Protein Prioritization for Po' People
Having gone through more than one stint of crying-myself-to-sleep poverty, I pride myself on being able to live simply and frugally. I've enjoyed some of the past threads here that discuss LC on a budget. The google search isn't being too helpful, but here is one relatively-recent thread: Low Carb on a budget.
I had an eye-opener earlier this year in realizing that I'm not getting nearly as much protein as I should be, unless I'm paying attention and making it a priority. My current strategy is more along the lines of Dr Ted Naiman's P:E Diet. My other priorities: staying gluten-free and avoiding seed oils... not for "they're sorta unhealthy" reasons, but more "I can't afford to be in arthritis pain or have chronic diarrhea" reasons. Kudos to those who can afford organic, non-GMO, grass-fed, pastured, dolphin-safe everything, but that would literally triple my food budget, and that can't happen.... because with covid layoffs, we're staring down the barrel of losing our house. We were already living below our means before this; there's nothing left to cut: I've had to alter how I shop if I want to make all of these puzzle pieces fit together. So here are some thoughts and tips on how to keep protein higher without going broke. :idea: - (ETA) I forgot one of the main points of my "essay": first, if you aren't already, save all of the natural animal fat that you can. This is the main reason I don't mind shifting my budget toward leaner protein, which is generally more expensive: I always seem to have more leftover fat from cooking than I particularly need. I was splurging on butter (upwards of $4/lb when it's not on sale) while I have other cooking fats essentially for free. Sausage grease in the frying pan, bacon grease, chicken fat/lard/tallow from making broth and other recipes... It's delicious to cook with; save it! Here's how I do it, for the most part. - When you're comparing prices on meat, be sure to consider the cost per serving, and not necessarily the price per pound. YMMV depending on where you live, but my rule of thumb is that a good deal on a protein food is about $1.00 per serving of about 20 g of protein. Some good deals in this category:
- Some that I don't consider as nutritious, but decent for boosting protein:
- A little higher cost, but still worth it to me:
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Kristine, this is wonderful. When our food budget is only a few dollars, like maybe just $16 or $22, meat was a high priority, and leafy greens. My kids learned to put back the "extras".
DH has recently learned the joys of pork rinds instead of wheat based snacks. He fills up quicker on pork rinds, he says. Greek yogurt is almost double the protein. We like Cabots 10%Fat Greek Yogurt. Its almost cream cheese. Thank goodness for LC and DANDR to see every mouthful is nutritionally, healthfully , beneficial. Being sick with an inflammation bodywide is a road to major sickness. |
Being self-employed musicians who haven't had a gig since March 17 due to COVID, we are pretty frugal ourselves. You have some good suggestions. Thanks.
For arthritis pain you might want to incorporate the arthritis/bursitis diet into your frugal grocery needs. This is just a friendly suggestion. YMMV For both arthritis and bursitis, treatment is similar: Try the dietary approach first, and if that doesn't work, take stronger action. Foods that may contribute to chronic inflammation are foods with a high glycemic index (foods that convert to sugar quickly), such as fruit juices, sugars, simple starches, or rice cakes, foods heavy in polyunsaturated or saturated fats, and foods high in arachidonic acid. Some specific foods to avoid are: * Fatty cuts of red meat (high in saturated fats) lean is good * Organ meats: liver, kidney, and so forth (very high in arachidonic acid) * Egg yolks (very high in arachidonic acid) * Poultry - chicken, duck, turkey (very high in arachidonic acid) * Pasta (high glycemic index) * Juices (high glycemic index) * Rice, especially rice cakes (high glycemic index) * White bread (substitute whole grain breads such as rye) * Nightshade Plants bother many people (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, paprika) Glycemic index charts can be found on the Internet. Better choices are foods with a low glycemic index and foods that are heavy in monounsaturated fats. Some specific good foods are: * Salmon and other fish * Oatmeal * Low glycemic fresh fruits and vegetables * Olives and olive oil * Peanuts and other nuts * Whey proteins * Lean beef is good, 100% grass fed is better Bob |
Thanks Arielle, I edited to add that it's Greek yogurt that I buy.
Bob, thanks, and I've adopted many of those strategies already. I'm lucky my inflammatory conditions seem to stay at bay without eliminating nightshades; gardening is another one of my strategies of saving money and there's not much I can grow well under my conditions that isn't a nightshade. |
A reminder that including fats in the meal is important to absorb fat soluable vitamins, hence the 10% fat Greek yogurt. Reguarding yogurt, I decided the plain full fat regular yogurt had the best profile of many nutrients, not just a focus on protein, and that is what I purchase for my son as its medicinal for him.
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Your tips, Kristine, are similar to how I shop. Looking at my list below, it sort of boils down to "know where to shop". Some stores are better for certain items, whose weekly sale includes what you need:
- Buy what is on sale. I check which of the major grocery stores has the most stuff on the weekly sale that I use and that's where I shop that week - Buy extra and freeze it if it's a good sale and you have the funds. - Shop the soon-to-expire section, some stores have better stuff than others - Canned meats or canned fish, I like sardines and canned salmon, so that's bonus for me. - Shop the ethnic groceries which usually have cheap produce and spices. We have a great Hispanic grocery chain (Vallarta), always good bargains on produce and meat, not so good prices on yogurt or cheeses or sundries. Asian groceries also end to have good, inexpensive stuff. |
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I'm OK with nightshades, unfortunately my DW isn't. They only seem to affect certain people. With me the triggers are egg yolks and chicken, which is a shame because I love them both. But I'd rather be pain free and healthy. Bob |
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