Low Carb on a budget
After some discussion in an IF thread on the War Zone about how IF naturally leads to saving money on the food budget, there was some discussion about how to do LC on a budget.
Here's some of the posts concerning ways to save money on LC foods:
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ms Arielle
Jumping in-- along the way we have lost our old ways of celebrating and that often included fasting before a feast. Some culture do still follow this and I do wonder if their health is better than those that don't fast; meaning a good study would be valuable. Anyway my point is, that most cultures around the world had a period of fasting but as religion has gone the way of the dodo, and starvation, at least in the US, is a rare thing, perhaps bringing back "fasting" has a place again if not for religious reasons , then for real health benefits.
As I understand the cultural fasting it was a social event, fasting followed by a celebration with feasting.
Personally, I have started to understand the benefits of buying high quality food with a meager food budget, and use fasting as the health benefit that it is to stretch the food dollars. ( Such a different concept than the 3 squares a day I was brought up with.)
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by bkloots
Somewhere on this Forum there must be a thread about doing LC on a very tight budget. If not, an experienced forum member might start one.
Suggestions like buying frozen fresh veggies on sale, soup recipes that stretch every ingredient, and finding deals on cheese (for example) could be really helpful.
|
Quote:
On a different (now defunct) LC forum, there was a thread about doing LC on a very tight budget - seems the poster only had $20 to spend on groceries for herself that week. It was a thread started several years ago (probably around 8-10 years ago), so the prices were considerably lower than they are now, but it was doable, and not even involving IF, just buying very judiciously.
The best way to stretch such a tight budget of course meant buying conventionally produced LC foods (no organics, unless they were less expensive than the conventionally grown that week) which are traditionally very economical, such as whole, bone-in chicken thighs (less expensive than breasts, more meat than chicken legs, bones that could be simmered for bone broth, lots of fat would cook off to save for for scrambling eggs or seasoning veggies, and the skin could be crisped in the microwave for a crunchy snack), block cheese (less expensive than pre-shredded or sliced), eggs, maybe a bargain package of ground beef, or frozen tilapia on sale, and sticking to whatever LC fresh, frozen, or canned veggies were on the best sale that week. You could stretch that $20 a little further if you bought all store brands. You could do even better if you were able to spend a little more one week to get a lower price/lb, with enough of that item for more than 1 week, in order to save that much on the next week's budget.
Many people posted their "If I only had $20" food budget for the week. Prices were different from one part of the country to another, as well as depending on if you had a serious cut-rate grocer in your area, such as Aldi, or Sav-a-lot, so some could buy more food for the same amount of money than others. It certainly didn't provide a wide variety of food choices, and it certainly didn't allow any luxuries, but it was definitely do-able for someone on a very limited budget.
By the time that LC site was closed about a year ago, the amount it took to buy the same amount of food had risen to about $25-$35, but that's still not a bad amount to stick to LC for a week.
So I can see how it would work very well combined with IF.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ms Arielle
Yes, I learned over years how to find food at the best prices ; learned from a friend that is dependent of food pantries and "soup kitchens" . However, the food is not good quality ie mac and cheese with a side of canned green beans. Along the way I decided my health was worth something more, and have made the best use of those introductions, focusing on getting frozen meats and frozen vegies. Many food pantries do not have refrigerators or freezers. Takes a lot of time to be in the right place at the right time, rather than just walk into a grocery to pick out the best options and plunk down a huge chunk of change.
What I have observed over the years is that the " dinner guests" are either very overweight ( the majority) or very very thin. Neither getting the right input of foods.
Im only getting into this in hopes of helping others see the unseen plight of the needy; their food resources are NOT quality food, or enough food..... and contributes to a great number of illnesses.
Sadly, these people are on the bottom of the pecking order, but use a tremendous amount medical aid. One friend is regularly in the hospital due to complication of a 400 pound body. ALL care is free.
Given his circumstances IF would be beneficial at several levels. He has lost 40 in a year. He thinks that is great. I continue to pick moments to talk food with him..... he doesnt have diabetes, so he is fine is his motto. He and his wife are very round, and his children continue to gain extra pounds.....
IF would be a practical answer.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ms Arielle
Calianna-- thanks for sharing about that thread. Food prices do vary place to place, sometimes tremendously. Here there are a number of groceries. THe most local has the highest prices but at the other end of the strip mall is a discount store that carries most or all the Bob's Red mill line up, walnuts and almonds that go on sale, and best prices around for CO, EVOO, and other oils. Nothing refrigerated. In another town the prices are so good the difference in gas money is worth the drive. I have a standing order for beef fat every Monday and take the opportunity to look for discounted meats and specials.
Was the $20/ week for an individual or a family?
As for IF and my teens, if they are not hungry like in the morning before school, I do not press them to eat. IF in its most natural evolution. Both my teens can skip meals and I dont freak out-- that liver holds a lot of stored energy. ( Skipping one meal is not IF; rather when IF is understood, skipping meals becomes ok.)
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by WereBear
Myself, as well. I am eating better cuts of meat which I pay for by not buying all kinds of other things.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Calianna
No one ever really defined whether or not it was intended as the amount for a family or individual, although I think the person who originally started the thread was single.
Unless you had a very low BMR, it would definitely be difficult to put together a workable LC diet which wasn't inherently too low in cals and/or protein, if you had to limit it to $20 these days, even for just one person, although $25 or $30 should be enough to squeak by, depending on where you lived and what shopping choices you had.
You're welcome! I think so many people starting out LC think that they NEED to eat steak and bacon - I remember someone years ago telling me that they'd tried LC and it was working, but they just couldn't afford to eat steak all the time.
Going off to see if Arielle started a thread yet...
|
|