On low-carb diets like the ketogenic plan, the emphasis is on eating lots of green vegetables and high-quality protein, but those on a budget can often find that they are not trying these ways of eating.
Greta Smith, a 27-year-old nutritionist and health trainer from Birmingham, told the money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk how she found the best bargains during her weekly keto grocery store by shopping smart at Aldi, Tesco and Sainsburys.
“Those on a budget can easily get discouraged by the prices associated with a keto diet, but it really doesn’t have to be expensive,” she said.
READ MORE One dog breeds most vulnerable to heatwave, pet owners strongly warned
“I have successfully bought most of my supplies from cheap stores like Aldi.
“Eating keto means focusing on low-carb keto vegetables at every meal. For example, salads and green vegetables for cooked keto meals. Another important element is animal products or, if you are not eating meat, vegetable sources of protein.
“When I’m at Aldi, I can get all the vegetables and healthy fats I need, plus some sources of protein. For the meat products, I’ve found some inexpensive options in supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsburys, € 30 per week.
“The first item on my list at Aldi is leek, and I tend to buy the Nature’s Pick Leek 500g, which costs 95 pence. It’s easy to cook with as all you have to do is chop it and fry it with meat.
“I’m also going to get 350g Greek Kalamata Olives for £ 1.49, which are a healthy source of monounsaturated fats and really tasty. These cost £ 2.20 in other supermarkets, so I save about 70p. They fit good with The Deli Cornichons with Herbs 350 g, price 85 P. Since I’ve seen these for £ 1.10 elsewhere, I save 25 P.
“When I do a typical purchase at Aldi, I get a pack of sweet pointed peppers. I love bell peppers and try to eat at least half a raw bell pepper a day. They are full of nutrients. They can be added to salads or snack bowls. My favorite product is the Specially Selected Mixed Sweet Pointed Peppers 240g, for £ 1.79.
“Next comes sweet cabbage. Cabbage is one of the healthiest keto vegetables, they are full of vitamins and minerals. I actually buy three different types of cabbage – sweet cabbage, red and white cabbage. The sweet cabbage is 47 pence, the red cabbage is 45 pence and the white cabbage also costs 45 P. The red and white cabbage usually costs 80 P. in other stores, so I save 70 P. this way.
“I like to put half a cabbage in a meal, and if it’s a large cabbage it can even make three keto meals. You can prepare at least six keto meals with these three cabbage meals. They’re Extremely Nutritious and Very Low in Carbohydrates If you are on a budget and trying to eat a keto or low carb diet, cabbage is your best friend!
“I also have a few pre-cut vegetables to make my life easier. I have a mix of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot. It’s best to eat this cooked with a little butter on top. The package I got was Four Seasons Carrot, Broccoli & Sweet Corn 640g for £ 1.09 Average price elsewhere was £ 1.50 so I saved about 40p.
“I also get herbs. For example flat-leaf parsley. Nature’s Pick Cut Parsley 30g costs only 57p. I like to mix it with minced meat. My rabbit loves that too! I save about 20p on average compared to other price tags.
‘”got a 400g bag of broccoli and cauliflower florets from Nature’s Pick for £ 1.09. I take this to work – some baked broccoli and cauliflower with a little pork or beef, olive oil, butter and mustard. I just put it all on top Place a baking sheet and bake for about twenty minutes while I get ready for work – it’s instant and easy, I’ve found that I save about 90 cents when I buy from Aldi.
“Then, frozen butternut squash pieces. These have a bit more carbohydrates, but if you’re using just a little, like a handful, it’s fine. You can mix these with keto vegetables to make things a little bit.” A 500g pack from Four Seasons currently costs 65p, and they cost around £ 1.40 on average elsewhere, so I can easily save 75p.
“When I go to the dairy department, I usually get Emporium Greek Feta Cheese 200g for 85p. Feta cheese is made from sheep and goat milk and I think it is easier to digest than many other cheeses. It costs in other stores about 1.20 pounds so I plug in 35p.
“At this point I will often go to other stores like Sainsburys or Tesco to buy cheap meat. The cheapest price for steak mince is in these stores as I can get a 500g pack for £ 2.59, but I leave for 6 to Aldi pack of organic eggs as they cost £ 1.59 which saves me 20p compared to other prices.
“I’ll make some big savings by buying canned salmon from Aldi as a 213g can costs £ 2.35 while elsewhere it can easily cost £ 3 or more, which saves me at least 65p. I’ve also found that buying nuts from Aldi, which are a staple in keto, is better to keep you full. A 200g pack of walnut halves costs £ 2.09 while elsewhere they can cost £ 3 or more so I’ll save 90p. Likewise, when I buy at least 65 pence on the £ 2.09 pack of 200 g walnut halves, I save 65 pence again with the 200 g Brazil nuts for £ 1.85 compared to other retail prices.
