Blog home Posted by on Jan, 30 2023 in Uncategorized

This may shock you, but doing Keto does not have to be expensive!!

I have had several people tell me that they would like to do keto, but it is just too pricey. Or, they can’t afford it. Or, there are too many odd ingredients they would have to purchase.

Well, I want to tell you, it does not have to be that way.

As a matter of fact, I want to tell you, if you are a beginner, I would not recommend that you go out and purchase any of the “odd” ingredients. And, even if you decide that you would like to try something new, just purchase one ingredient at a time. Don’t make it a burden on yourself financially.

Now, yes, I have lots of “odd” foods in our home, and, yes, I purchase large bags of certain things. But, that is because we have been doing this for over a year and we are in this for the long haul, and I love to cook and try new things.

But, you can enjoy the benefits of doing keto without that. You can experience the benefits of it just eating normal food, food that you may already have in your home. The “odd” ingredients are not where you get the benefits from doing keto. Getting rid of the sugars, the starches, the grains, the carbs is where you get your benefits! These are foods that are hurting you! I know, because for most of my life they have been hurting me too!

Keto is as simple as just “not eating” foods that probably are hurting you. If you are a diabetic, you should not be eating anything with sugar in it, or foods that are high in carbs. If you are looking to shed some pounds, then you too want to watch the carb intake. If you have gluten allergies, then the grains and flours need to go.

Let me show you some examples of “normal” foods you can enjoy.

For breakfast you can have:

  1. Eggs
  2. Bacon
  3. Sausage
  4. Ham
  5. Omelets with bacon, sausage, or ham along with some onions, peppers and cheese.
  6. Chia pudding.

For lunch you could have:

  1. Salad, watch your dressing. Ranch is usually good, just check the brands for the lowest carb. You can add some chicken, nuts, berries.
  2. Wraps, there are some low carb, even zero carb street taco wraps, that you can enjoy. My thoughts on bread things you can buy like this, you don’t want to eat them every day. I do believe daily use of certain foods will hinder your progress. But, once or twice a week should be ok.

Now, let’s look at dinner. Of course, you could also enjoy these for lunch:

  1. Sauerkraut and wieners, or smoked sausage. Sauerkraut is actually zero net carbs (check your labels), so the only carbs will come from the meat you use. Just check the packaging and get the lowest carb.
  2. Turnip greens
  3. Cabbage
  4. Meats; chicken, steak, pork. All of these are zero carbs. Just be careful what you add to them. You don’t want sauces, spices or rubs that contain sugar. And, check the carb count on any packaging.
  5. Asparagus
  6. Broccoli
  7. Cauliflower, don’t forget my Cheesy Cauliflower!
  8. Fish, especially salmon, it’s so good for you!
  9. Shrimp
  10. Green Beans
  11. Coleslaw
  12. Keto Crack Chicken (So Delicious!)

Let’s not forget the snacks:

  1. Cheese, it’s better to buy the blocks and shred your own. It actually has less carbs to do this because of the coating they use on pre-shredded bagged cheese. And, for the record, 1 oz. = 1/4 cup. Any cheese is good!
  2. String cheese.
  3. Nuts
  4. Pork rinds
  5. Pickles, you can even enjoy the no sugar added sweet gherkins and bread & butter.
  6. Berries, just don’t overdo these.
  7. Deviled Eggs

Of course there are more foods that could be added to these lists. Learn to check your labels and your ingredients. Just know, just because it says “Keto” or “Sugar-free” does not make it good for you!

You will notice that, other than the wraps, I didn’t mention any breads. That is because they can be pricey, and that goes against my topic here, Keto does not have to be expensive.

And, I didn’t list any desserts here. You will have to purchase keto friendly sweeteners for this, and they can be pricey! I will say this, Splenda is not keto approved because it is man-made and not natural (Stevia on the other hand is). BUT, I do use it in my coffee and in my sweet tea. I do not cook with it. It does not affect my blood sugar, and that is what I look for. So, I will just leave this right here.

We do purchase some breads. We love the Lewis Healthy Life Keto breads. We especially like the cinnamon one for breakfast at times. But, same as the wraps, this is not something that you would want to do often. We don’t do this more than once a week, and we don’t do this every week. (The bread holds up nicely in the freezer).

I did want to show you that Keto does not have to be expensive. Be creative with your foods. Spice it up! Add some cheese and onions and peppers. Grill. Bake. Saute. However you like it.

Crush your pork rinds in a food processor or chopper and batter your meats in them and fry them in olive oil. (Don’t forget the seasonings, salt and pepper)

And, after a bit, if you see you want to continue with this lifestyle because you like the benefits you are seeing, then incorporate other ingredients and expand your options. But, add them slowly. Don’t break the bank trying to add too many things at one time.

So you see, doing Keto does not have to be expensive. YOU CAN DO THIS!