The Atkins diet has a great deal of health benefits, but it’s not exactly easy on the wallet. Fresh meats are some of the most costly items in the food market and when you follow Atkins, you’ll want to buy a lot of them. Even so, there are simple steps that you may take to cut costs on this low-carb plan.
Initially, be creative in your meal planning. Don’t forget that most diet books and written to entice readers to try new mixtures of foods. The recipes within those books contain the most expensive ingredients. You do not have to cook like an expert chef in order to be able to feel the benefits of the Atkins diet program. There are quite a few simple recipes that you are able to make that are within the program and cost far less than those shown in the diet books. If you modify the meal plans with the books, you can savor the low-carb lifestyle on a tight budget.
About the most critical measures to take is to buy your meats by the truckloads. When you stock up on large packages of ground beef, chicken and fish you cut back on your protein costs. You can separate the large packages into small freezer bags and freeze them in meal-sized portions. Two to four chicken breasts in a bag are easy to defrost and make an excellent-sized meal. You can also cook ground beef in lot of different varieties and freeze the cooked portions. Try doing a portion of the meat with taco spices, another portion with hamburger spices and the third portion with Italian spices. That way you will be able to make use of lots of hamburger meat and have variety in your diet.
Also, look at less tender cuts of meat to trim costs in your grocery money. While fillet mignon may well be tasty, it doesn’t fit into every budget. Less tender cuts of beef and pork make excellent crock-pot meals, and utilizing a slow cooker will help tenderize them.
Look to alternative protein sources like eggs and tofu. Both of these items pack a powerful protein punch for a fraction of the price of meats. Nuts are a great protein source as well, but they can become costly very quickly. Some recipes call for expensive macadamia nuts and cashews. Walnuts, peanuts and almonds contain just as much protein for a fraction of the cost.
Mixed vegetable salads will make a huge portion of your daily Atkins meals. While it can be tempting to buy bagged salad that is already chopped, you are going to be repaying $2 to $3 per bag. You can buy three heads of various types of lettuce for the same cost and make the equivalent of six bags of prepackaged salad. Also, consider putting money into a salad spinner. This handy device will make homemade salads crispy and satisfying.
Be inventive with your menus and use produce and meats that are on sale. If you’ve got a standard recipe that involves chicken breasts and turkey happens to be on sale, proceed and exchange this week. Make certain to carry a satisfactory food list with you the grocery store so you are able to tell whether a sale food is an all right substitution on the Atkins plan.
When you go to the outlet, you can likewise cut costs by restrictive your purchase of low packaged foods. These things are really costly, and often times packed with harmful chemicals. They may also hold hidden carbs which can stall your weight loss efforts. The Atkins plan may be efficiently followed without employing any of these goods. Unless it’s a special occasion, skip them all together.
Finally, its best to plan your meals and your shopping trips so you can buy your groceries in an impressive manner. Going to the food market unprepared or, worse yet, hungry can spell tragedy for your allowance. Plan each week’s menu out ahead and time and then buy what you need to make those meals.
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