Savvy Shopper Shares How She Buys Week’s Worth of Keto Groceries on £30 Budget
- Greta, 27, shares how to find the best grocery bargains for the ketogenic diet
- Bargains include half price salad and huge discounts on canned salmon
- She reveals how she spends just £30 on her weekly food shop
Low-carbohydrate diets such as the ketogenic plan place a focus on eating plenty of green vegetables and high quality protein, but those on a budget can often find themselves priced out of trying these ways of eating.
Greta Smith, a 27 year old nutritionist and health coach from Birmingham, shared how she finds the best bargains during her weekly keto grocery shop by shopping smartly at Aldi, Tesco and Sainsburys.
‘Those on a budget can easily be discouraged by the prices linked with a keto diet, but it really doesn’t have to be expensive. I have had success buying most of my supplies from budget stores such as Aldi.
‘Eating keto means focusing on low-carb keto vegetables in each meal. For example, salads and green vegetables for cooked keto meals. Another important element is animal products, or if you don’t eat meat, plant-based protein sources.
‘When I’m at Aldi I can pick up all of the vegetables and healthy fats I need, plus some protein sources. For the meat products I have found some cheap options at supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsburys. In total I only spend around £30 a week.
‘The first item on my list at Aldi is leeks, and I tend to pick up the Nature’s Pick Leeks 500g which are 95p. It’s easy to cook with these, as all you need to do is chop it and fry it with meat.
‘I will also get Kalamata Greek Olives 350g for £1.49, which are a healthy source of monounsaturated fats and really tasty. These cost £2.20 at other supermarkets, so I save around 70p. They go well with The Deli Cornichons With Herbs 350g, priced at 85p. As I have seen these for £1.10 elsewhere, I save 25p.
‘During a typical shop at Aldi I will pick up a pack of sweet pointed peppers. I love peppers and try to eat at least half a raw pepper a day. They are loaded with nutrients. You can add them to salads or snack bowls. My go-to product is the Specially Selected Mixed Sweet Pointed Peppers 240g, for £1.79.
‘Next is sweetheart cabbage. Cabbage is some of the healthiest keto veg, they are full of vitamins and minerals. I actually buy three different kinds of cabbage - sweetheart, red and white. The sweetheart cabbage is 47p, the red cabbage is 45p and the white cabbage is also 45p. The red and white cabbage will typically be 80p in other stores, so I will save 70p this way.
‘I like to put half a cabbage in a meal, and if it’s a big cabbage, it can make even three keto meals. With these three cabbages, you can make at least six keto meals. They are extremely nutritious and very low in carbs. If you’re on a budget and trying to eat a keto or low carb diet, cabbage is your best friend!
‘I also got some pre-cut veggies to make life easier. I got a mix of broccoli, cauliflower and carrot. It’s best to eat these boiled, with some added butter on top. The pack I got was Four Seasons Carrot, Broccoli & Sweetcorn 640g for £1.09. The average price elsewhere was £1.50 so I saved around 40p.
‘I also get herbs. For example, flat leaf parsley. The Nature’s Pick Cut Parsley 30g is just 57p. I like mixing it with mince. My rabbit also really loves this! I save around 20p on average compared with price tags elsewhere.
‘I got a 400g bag of broccoli and cauliflower florets from Nature’s Pick for £1.09. I take these to work in a meal - some baked broccoli and cauliflower with some pork or beef mince, olive oil, butter and mustard. I simply put everything onto a baking tray and bake for around twenty minutes while I’m getting ready to go to work - it’s instant and really simple. I have found I save about 90p by buying from Aldi.
‘Then, frozen butternut squash chunks. These are a little higher in carbs but if you use just a little bit, such as a handful, it’s fine. You can mix these in with any keto veggies to change things up a little. A 500g pack from Four Seasons is currently priced at 65p, and they are around £1.40 on average elsewhere, so I easily save 75p.
‘Moving into the dairy section, I will typically get Emporium Greek Feta Cheese 200g for 85p. Feta cheese is made from sheep and goat’s milk and I find it’s easier to digest than many other types of cheese. In other stores it’s around £1.20 so I pocket 35p.
‘At this point I will often go to other stores such as Sainsburys or Tesco for cheap meat. The cheapest price for steak mince is in these stores as I will get a 500g pack for £2.59, but I will go to Aldi for a 6 pack of organic eggs as they are priced at £1.59, saving me 20p compared with other prices.
‘I will make some big savings by buying canned salmon from Aldi, as a 213g tin is priced at £2.35 while it can easily cost £3 or above elsewhere, saving me 65p at least. I’ve also found it’s better to buy nuts from Aldi, which are a staple food in keto for keeping you full. A 200g pack of walnut halves costs £2.09, while they can cost £3 or above elsewhere, so I save 90p. Similarly, I will save at least 65p by purchasing the £2.09 pack of 200g walnut halves, and I save 65p again with the 200g brazil nuts at £1.85 compared with other store prices.
‘Typically I will also get pak choi for 99p, Italian Style Salad for 99p and Wild Rocket for 47p. Overall I save just over £1 by purchasing these items from Aldi.
‘When I don’t have time for eating, I like to make a keto snack bowl with foods such as olives, cheese and some raw cut veggies, and maybe some chargrilled peppers or sundried tomatoes. Pitted green olives in brine are just 49p at Aldi, and chargrilled peppers are 99p. I will save around £1.30 with these purchases.
‘Sundried tomatoes are also 99p, while they can be £1.75 elsewhere, so I save around 75p. You can also save a little money on cheese if you get a 400g block from the Emporium range for £1.79, with a 20p saving per block if you’re getting cheddar.’
Greta is used to finding bargains. ‘I find discounted groceries every week. Aldi has a lot of great deals, making it a lot easier to follow a healthy low carb keto diet without spending too much money.
‘I started looking for bargains from childhood! I like comparing several shops until I find the best deal. Some of my best bargains were frozen wild salmon from Aldi, where you get 550g Wild Salmon Fillets for only £3.99. While you would pay around £12 for the same amount of fresh salmon fillets elsewhere.
‘I also love to find cheap berries. You would normally pay £1.59 for 150g of fresh raspberries at Aldi, while the same amount would cost you £2.00 at other stores. You get an even better deal when buying frozen raspberries, as it would cost you only £1.39 for 350g of raspberries. Buying frozen berries helps to easily eat them daily.
‘My biggest tip to others shopping on a budget is to choose frozen whenever possible, it will save you a lot of money and prevent you from wasting food.’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Greta has proven that yellow stickers aren’t always the key to saving money. Shopping smartly and finding the best prices at your local stores will add up, resulting in some great bargains.
‘If you’re considering a plan such as the ketogenic diet, it’s best to consult with a medical professional first to ensure you can still receive essential nutrients.’
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