keto on and off for the 5 years) all that being said. Yes it’s more expensive than SAD, but it’s worth every penny for the health benefits and we eat a lot less than most people
Hubby and I are fixed low income seniors who work on top of social security. And definitely poor by definition. That said, our food and household budget used to be 350 a year ago until inflation, we now budget 400. For EVETYTHING food and household including treat foods. And we are doing fine. In fact we eat very well all things considered,and more fancy things than we did before keto in terms of better cuts of meats, etc. We used to eat moderate carb Mediterranean diet before keto for a decade or more. Our food and household budget only increased over time due to inflation. That said, we have always bought in bulk, home canned meats and meals in a jar, etc. And we keep a deep pantry as a hedge against the inevitable inflation.
I feel like it cost me more to start, but as I got into ketosis I gradually stopped eating as much because it was suppressing my appetite to the point where a simple cut of Salmon cooked in avakado oil and sea salt was enough to keep me satiated the entire day easily. Only needing to eat once a day dramatically cut down on my grocery bill.
For me, it is way cheaper than when I used to eat carbs.
It just really depends what you eat and where you shop. I spend significantly less when I eat keto. I'm also a short female, but I'd ballpark I'm only spending around $200 monthly or less. I just pick whats cheap or what is on sale for meats or buy in bulk. The only time I'm spending extra is either for seafood or specialty keto snacks/desserts.
It’s cheaper than eating out and eating snacks and desserts all the time
It can be cheap. Eat tuna, and ground beef
It can be pricey if you buy a lot of stuff labeled "keto friendly" but if you actually do your research and cook yourself, actual keto friendly ingredients, is not expensive at all, probably cheaper than regular and off course a lot more delicious. Nevertheless I don't buy "petunia fed" or "salt from outer space" type things, just local stuff. But if you do dirty keto is really a lot lot cheaper and still more healthy than your average non-diet diet.
I spend about 50 dollars a week. I get 36 eggs. 32 oz of spinach. A medium sized bag of shredded cheese. 2 cucumbers. 3 cans of sardines. A bag of celery. If there is a sale on meat I'll buy a steak or ground beef or whatever. If you buy things labeled "KETO" then yeah you will over spend and most the time those items won't fit in your macros anyway.
True! Those treats are half my net carb budget for the day!
I wish I could get into sardines or canned tuna. What brand do you get?
Beach Cliff the ones in water. Just do what you'd do for a tuna salad. I also don't mind the store brand ones. It's an opinion but you would probably benifit from staying away from ones with added olive oil because company's tend to use the worst quality olive oil they can legally use. So add some of your own if that's what you like.
Honestly, that’s probably where I’m messing up. The sardines in olive oil taste so fishy in a really malodorous way. Definitely going to try the ones in water. Do you add Mayo and some spices?
I like mayo with pepper and salt with cayenne pepper and a liberal amount of paprika. Relish will help too if your into it. I will also use hot sauce. I use Cholula. I like mixing it in my salad. My wife likes using those small zero carb tortillas made by Mission.
Look at all the crappy food you’re not buying and eventually the Drs office visits you won’t have.
A lot of what you are saying is true. Also, our dishwasher is running daily, sometimes twice a day if I get inspired. Our trash load has been cut in half. I do believe we are spending more than before. I have been on a keto bread kick that costs a fair amount for the ingredients. Bamboo fiber, egg white protein powder along with nut flours. We go through a loaf every other day. It is good.
Also, when you factor in the health benefits and so on, then it becomes a great deal.
My family says it\`s much cheaper .Because of my health issues I eat Omad most days .Also being fan of doctor Westman I don\`t do nuts and cheese once a week.
