Cut Carbs Without Breaking the Bank

Diet affordably with these quick tips.

When food marketing expert Phil Lempert of the Supermarket Guru Web site analyzed grocery bills for one person following the first phases of the Atkins and South Beach diets, (the two most popular low-carb diets) he found that the cost of observing strictly the portion size and ingredients in a weeklong program totaled $99.89 on Atkins and $91.28 on South Beach. In contrast, the Food Marketing Institute finds that the average one-person household spends about $59 a week on groceries.

For easy ways to stay low-carb without breaking the bank, follow these recommendations from Lempert:

• Replace salmon and other more expensive fishes with chicken breast or tofu.



• Always buy frozen fish rather than fresh (most fresh fish has been previously frozen anyway). There is little nutritional or taste difference, but you will see a price savings.



• Buy frozen berries, including blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. They're almost always less expensive than fresh (except maybe during peak growing season for your area).



• Instead of Canadian or other bacons, choose lean boiled ham. It could cost half as much.



• Replace mixed green salads with any dark leafy green (mustard, kale, spinach). Buy whole heads of greens rather than bagged and washed greens, which could cost up to 20 percent more.



• Replace extra virgin olive oil on salads and in recipes with canola oil.