Keto on a Budget: How to Do Low Carb For Less Than $10 a Day

Want to save money on Keto? You’ve come to the right place. This article will break down exactly how to stick to a Keto diet on a budget.

Can you really eat Keto for less than $10 per day? With a little planning, absolutely.

Don’t worry. You don’t need to lurk outside your local steakhouse to see what goodies appear in the dumpster. (Mmm, discarded ribeye fat!) That’s not recommended.

What is recommended are common-sense measures like buying in bulk, tracking your spending, and embracing leftovers. You’ll also learn recipes to make Keto achievable for under $10 a day. Let’s get started.

Is Keto an Expensive Diet?

A whole-foods Keto diet can be pricey. Whether it’s low-carb or not, whole foods are more expensive than processed foods.

According to the 2021 Broken Plate Report, healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, fish, etc.) cost three times as much per calorie compared to less healthy options. It’s cheaper to buy a sack of white rice than a sack of purple potatoes.

Still, a clean Keto diet can be relatively affordable—it all depends on how you structure it.

Your credit card will definitely notice if you frequently enjoy dry-aged ribeye with organic broccoli soaked in $50-a-bottle artisanal olive oil. But if you thaw out a roast you bought on sale and cook your veggies with generic California olive oil, your budget should hold up just fine.

Budget Keto Foods

Want to eat Keto for less than $10 per day? It’s ambitious but definitely doable.

Many foods—grass-fed meats, fresh fish, organic vegetables, your favorite Keto ice cream—simply won’t fit the bill. If you’re serious about your Keto budget, save these foods for special occasions and mooch off friends when you can.

The trick is to buy cheap (yet healthy) Keto whole foods. Oils, cheaper cuts of meat, and eggs are your staples.

The egg is a perfectly Ketogenic food—high in fat, moderate in protein, low in carbs, and rich in micronutrients like folate, iron, and choline. While organic eggs are more nutritious, regular eggs are an acceptable (and affordable) substitute.

Here’s a partial list of our favorite budget Keto foods:

• Eggs
• Broccoli (non-organic)
• Chuck roast (or other high-fat beef roasts)
• Whole chicken
• Organ meats
• Canned tuna
• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Butter
• Organic spinach or kale (depending on the deal)

We’ll cover more ways to save money on Keto later. Next up: let’s review some economical recipes.

5 Healthy and Cost-Effective Keto Recipes

These simple-yet-nutritious recipes will keep your costs down while satisfying your taste buds.

#1: Keto Chicken Salad

Chicken is rich in protein, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and many other nutrients. Want to maintain muscle as you age? Don’t skimp on protein.

This Low-Carb Chicken Salad calls for shredded chicken breast, but feel free to swap in leftovers from a whole bird.

Estimated cost per serving: $3.50

#2: Keto Sausage and Egg Breakfast

Get used to eating eggs on your budget Keto diet. Eggs are not only high in protein, but the yolks are rich in choline to support liver health.

This Keto Easy Breakfast Sausage and Egg Meal Prep calls for sausage patties, but any leftover meat will work.

Estimated cost per serving: $2.40

#3: Keto Beef Taco Soup

If you’re not eating beef, you’re missing out on a fantastic source of protein, iron, zinc, and choline. And yes, ground beef will keep your bank account fat.

Make this 5-ingredient Keto taco soup with ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, or whatever is on sale. Enjoy!

Estimated cost per serving: $3.15

#4: Low-Carb Chicken and Broccoli

We’ve already talked about chicken, but this Keto chicken recipe also features:

• Broccoli, a cruciferous vegetable rich in anti-cancer compounds like sulforaphane.
• Olive oil, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, is linked to better heart health. (One study found that heart disease risk decreased by 10% for each additional 10 grams of extra virgin olive oil consumed daily.)

Dig in. You can’t go wrong.

Estimated cost per serving: $2.75

#5: Keto Vanilla Chia Pudding

Ready for dessert? This Keto chia pudding recipe is easy, healthy, and budget-friendly. It also makes a great meal-prep breakfast option!

Chia seeds are high in antioxidants, fiber, and ALA (plant-based omega-3s). Do like the Aztec warriors did and eat them for strength and vitality.

Estimated cost per serving: $1.65

10 Tips to Keep Costs Down on Keto

Saving money on Keto won’t happen by accident. Without a plan, you’ll end up spending more than you’d like.

But with smart planning, you can keep more money in your pocket. Here are some tips to help:

#1: Eat at Home

Cooking at home is not only easier on your wallet but also easier to keep Keto.

#2: Buy in Bulk and Freeze

Food, especially meat, is cheaper when bought in bulk. Keep your meat stash fresh by freezing the excess.

#3: Cook in Batches

Batch cooking saves both time and money. Time is money, so it pays to preserve both.

#4: Don’t Fear Leftovers

As long as you don’t have histamine intolerance, leftovers are your friend. A whole chicken, for example, can provide several days of nutritious fat and protein.

#5: Pick and Choose Organics

Eating organic is almost always better, but be selective to save cash. Spend a little extra on organic foods (spinach, kale, celery, etc.) that are most likely to be contaminated with pesticides in non-organic forms. (See the complete “dirty dozen” list here.)

#6: Buy Generic Brands

Skip name brands with bloated marketing budgets and opt for generic instead. The quality should be the same for a fraction of the cost.

#7: Choose Fatty Cuts

Fatty cuts like chuck, rump, and bottom round cost less than filet, strip, and sirloin. You can get triple the meat for the same price.

#8: Eat Eggs and Oils

Eggs and oils will be your go-to Keto staples on a budget. Just be sure to choose quality cooking oils like olive and coconut oil. Skip the refined seed oils.

#9: Skip Packaged Keto Foods

No shade to low-carb snack brands—we love them too—but when the budget is tight, snacks need to go.

#10: Track Your Spending

If you want to eat Keto on a budget, it helps to…well…create a budget. Sit down with a spreadsheet and chart your daily, weekly, and monthly food costs.

The simple act of tracking will motivate you to save more money. Meanwhile, tracking your macros with Carb Manager will inspire you to succeed on Keto and achieve your health goals.

Same principle: tracking leads to success. Are you taking advantage?