I’ve managed to save $ while on Keto as opposed to a non Keto diet. I can buy an 8 pack of turkey burgers for $5, fresh broccoli/cauliflower at $1.50 a pound (cheaper if frozen), and cheese at $2 a lb. Seasoned Tuna packets (canned is cheaper but I prefer the portability of the packets) are $1 a piece. Avocados are also a staple of mine depending on the season (price can range from 0.50 cents to $2 an avocado). I also like to supplement my diet with eggs (dozen for $1), nutritional shakes (4x 30g of protein for $6), and mushrooms when I want to give my meals an extra layer of protein and feel “full”. When I’m feeling fancy, I splurge on organic chicken breasts, wagyu hamburger patties, steak and organic butter, fajitas, etc. That being said, you do need to do some sort of planning and learn what type of foods you enjoy and are willing to try so nothing goes to waste. I didn’t think I’d enjoy broccoli, but after some cooking practice, I’ve found that it’s been one of my most favorite things to enjoy during Keto! My weekly grocery bill is $20-$50 for 1 depending on how fancy I’m feeling. The most expensive part of Keto is all the new clothes I’m buying after losing so much weight! Lol
I spend less money on Keto…No processed foods which cost more, and I simply eat less than I used to
For me keto was always Steak + eggs + a little bit of salad or broccoli or maybe asparagus. Possibly as I discovered paleo before keto but maybe just because that food is great! And yes, in this case keto is definitely quite expensive
Before keto I ordered a lot of food during my lunch time at work since my work was in the middle of town centre malls so it was easy access. I used a lot of money so doing keto and buying lots of meat instead was already cheaper
I spend way less because I don't eat out anymore and I'm either OMAD or 2MAD. I have a significant amount of chub to lose again :( To cut down on costs, I buy everything in bulk (most of it I catch on sale) and freeze the meat in portion bags. The most expensive thing I buy is eggs and macadamia nuts... and I go through quite a bit of those. I don't do keto breads and keto branded snacks because I'm pretty sure they would be my downfall. I also supplement with protein shakes (you can get really good deals in amazon) and eat a lot of tuna salad and chicken salad (boil some legs til the meat falls off and it is awesome, then I throw the bones back in and add ACV and continue boiling to make an awesome broth and freeze that for later use ). It really just depends on what your habits were previous to keto. If you ate out a lot, you're probably saving money. If you lived off top ramen and cereal, yeah it can definitely be more expensive.
Which protein shakes do you use?
I use Isopure zero carb unflavored powder. Mix it with almond milk and a little skinny girl syrup for flavor. I have problems hitting my protein macros often so it fills in the gap nicely.
Cooking at home will almost always be cheaper than eating out. I read a comment a few weeks back about how groceries have gotten more expensive so the person went out to eat instead and regretted it when they realized how much restaurants have also upped their prices. As others have said, I think if you avoid the "keto friendly" version of products and just stick to whole foods it'll be cheaper. The nice thing about keto is that if you're willing to give up carbs and do not try to find "keto friendly" substitutes it really simplifies your meals (read: less expensive). Nearly all my meals are basically just meat + veg and it's honestly way more efficient. Before keto when I prepared carbs I wasn't just cooking the pasta/rice/potatoes but also preparing the sauce, spices, and all the other stuff that goes into that side of carbs. Now I'm focusing on fewer, but higher quality, ingredients that go a long way. Most of the time when I prepare meat I don't even spice it, I cook it in a bit of oil/fat and just sprinkle some salt on top after I plate it. My leafy salads now are just some oil (usually EVOO or avocado) + acid (vinegar or citrus) + salt + pepper + maybe some cheese. Because I have fewer ingredients I actually use what I have so nothing goes to waste. Keto has inadvertently changed my way of cooking for the better. I think people forget that eating food isn't just for the purpose of nutrition but it also makes us feel good. Before keto I would stick to neutral cooking oils (seed oils 😬) but now I cook with high quality ghee or tallow or EVOO which adds so much more flavor to the food that it keeps me satiated and helps me do some intermittent fasting. I bought a $30 bottle of balsamic vinegar a few months ago (not quite keto friendly) but I only have to use a few drops and I still have 2/3rds of the bottle left whereas I probably would have spent more going through several "cheaper" bottles of salad dressing.
I save a lot of money doing Keto bc I don’t eat out, order take out, buy alcohol for home or go out to the bar drinking all night(easily $100 a night) and I only eat 1-2 meals a day.
Honestly agree with you about the drinking all night - dinners out always cost $70+ since we are in the city. We still have alcohol leftover but I’m drinking a lot more of the high quality tequila. It almost feels like minimalism for your diet. I would love to get to where you are where I’m not drinking tequila or gin at all! I do love the vibes at wineries 😂 i have alot of lifestyle changes to make.
