Cheap KETO Food List – including Pantry Staples (PDF)

To shave dollars off your keto grocery list and stay on track with weight loss, you need smart strategies.  There are plenty of budget-friendly, delicious low-carb foods so you don’t need to resort to pasta, bread, rice and other inexpensive carbs!

Download the FREE PDF below with this exact list of cheap keto and low-carb foods, many of which are also long-lasting pantry staples. We’ll send it straight to your inbox >>>

 

With food shortages and out-of stocks common right now, as well as many of us being in isolation and unable to get to the shops, we are turning to our pantries to help us stay on track with keto and try to maintain the progress we’ve made.

When you’ve spent weeks, months or years following a keto diet, the last thing you want is to be forced to throw it all in and see that hard-earned weight loss reverse.

Many of us need to stay keto or low-carb for health reasons, whether that be managing insulin resistance and diabetes or the multitude of other conditions that the ketogenic diet helps. 

It’s not an option just to throw our hands up and use the current world health crisis to buy all the pasta we can get our hands on and give up.

Because it doesn’t need to be this way…

If you’re committed to maintaining keto right now then this post will give you plenty of ideas for keto groceries that are easy on the budget.

I’ve tried to showcase low-carb foods that are low-budget AND…

…can be stored for long periods of time whether that be a non-perishable item like canned tuna or in the freezer, like frozen cauliflower or broccoli rice.

THE TOP 10 CHEAP KETO FOODS

1. Canned tuna, salmon, chicken – properly stored, these can last for 3-5 years. Ideally in olive oil for the added fat.
2. Smoked oysters, tinned sardines – properly stored, these can last for 3-5 years
3. Ground or minced meat eg. beef is typically the cheapest and can be used in hundreds of ways
4. Frozen low-carb vegetables – cauliflower rice, broccoli rice, any frozen low-carb vegetables like green beans
5. Canned tomatoes – used in so many recipes
6. Coconut milk, coconut cream – used in so many recipes and as a dairy-free milk & cream substitute
7. Olives – we don’t eat many at a time so they tend to last a while, a good source of healthy fat. Look for whole olives with the seed, not pitted or sliced.
8. Condiments like mayonnaise – also consider making your own to save even more money
9. Fresh ketogenic vegetables in season – always buy in season to get the lowest prices. You can save money here by making your own cauliflower rice and spiralizing your own zucchini noodles etc.
10. Olive oil & avocado oil – avocadoes may be too expensive right now, so look for an affordable avocado oil to enjoy some of the same benefits

 

RELATED: Keto Home-Made Staples

USEFUL KETO “PANTRY” STAPLES (THAT COST A LITTLE MORE)

• Eggs – depending on egg prices near you, they may actually be considered cheap. Eggs are a great way to meet your protein goals and can be used in many ways from breakfast to dinner. If you don’t usually eat a lot of eggs, consider frittatas and egg muffins.
• Low-carb sweeteners – avoid keto dessert recipes if they use large quantities of sweetener or you’ll burn through your supplies very quickly. Think about keto sweeteners as a luxury right now. Use sparingly for tea and coffee and you’ll find that it helps to avoid sweet cravings.
• Coconut flour – recipes only use very small amounts of coconut flour due to its unusual texture. A packet will last a long time.
• Almond flour – while not low-budget, almond flour or almond meal it is a classic low-carb pantry staple that can be used in everything from baking to crumbing fish. Buy on discount and use sparingly.

RELATED : 10 Low-Carb Keto Pantry Essentials

 

CHEAPER CUTS OF MEAT

• Beef – brisket, ground beef (mince), chuck, blade – avoid rib eye, eye fillet, tenderloin, waygu
• Chicken thighs, drumsticks or whole chicken (use bones to make bone broth) – avoid chicken breast
• Organ meats – liver, heart, kidneys etc
• Pork – belly, shoulder, gigot, chop, ribs. Pork loin or tenderloin tends to be more pricey.

TIP: Go for lower quality meat and cook it in your slow-cooker, pressure cooker or in your oven over a long period, at a low temperature.

 

AVOID THESE TO SAVE ON YOUR KETO GROCERY LIST

• ALL processed keto foods – protein bars, packet mixes, anything that comes packaged!
• Store-bought drinks – diet soda, Zevia
• Bottled water 
• Expensive, high quality cuts of meat – chicken breast, eye fillet beef, rib eye, boned fish and pricey seafood
• Diet supplements – shakes, “fat burning” pills, protein powder
• Pre-cut veggies – also fresh cauliflower rice, fresh zucchini noodles
• Out of season veggies and fruit
• Free-range and organic – sadly, higher welfare produce generally costs more
• Pre-shredded cheese – buy cheese in blocks and shred with a food processor or box grater
• Alcohol – it doesn’t help you stay in ketosis so nix it for the time being