The Keto diet is very misunderstood. Everyone thinks that all you do eat is bacon, avocado and eggs and that it is really expensive! Give me 5 minutes to explain why these two misconceptions about the Keto diet aren’t necessarily true.
The Diet
Sure you can eat bacon all you want, but the real concept of the Keto diet is to have 65% of your daily foods be from healthy fats like coconut oil, fish, fattier meats or nuts. Thirty percent of your diet should be from protein. Some great protein choices are eggs, fish, bone broth or fattier chicken cuts. I only recommend eating bacon, sausage and ham in moderation. The remaining 5% of the Keto diet should be from carbohydrates – like berries, greens or other non starchy vegetables. Don’t forget to watch your calories throughout the day because high fat foods tend to have a lot of calories and they can sneak up on you quickly.
What Foods Do You Have to Give Up?
Certain Foods prevent Ketosis from ever happening. To do it successfully, you will have to say goodbye to grains, starchy vegetables, most fruits (except berries) and eliminating sugar from your diet (stevia is okay but it’s good to try to eliminate all proceeded sugars from your diet). Everything else is fair game.
You don’t have to give up all your favorite cheat meals either. There are still cheat days allowed (once a week cheat meal is okay), but say goodbye to all of the normal yummy additives and processed foods that you would normally add into your shopping cart each week.
And say hello to a new diet that can change your life and help you break free from sugar and junk food cravings, all while increasing your energy, losing access pounds, improving your clarify and focus, and fighting inflammation.
Many people are beginning to welcome the Keto lifestyle as a new way of eating and living because it’s benefits. They still eat pizza or go have drinks with friends, but after their cheat meal or night off, they jump right back on the Keto the next day. So instead of thinking of it as a strict diet, remember, you can still indulge, but you have to work hard to stay committed.
Don’t forget to space your BIG cheat meals at least 2 weeks apart. Smaller ones, like perhaps a bowl of oatmeal can be eaten once a week, but if you really want to feel all of the benefits of the Keto diet, it’s best to restrict cheat meals as best as you can. Too much sugar and carbs in a row can completely knock you out of ketosis!
The Budget Test
How much of your grocery bill is chips, crackers, sauces, frozen dinners, bread, pasta, sugary drinks, bars, fruit, cookies, ice cream, etc? On average most people spend at least 1/3 of their grocery bill on additive and processed foods, about 1/3 on meat purchases and another 1/3 on fresh produce (this doesn’t include household items). This may also vary slightly, depending on how healthy the consumer already eats and what other products you may need to purchase, but on average this is the basic breakdown of our grocery bill.
If you are interested in trying out the Keto diet, but have talked yourself out of it because of how much you think it costs, it’s time check out ways to make it affordable. Here are 11 ways to make the switch without overspending on your grocery budget.
1. Transition into the diet. Put a date on the calendar and plan ahead. Pick a date at least a few weeks out. Then slowly start to incorporate Keto friendly items into your diet that are already sitting in your own kitchen. This will help you learn more about what Keto friendly foods you already have and then you can plan better the next time you go shopping.
2. Eat up all of the foods you will no longer be able to eat once you start the Keto diet. You never want to buy more groceries on top of your normal grocery list, so it’s time to empty out your kitchen. Plus, you will no longer be tempted to cheat. It’s a win-win! Thinking like this helps save you a lot of money in the long term and will keep you thinking of constant ways to keeping living within your budget.
3. Don’t buy everything at once. No need to splurge and buy everything you think you’ll need for your diet right away. Sloooow down! There is a lot to learn during a diet journey and you might end up overspending on things you don’t like or really need. So take it one step at a time.
4. Stay away from high end grocery stores. It might be time to lower your standards. Target, Walmart and Aldi offer lower costing foods with plenty of organic options! It’s important to remember that if you are willing to go on a diet like the Keto, you should also be willing to stepping outside your comfort zone. Sometimes modifying your lifestyle to best fit your budget can end up being a blessing in disguise. One the bright side, since you can’t drink on the Keto, so think about all that money you will be saving!
5. As you start buying more spendy Keto friendly foods, it’s time to start swapping out less important foods for the off-brand version. Are you someone who normally likes to buy Heinz Worcestershire sauce? Well swap it out for the generic brand. It is basically the same product and cheaper! A good habit to start when doing this is to always compare ingredients, just to make sure something unhealthy isn’t lurking in the off-brand, but most of the time the ingredients are the same and you can’t even tell the difference.
6. Spread out higher costing items throughout the month. Don’t put all of your eggs into one basket, literally. Only buy items you know you will eat during the week and hold yourself accountable to eat them up. It’s a perfect time to practice self control on your spending habits!
7. Sign up for rewards programs. Between Target’s Cartwheel and Walmart’s Savings Catcher feature in their app, you will save money on all of your total purchases, constantly. Stay consistent and set aside a few minutes prior or after shopping to keep tally on all your possible savings!
8. Don’t buy organic if you can’t afford to. Yes, quality of your food matters, especially on the Keto diet, but sometimes you just have to pick your battles. If you can’t afford to buy only organic chicken, then don’t. You will still gain a lot of the benefits of the diet if you aren’t completely organic. Shop out the next best price you can find or try out a new grocery store. If the Keto diet ends up becoming part of your lifestyle, then feel free to invest more money into higher quality foods the further you go along in your journey. You are still eating very healthy by staying on the Keto diet and that is a win!
9. Clean out fridge before buying more food. That’s right. When the cupboards and fridge are starting to look dull, we often think there is nothing to eat when usually you can still get a couple more meals out of what you still have. You will be surprised how often there is still another meal or two that you can still whip together that is totally Keto friendly.
10. Learn to eat less. One of the best ways to save money long term is to reduce how much food you eat in general. Try to stand strong during cravings or in between meals! It saves LOTS of money over time.
11. Surprise! You are already saving money by not buying junk. So reinvest those dollars you were using to buy junk food, alcohol, dinners out, frozen meals, breads, etc. and plan out how you are going to apply those dollars to your new diet.
The Key to not Overspending
They key to not overspending while starting the Keto diet is to plan ahead. You don’t want to quit your diet because you can’t afford to pay for the food requires on the diet. It’s also best to swap out the cash you were paying for foods that aren’t Keto friendly and reinvest it into the foods you need to eat. From there, downgrade certain foods as needed or shop somewhere cheaper! You will eventually find a great groove and experience the amazing feeling of Ketosis!