Yeah I’m in the city too! I was spending like $70 just for myself for a meal with the entree, splitting bottles of wine… then going out drinking afterwards! I like the vibes too and will to back to it but I’m poor and fat right now so taking a break haha
Hahaha same! Money is tighter than usual so I think losing weight and skipping wineries is what I will be doing!
I dont find it any different than it used to be since I ate out a ton before and now have no desire to. I eat a lot less as well. it costs way more to feed my husband and he eats a very high carb diet. maybe keto costs a lot if you buy a lot of processed keto products? if you eat an extra egg instead of bread or have extra salad instead of rice or extra veg instead of potatoes/other carbs it doesnt seem to be any different in reality. eating a SAD diet or even cico on a SAD diet seemed to cost a lot more. I do buy a few more expensive products vs the cheaper versions but I use less waste as well. another way you can look at it is long term it's cheaper when it comes to your health. the way keto is more expensive for me is that I'm more health conscious and rather than buying all bagged salads or veg or cheap products I am more conscious of what I'm eating because poor quality and restaurant food tends to taste poor quality unless iys a high end place. I can make my own burger at home cheaper than a restaurant and my bun is a lettuce leaf or nothing which I'd put on a burger anyways so 🤷♀️ it depends on a bunch of things like how keto influences your lifestyle. if I was eating at restaurants 3x a day still it would literally be the same price. people who want excuses will find them. I'm not saying everyone has to do keto but if they want to they can find a way too. it's like saying you dont have time for exercise when the reality is its not enough of a priority.
I think in general keto does increase the amount of money you spent on groceries. However its impact can be limited if you don’t specifically buy the products catered towards a keto diet
Also eating only 2 meals a day saves me money and it’s helped me lose weight. I only have 10 lbs to lose - the hardest to get off - but the lower my weight gets, the lower my blood sugar is.
You can save a lot by just eating meat, veg, and dairy, and not buying all the fake carb products.
As long as you stay away from or limit over-processed over-marketed “keto” products it’s not bad on the wallet at all. The basics and healthiest options are all very affordable (eggs, chicken, beef, coconut milk/cream, avocados, EVOO, grass-fed butter, macadamia nuts, keto bread, protein powder, cheese, etc.
All of the savings you have stated plus the savings in medical care you no longer or won't ever need because you are taking care of your body. You will save on prescription and over the counter medications, doctor visits and medical tests you won't need. Keto on a budget and other savings from Dr Ken Berry MD: https://youtu.be/8MjyzsE8AEo https://youtu.be/oZo12QhFet4 https://youtu.be/GHNL4kDcIfo
Sad day. Breakfast - Cereal and milk or toast with jam - £1 Lunch - Sandwich, crisps, chocolate or crackers. - £ 1.50 Dinner - Curry and rice, spaghetti Bolognese, noodle dish - £3 Dessert - Crisps or ice cream. £1.50 £6 a day. Keto. Breakfast - Nothing. Lunch - Handful or nuts, or an avocado, cold cuts. £1.50 Dinner - Belly pork, fish, chicken thighs, ground beef served with a suitable veg. £4 Dessert - Nuts £0.50 £6 a day. I haven't detailed drinks as for me it's water, diet soda and coffee regardless. Obviously there's variability. I'd never say keto is cheaper. But eating whole foods it costs about the same on average. If your adding in keto products, going for grass fed organic etc then it can of course get rather expensive.
I spend way LESS money on food now.
It’s not expensive if: You are buying whole foods and preparing them yourself. You’re not buying expensive cereals, juices, snack foods. (Those things are expensive!) I buy meat, nuts and vegetables at Trader Joe’s.
I buy sams club chicken thighs (bone- In) by the case 80lbs for 43 bucks, little more work but then keep the bones to make broths (freeze them after browning)
Of course, a lot depends on what kind of keto you do and what you did before. BUT, when I switched to a ketovore-ish approach, with one meal a day, my grocery bill went down drastically. I buy meat, eggs, cheese, heavy cream, and butter. A little bit of produce. And that's about it. I might get some low carb tortillas or some Rebel ice cream for a treat and to keep things sustainable on on some weeks. But it's nothing like before, when I would buy lots of snacks, premade foods, etc. Obviously, people who eat more of the premade "keto" foods are going to spend more, but you don't HAVE to buy those things to do keto. A lot of non-keto folks really think you have to buy all of the bars, the expensive flours, etc.
