The keto diet involves restricting carb intake to < 50 grams per day while increasing fat intake and consuming protein in moderation. Thus, keto dieters are likely to eat low-carb, moderate-protein, high-fat foods, such as meats, chicken, fish, and other animal products, as well as coconut, avocado, and other healthy fat sources.

These foods however can cost a lot for dieters with a limited grocery budget. Fortunately, there are still affordable ways to follow the keto diet.

Here we provide tips and meal ideas, as well as grocery lists for those following keto on a budget.

Tips for Keto on a Budget

The keto diet advocates eating low-carb proteins, such as eggs, fish, meat, non-starchy vegetables, oils, and healthy fat foods like nuts, avocados, or coconut.

Here are some tips on how to do a keto diet even when you are tight with money:

Look for keto-friendly foods that are on sale to stock up in your freezer. Reserve a room in your freezer for vegetables, avocados, and meats that are on sale. Taking advantage of budget-friendly nonperishable goods like oils, seeds, and nuts and storing them in your pantry is also a good idea.

Look for vegetables that are in season. Seasonal vegetables, as well as those that are grown locally, are more likely less expensive compared to out-of-season veggies.

Choose cheaper proteins. Eggs are extremely affordable and versatile. They are a keto-friendly food that you can incorporate to a variety of keto recipes to cut back on food costs. Getting cheaper cuts of meat like ground chuck, beef sirloin, pork, and chicken thighs and buying cooked whole chicken and freezing or using all parts can help you save money as well. You can search “keto recipes chicken” on the Internet for some meal ideas.

Purchase in bulk. Purchasing foods in bulk containers, like shredded coconut, seeds, and nuts, can help you cut down on food expenses. You can buy these foods in bulk at most stores and even online. You are most likely to enjoy sharp pricing when you purchase in bulk.

Opt for frozen veggies and fruits over fresh ones. Aside from that fact that they last longer, most frozen veggies and fruits, like broccoli, cauliflower, and berries, are more affordable compared to their fresh counterparts. What’s more, you need not worry about wasting money because they don’t spoil quickly.

Avoid packaged keto-friendly foods. Keto snack foods like keto ice cream can be expensive. Choosing whole foods and avoiding packaged keto foods is a great idea.

Start a meal plan and make a routine. Starting a meal plan can free you from unnecessary purchases and help you prevent expensive take-out orders.

One-Week Sample Meal Plan for Keto on a Budget

Here’s a one-week sample meal plan for keto on a budget. Feel free to swap out the non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and meats on this menu with what’s in season or on sale.

Monday

Breakfast: Smoothie with coconut milk, frozen raspberries, spinach, and nut butter

Lunch: Tuna salad stuffed in red bell peppers

Dinner: Cauliflower “rice” stir fry with shredded chicken, frozen broccoli, garlic, sesame seeds, and ginger

Tuesday

Breakfast: Cottage cheese with seeds and frozen strawberries

Lunch: Hard-boiled eggs mashed on cucumber slices, topped with hemp hearts and full fat salad dressing

Dinner: Lettuce cups with frozen non-starchy vegetable mix, ground turkey, and plain Greek yogurt

Wednesday

Breakfast: Fried eggs with sautéed spinach cooked in oil or butter

Lunch: Turkey roll-ups with plain Greek yogurt, cucumbers, and sliced peppers

Dinner: Bunless burger on a bed of greens topped with cheese, side of roasted Brussels sprouts

Thursday

Breakfast: Eggs and cheese omelet with spinach, side of frozen berries

Lunch: Chicken soup with shredded chicken, broth, herbs, garlic, celery, and topped with plain Greek yogurt

Dinner: Pork chops with sautéed green beans and almonds

Friday

Breakfast: Full-fat Greek yogurt with nuts

Lunch: Salad with hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, sliced peppers, cheese, and lemon olive oil dressing

Dinner: Ground chuck meatballs served over spaghetti squash, tossed in avocado oil and Parmesan

Saturday

Breakfast: Nut and seed porridge made with canned coconut milk

Lunch: Egg salad made with plain Greek yogurt on celery sticks

Dinner: Pork tenderloin, eggplant, and zucchini cooked in butter and topped with cheese

Sunday

Breakfast: Bell pepper and mushroom omelet with shredded cheese

Lunch: Arugula salad with canned tuna, radishes, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, and olive oil dressing

Dinner: Chicken thighs with coconut cauliflower soup

It is important to note that the ideal amount of carbs eaten on a keto diet depends on one’s body composition, age, gender, activity levels, current metabolic health, and personal preference, as what’s low for some people may not be low for others. That said, these meals may or may not address your current metabolic health requirements; nevertheless, they are budget-friendly.

Transitioning into keto diet can cause keto flu symptoms like headache, difficulty sleeping, irritability, constipation, foggy brain, and nausea. Thus, it’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day.

Grocery List for Keto on a Budget

Here’s a list of affordable yet healthy keto foods that you can stock up in your kitchen.

Meats/proteins: discounted fresh meats, frozen ground meats, pork chops, chicken thighs, whole chickens, canned tuna, eggs, plain full-fat Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese

Non-starchy vegetables (frozen, in-season, or on sale): cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, celery, spaghetti squash, asparagus, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cucumber, spinach, lettuce, eggplant, arugula, bell peppers, and mushrooms

Low carb fruits (frozen, in-season, or on sale): blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, clementines, plums, cherries, and kiwi

Healthy fats: shredded coconut, pecans, walnuts, almonds (carbs in almond is also low), hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, and nut butters; avocados on sale; olive and avocado oils; canned coconut milk and frozen coconut cubes; butter, cheeses, and ghee on sale

Keto Snack Ideas

Most keto meals are filling, but just in case you are trying to ward off that between-meal hunger, you can try any of these affordable keto snacks. They are healthy and delicious.

• celery sticks with cottage cheese or pimento cheese
• homemade kale chips roasted with healthy oils
• 70% or more unsweetened dark chocolate
• full-fat Greek yogurt with frozen berries
• sliced veggies with nut butter
• a handful of nuts or seeds
• 1–2 hard-boiled eggs
• string cheese

Conclusion

Although some popular keto foods can break the bank, there are still ways to do a keto diet on a budget.

You can look for keto-friendly foods that are on sale to stock up in your freezer, look for vegetables that are in season, choose cheaper proteins like eggs, choose frozen veggies and fruits over fresh ones, purchase in bulk, avoid packaged keto-friendly foods, and start a meal plan.

Our one-week sample keto meal plan is also perfect if you’re looking for budget-friendly keto meal ideas.