“I usually get pak choi for 99 pence, Italian style salad for 99 pence and wild rocket for 47 pence. Overall, I save a little more than £ 1 when I buy these items from Aldi.
“When I don’t have time to eat, I like to make a keto snack bowl with foods like olives, cheese and some raw sliced vegetables and maybe some grilled peppers or sun-dried tomatoes. Pitted green olives in brine are only 49 cents at Aldi and grilled peppers cost 99p. With these purchases, I save about £ 1.30.
“Sun-dried tomatoes are also 99p while they can cost £ 1.75 elsewhere, so I’m saving about 75p. You can also save a little money on cheese when you can get a 400g block from the Emporium range for £ 1.79, saving 20p a block when you get cheddar. “
Greta is used to getting bargains. “I find reduced foods every week. Aldi has tons of great deals that make it much easier to follow a healthy, low-carb, keto diet without spending too much money.
“I’ve been looking for bargains since I was a kid! I like to compare stores until I find the best deal. Some of my best bargains have been frozen wild salmon from Aldi, where you can get 550g wild salmon fillets for just € 3.99 £ 12 for the same amount fresher Salmon fillets elsewhere.
“I also love to find cheap berries. Usually Aldi pays € 1.59 for 150g of fresh raspberries, while other stores cost the same € 2.00. 350g of raspberries only cost £ 1.39. Buying frozen berries will help make them easy to eat on a daily basis.
“My biggest tip for anyone shopping on a budget is to choose frozen whenever possible. This saves you a lot of money and prevents you from wasting groceries.”
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: “Greta has proven that yellow stickers are not always the key to saving money. Shop smart and find the best prices at your local stores, which adds up to some. carries great bargains.
“When considering a plan like the ketogenic diet, it is best to see a doctor first to make sure you are still getting essential nutrients.”
Greta’s Aldi shopping list
Nature’s Pick Leek 500g – 95p (Sainsburys 95p, Tesco 95p)
Kalamata Greek Olives 350g – £ 1.49 (Sainsburys £ 2.20)
The Deli Cornichons with Herbs 350g – 85p (Tesco £ 1.10)
Specially selected mixed sweet pointed peppers 240g – £ 1.79 (Sainsburys £ 1.80)
Sweetheart Cabbage – 47p (Sainsburys 47p)
Red Cabbage – 45p (Sainsburys 80p)
White Cabbage – 45p (Sainsburys 80p)
Four Seasons Carrot, Broccoli & Sweet Corn 640g – £ 1.09 (Sainsburys £ 1.50, Tesco £ 1.75)
The Nature’s Pick Cut Parsley 30g – 57p (Tesco 70p, Sainsburys 75p)
Nature’s Pick broccoli and cauliflower florets 400g – £ 1.09 (Sainsburys £ 2 for chilled equivalent)
Four Seasons Frozen Butternut Squash Pieces 500g – 65p (Sainsburys £ 1.50, Tesco £ 1.40)
Emporium Greek Feta Cheese 200g – 85p (Tesco £ 1.20, Sainsburys £ 1.35)
Specially selected 6 pork sausages – £ 1.99 (Tesco £ 2.50, £ 2.75)
6 organic British eggs – £ 1.59 (Tesco £ 1.80, Sainsburys £ 1.80)
The Fishmonger Wild Pacific Canned Red Salmon 213g – £ 2.35 (Sainsburys £ 3.50, Tesco £ 3)
200g walnut halves – £ 2.09 (Tesco £ 2.99, Sainsburys £ 3.80)
200g Brazil nuts – £ 1.85 (Sainsburys £ 3.50, Tesco £ 2.50)
Pak Choi – 99p (Tesco £ 1.30, Sainsburys £ 1.04)
Italian Salad – 99p (Sainsburys £ 1.25, Tesco 1)
Wild Rocket – 47p (Tesco £ 1, Sainsburys £ 1)
Pitted Green Olives in Brine – 49p (Sainsburys 75p, Tesco 75p)
Grilled peppers – 99p (Sainsburys £ 2.10)
Sun Dried Tomatoes – 99p (Sainsburys £ 1.75, Tesco £ 1.75)
Emporium Cheese 400g – £ 1.79 (Tesco £ 2, Sainsburys £ 2)
Gretas Tesco / Sainsbury’s shopping list
Beef Quarter Pounder 454g x2 – £ 5
Lean beef steak minced meat 500g – € 2.59
Total: £ 34.87
Total Savings: £ 10.55