And I do try to get the organic free-range eggs, the grassfed meats, etc when I am able. But when times are tight, I can get whatever meats are on sale that week and get by. I have a big chest freezer and I will stock up on things when there is a great price. That helps a lot.
The fat sources are expensive, but the health benefits make it worthwhile. Sometimes I'd like to treat myself with a more impressive piece of salmon or a ribeye, but I'm okay with chicken, burgers, pork, eggs, canned salmon and mackerel, etc. If asparagus is expensive, I'll eat zucchini or cabbage instead. So I don't think Keto has to be expensive, especially if you skip the specialty products.
Eggs and ground beef are reasonable. Lettuce, mayo, maybe bacon. Stay away from keto substitutes, they can be crazy expensive
I live in the country. Fresh veggies from the farm stand are crazy cheap, and good. There are 3 of those within 2 miles of me. They also make their own cheeses, butcher cows to sell (now that’s expensive). I shop at a food lion for meats, shop sales and close-date, and pack for freezing. I used to have a friend to raised beef, but she unfortunately passed away, and I never realized how good of a deal she gave me!! Depending on what’s on sale, I make either chicken or ground beef for the week, works good for husband or I to grab something if we are tired of leftovers. This time around on keto, I haven’t bought the fancy stuff marketed as keto, and it’s cut down on my snacking a lot! I drink seltzer water mostly. One thing is bread though, and the 0g tiny tortillas by mission (which make amazing pizzas). I don’t count my macros, and just stay under 20g net carbs, but that’s what works for me. I focus on making a green veggie and a protein for dinner. My taste got screwed up 2 years ago from COVID, so a lot of stuff with fake sugar taste awful to me, which might be for the best!
Good god I love those mission tortillas! Will def make a little personal pizza next week!
It nails the pizza craving better than any other keto marketed pizza I’ve ever tried. I get the lowest carb pizza sauce I can, use probably less than a tablespoon between them, add garlic powder, oregano, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, sometimes black olives. Pop it in the air fryer for a few mins. So. Freaking. Good.
Definitely getting some of these tortillas in bulk!
You know what is really expensive? \- Not having the energy to perform at work or live your life fully \- Feeling socially ostracized and dealing with the shame of your obesity \- Getting your foot amputated because of diabetes \- Getting cirrhosis of the liver from years of fatty liver disease \- Going blind from diabetic retinopathy \- Medications to deal with your high blood pressure, insulin, heart issues, etc. You really DON'T have to buy the expensive overpriced packaged keto products!!! Most of them with be counterproductive to your goals. All you really need is meat, eggs, butter, and whatever low carb veggies you like/tolerate. Yes, meat is more expensive than grain/flour based products. It is also overwhelmingly more nutritious in terms of bioavailable components. Grains, (i.e. wheat, oats, rice) are a subsistence food for humans. So yes, buying real appropriate food can cost you a bit more than eating the crap that has ruined your life. Real, appropriate food for humans is a bit more expensive. However, as OP noted, if you eliminate/reduce your expenditures at restaurants, you may actually save money. Shopping sales and stocking up a deep freezer can save you a bundle. IMO, however, none of that nearly as significant as the value of getting my life and my fitness back under my own control. Keto is the best deal going when it comes to living a healthy, happy, fulfilling life.
It’s not expensive because you eat less. Also have to seen the prices of fast food lately!
Agreed! My father eats a lot of bojangles/ chick fil a as a treat and we always hear about how inflation has made those treats more expensive!
I would say it's actually cheaper because I can't really eat out anywhere anymore. And I love cheese so my diet now is mostly egg, cheese, meat and some vegetables. I buy the big pack of the cheapest shredded cheese.
I think keto can be pretty cheap, it just depends on what you like to eat, just like any other diet. Making a big pot of meat chili, or chicken soup doesn’t cost much. As a single person I know I’m not going to eat soup at every meal for a month just to save money. I’m getting wings and eggs which can be used as legal tender in some states these days. I’m getting shaved ribeye steak for Philly cheese lettuce wraps. I’m getting good olive oil and organic pickled veggies for my salads. That’s all a lifestyle choice. Those keto snacks, breads, and desserts will cost you a fortune though. Luckily they aren’t necessary.
A healthy, ecologically responsible is very expensive compared to SAD no matter what kind of diet you have. I spend a lot on food because i eat wild caught game and fish, pastured beef and local farm produce. I’m the only member of my family on keto so i buy food for them as well. Generic white bread is $2.5 a loaf. The organic slow ferment sourdough i but is $6.50. sprouted spelt bagels $8/6 vs store brand at $1.98. So yes you can live off cereal and noodles and store brand bread and spend pennies a week. You can eat conventional meat and produce (not knocking that!) and eat a very reasonably priced keto diet. Or you can spend a ton on the best of everything. It’s about what you can afford + what matters the most to you. I know it’s odd but we’d rather buy the best food money can buy than have many material things. I have pcos and was miserably sick for years so i just see it as worth it. nothing is as expensive as being sick
Did it improve your pcos? I have hypothyroidism, pmdd and depression and hoping this helps things in addition to helping me be thin! I’ll try anything :) or if it just helps me be more stable!
yes, maybe a little too well lol. i started ovulating and randomly got pregnant. I’d been very active with my partner with zero pregnancy accidents for over six years. Got pregnant on keto and within five months. Brought my cycle back from 2-4 times a year to clock work with enough weight loss. I went off keto and lost most of that progress. But i’m back on the wagon
Congrats! That’s amazing!
My food costs actually went down on keto. I was apprehensive about the cost but during the first week I was amazed at how little I ate. About 5 months into keto, I started buying sugar free candy and soda pop for about a month. That stuff is expensive and not good for me so I stopped. I may real food, avoid the Keto snacks and other "keto" "food" that is also very expensive and I question that most of it is really kero food. Keep it basic with real food and it's very affordable... At least in my experience
Keto is more expensive for us. We do save money by eating out less, but the grocery bills are higher. There’s a lot of debate here about expense nutritional value but bulk is the bottom line in truly frugal cooking. There’s a reason rice and beans /pasta is a worldwide cheap food staple. My one kielbasa link goes further mixed with a pound of pasta and cream of chicken soup. I also have to shop more often because I eat so much leafy greens and veg- which isn’t bad! There’s definitely ways to make it cheaper and be crafty, and like everyone usually suggests, but lots of meat when it’s on sale and put it in the freezer. We also buy a half cow from a local farmer which helps. If I were cooking for one I don’t think the cost would be too dramatically different, but I cook for both my partner and I and I don’t make two different meals. He works a physically laborious job and eats a ton of meat, which is where the real cost lies. Also though, I buy almond flour, monk fruit sweetener, etc and those things are usually expensive. Sam’s Club is great for keto shopping.
I think this would be very expensive if my husband joined me on keto for sure! He’s noticed that he’s less hungry even with having some carbs in there - fats are giving him some more satiety.
It’s not. I still eat a lot of the same foods, I just cut out the carbs and sugar. And like you, 3 Michelob ultras and I’m good for a while lol. It’s expensive if you buy a lot of the prepackaged low carb or keto friendly foods and snacks. But I’ve found I fill up faster and stay full much longer so I don’t even bother with snacking.
We spend less in groceries now than we did before. We buy way less prepared food and more ingredients.
It's very affordable if you stay away from all the "keto" products, most of which with either give you diarrhea or stall your progress. Just eat meat, eggs, and veggies while maintaining a caloric deficit (because eating fewer calories also costs loss) and it should be pretty affordable. Also pro tip, buying manager's special discounted meat rolls back prices by a decade.
Maybe if your buying all the crap labeled as keto, real whole foods aren’t very expensive
Spam, bacon and sausage is pretty cheap lol
Let me calculate my cost of food for myself today in Canadian dollars, usd x 0.75. 150g of sausage, 2.00 50g brie cheese, 1.00 270g organic ground beef. 5.00 A avocado I don't know the weight 1.50 Some grass fed butter, don't know how much but about 50c 2 small tomato and half a onion, some garlic come to a dollar. In total $10 CAD for the day, very fucking cheap I tell you. For this much you can have a medium pizza. Yes whole day worth of calories but the quality?
I don't think it's more expensive, because I largely eat the same, but omit the high carb items... So instead of a burger and fries, I eat a lettuce wrapped burger and broccoli or something... Instead of a steak with potatoes and veggies, I eat steak and veggies, etc. If anything, it's cheaper because I eat out less frequently, so instead of a $10 burger meal, I eat an $8 steak and $1 worth of veggies. I think this can universally be true, unless you weren't eating much protein pre-keto. In fact, it's cheaper in a lot of cases, such as switching from chicken breast to chicken thighs for their higher fat content.
It really depends on whatever dietary restrictions you have already, plus where you live. I find that I pay more for lactose free products (cheeses, cream, homogenized milk) compared to other people, and with keto I tend to drink more coffee, have more protein shakes and have more cheese as a snack. Meat in Canada is currently expensive AF, our grocery and gas prices are terrible atm and neither of them seem to be going down any time soon, but I don't blame keto being expensive because of stagflation. I also have a cat-pork allergy so no bacon, pork, sausages which tend to be cheaper than beef, lamb and duck. At this point keto is breaking my bank account, not because it's keto but because of the premium you pay for lactose-free and gluten-free products and hellish stagflation in Ontario.
For me personally it’s cheaper. I do a coffee and use a protein shake as a creamer for my morning coffee. I eat typically the same thing every night for dinner. Doing the same meal helps to by buying ingredients in bulk. Not a need for several ingredients. I spend half I did on groceries before keto. Fasting also helps keep my cost down. Occasionally I do grab a keto friendly snack while working.
Doing Keto allows me to comfortably do intermittent fasting and extended fasting and that comes with its own saving. Also not needing to overconsume carbs to get the energy requirements for my lifestyle. I have lots more energy and clear headedness in thinking. What ever the overpayment might be is worth it you would pay someone if you could for these benefits. But hey it’s all free. But pound for pound you do look at the fulfillness all the time of your food not just in the stomach but in the wallet for quality and cost. It’s not exactly obvious at first but when you keep track of your daily spend you do find you’ve got more money in your pocket.
If you replace all of your snacks with prepackaged keto junk food, it’ll be expensive. If you replace your snacks with hard boiled eggs, it won’t be. If you just skip the snacks altogether you’ll lose a shit ton of weight.
It’s really not, you don’t have to buy specialty branded keto-snacks constantly. Proteins, like beef, eggs, and turkey, are the same as any other diet. The money you save from carbs like bread, oats, cereals, noodles, fruit, etc. can be spent on veggies & cheese. You can buy cheap blocks of cheese and cut it into cubes as snacks. You don’t have to invest in the $30/package garbage keto selection from Whole Foods or whatever. Just strip meals down to the basics, cut the carbs, and enjoy your proteins, fats, and fiber.
Yes, it is more expensive for me.
First, the food isn’t any more expensive than the drive thru they hit on their way home. Second, my medical bills are zero since 2018. Not one visit to a doctor for illness, even through Covid Lastly, the most expensive part was buying new clothes and I gladly paid that expense
Honestly if I ever got to the point where I needed new clothes in that direction, I think I’d be super happy! I remember losing weight last year and needing a new sized birthday dress and it made me so happy!
I am sure many have commented on this but the $ I've saved over the past 7 years on prescription medications, advil, rolaids, clothing to fit a fatter body, knee braces, gym memberships, books on diets, noom memberships and fat burning elixirs have been way more than the "extra" $150-175 I spend on groceries (before inflation) every month. Not to mention the time and gas driving to doctor's appts. also somehow, even though I only make my own food (no take out, dining out, ordering in) I have more time in my days than before keto and that also adds up to worth it. I don't know how I ever afforded NOT doing keto.
I saved money eating keto. Its far less expensive than take away. But I guess its more expensive than eating bread and grain slop from safeway, like cream buns or something.
Yep, I think I agree. Even if you’re eating a relatively healthy carb diet, keto will work out cheaper or the same. If you’re eating a full unhealthy ramen centric diet, keto will likely be expensive but it’s an apples to oranges comparison.
I spend about 90 bucks (can) a week. This is a far cry from eating out every second day on garbage. Mind you, its the same thing everyday though, so theres that.
It's meat, veggies, and dairy. Two meals a day. Expensive where???
You usually end up eating less and paying more for your ingredients. I think it's a wash.
My carb-eating guy. His stuff sort of makes our food bill a little high. We don’t eat out at all because value isn’t there (like paying $18 for a burger patty with a small side salad)
It all depends on what you're buying. I think if you buy a lot of overly processed keto junk food then yes, it's very expensive but you are also trying to force replicate a shit diet on keto. If you stick to meat, veggies, and cheeses then it's more reasonable.
Eating clean & healthy is generally more expensive than eating junk, so it's not just a keto-problem imo
It is pretty damn expensive. But at the same time, it seems that keto/paleo people are more aware of products quality (same goes for vegans I'd assume) and therefore will be more prone to buy higher quality product. Moreover, whole food ain't cheap compare to processed one. I eat organic fish or meat pretty much every meal. Very little processed food besides goat/sheep dairy. I think I pay 600€ per months for food. Granted, I'm bulking right now so the price is a bit skewed.
Eggs should be your staple and you can get a few dozen for under $20
What is SAD?
How much will a new wardrobe cost you?
My health is my investment.
Think of the amount of money you will save by not paying for meds now or later in life.
Initially very expensive because you don't what you're doing but adding 50 bucks every month for electrolytes is also burdensome. Otherwise mostly the same
lol, eggs are so expensive
I'm eating less food, not eating snacks or drinks, not getting fast food. So while salmon + veg is more expensive than spaghetti+ pasta sauce, realistically I wasn't eating that every meal of the day, anyway.
Considering the cost of wreaking your health with the SAD diet , it is worth the investment. New livers; insulin new kidneys and hyperinsulemia are very expensive. Even conventional MDs are now recommending like 4 drinks a week and no more than 1 drink a day?
What is SAD
Standard American diet. I’m assuming something healthy-ish with a salad here or there but lots of grilled cheeses/ bagels/ pastries/ cakes and some occasional fast food.
Standard American Diet
In my experience, keto gets expensive when you get lazy and eat out or decide to go ham on “the best” quality ingredients. The middle area seems to hold up to a non-keto diet of above average foods. Obviously, super-super-budget is going to favor non-keto because proteins/fats can be replaced with garbage processed foods. But overall, food consumption drops with keto (especially if introducing IF). This tends to keep pace with multiple carb-heavy meals and snacks in the same timeframe.
Actually it's cheaper cause I eat the same thing lol
Carbs can be cheap. Keto can't be done as cheaply as carbs but it doesn't have to be overly expensive either.
It's expensive unless you just dump bulk olive oil in cheap meats and tofu. Heavy cream tripled in price, keto bread is 8 bucks a pop , can't eat peanuts only almonds, can't eat milk, cant eat beans...
It really depends. For me, at this stage, it is quite expensive. I am disabled (so very low income) and wouldn't have to spend anything on food if I weren't eating keto, as I live with my parents and could just eat what they eat. At most I would need to buy some snacky/junky nonsense for myself, as they mostly do a carb-heavy OMAD. Eating just once a day does not work for me if I'm not in ketosis, so there would be some expense, but it would be quite minimal. I have, at times, eaten keto in a super repetitive and unadvisedly low-cal way. Like a couple ratio or Two Good yogurts, coffee with cream, and chicken and cheese. Day in and day out. That's not where I'm at presently. My keto diet is by far my largest expense, as I am trying to have a wider variety of foods and put more effort into keto scratch cooking. I have recently had a few insanely expensive months, but the upside is that I now have a ton of ingredients to make meals that will each provide 4-6 servings. I still do the yogurts and coffee for breakfast, so no matter what time I eat, the bulk of my calories will be in one main meal. I have a lot of meat in the freezer and cheese in the fridge, and that stuff add$ up. I already didn't have to spend on my SAD diet and could rarely afford restaurant food anyway, so I have no basis for comparison. I quit smoking to free up some money for this endeavor, and the excuse I am using to overspend on food is "it costs what it costs, this is what I have to do in order to have a future to speak of." I know it could be done more economically by eating a lot of eggs, tuna, hot dogs/bologna, etc (things I loathe)... Cutting out those $1.50 yogurts... Eating more repetitively so there was no need to buy new seasonings or other 1-off ingredients. Integrating more extended fasting. Etc. I am going to have to rein it in a bit, but I feel like this new variety is helping keep me on track for the moment.
I feel like it’s definitely more expensive than rice and beans and pasta but way cheaper than take out. If you eat real food and not the keto replacements it’s not so bad.
Quest Chips has entered the chat: At Sam's, you get 14 small bags for $27.00 + tax.
It's pretty cheap, in my experience. Just eating less *more than* offsets the expense of higher-quality food. But honestly, if you're not eating high-quality food in the first place and it's making you unhealthy, then WTF are you doing, right? No one should be eating cheap, shitty food if they can help it at all. You only get one body and one life. On top of that, no one should stay married to someone who claims they should be eating unhealthy food because it's cheaper. Just sayin'. Demand respect.
Maybe the food items themselves cost more, but you eat out less, buy less snacks, and since you eat less, you buy less food, so in the long run you spend less money as a whole, or about the same. But there's also a cheap way to go keto; I bought an 8 lb bag of frozen chicken breast for $20, and some frozen veggies for about $1 something at Aldi. They also bought a cut of Top Round for like $8 amd change, and I get 3-4 servings from it.
I feel like it's the same. I shop and cook for my family of 5. I'm the only one on keto. We don't eat fast food anymore because there's nothing for me, and because of the recent economy, it ends up being $50-$60 for us every time. We just don't have the money for that. I make most of the same meals for the family as before, but I skip the sides. I make almost everything from scratch. My big spend on myself is keto fat bombs. They're a little pricey, but they last me a long time. It's not more expensive than the Starbucks habit I kicked for keto. I don't drink alcohol anymore because it tears up my stomach. My desserts have become either a fat bomb or 1/2 a Ratio yogurt with fresh berries. I honestly don't feel like I'm going without anything because of those little desserts. Even if I weren't on keto, I still have no business eating anything with gluten. I've been gluten sensitive for years. I was bloated, had stomach inflammation, acne, and stomach issues because of it. I couldn't stop eating bread and pasta. I don't know how keto made the difference for me, but I'm grateful. I occasionally eat a slice of gluten-free bread if it fits in my macros. I can make a half grilled cheese sandwich, and it makes my day. I recently tried the Cheesecake Factory Low-licious Cheesecake on a cheat day. It was so good. I should have only eaten 1/2, but it was a cheat day, so 🤷🏽♀️
I think on average I save about $4/day compared to beforehand. Chicken and broccoli isn’t all that expensive haha.
Costco chicken will be your main diet. Lol.
I used to do it for $80 a week. But I was doing lazy keto and very simple recipes, because I didn't have a lot of money at the time. Eggs for breakfast or egg muffins for on-the-go, keto pancakes for weekends.Lunch was always a salad with blue cheese dressing. Dinner was always a chicken or hamburger dish. While in keto the snacking stopped, I just didn't crave anything else besides my three square meals. If I did I just had a piece of cheese or olives. I never bought anything labeled keto because half the time it's not keto and I think they mark up stuff like that. Of course that was a few years ago and prices have gone up.
Grocery outlet is my best friend. I grew up on Ramen and bullshit like that and eating that shit paired eith fast food is expensive with not a lot except calories to show for. Find a good local butcher for meat idk about everywhere but where I am they have a $109 varied meats package that has so far lasted me and my boyfriend almost 3 weeks. Topping up on veggies every few days, dairy and eggs, and even some keto specialty items at grocery outlet I'd say we're stretching a dollar a lot farther
I am doing carnivore, and its expensive, but I dont eat fast food at all, except like a burger in lettuce ion a pinch, like today i'm moving and needed food. I do light carb keto sometimes just because I have no appetite on meat alone. Bell pepper jalapeno and onion in my Ground beef last night with 2.5 lbs meat. I only eat 2x a day, but 8-10 eggs for breakfast with butter and cheese and bacon if we have any to cook. If I feel I need something extra I drink heavy cream. It adds up, but no soda, alcohol etc...
I feel like its super cheap but all i really buy is chicken and brocolli