Cheap Low-Carb Foods

Although some specialty low-carbohydrate foods can be budget busters, there are plenty of affordable low-carb foods. On most low-carb diets, you are allowed to eat most animal proteins and fresh vegetables. One of the best ways to avoid spending a lot of money on your low-carb foods diet is to avoid the prepackaged low-carb foods, candies and meal replacement shakes, which can be quite expensive. Instead, stick with seasonal vegetables and inexpensive animal proteins.

Eggs

Eggs are very affordable. A dozen eggs only cost a few dollars for 12 servings of high-quality animal protein. According to the website Self Nutrition Data, one large egg has 71 calories, 6 grams of protein and zero carbohydrates. This makes it the perfect low-carbohydrate food. If you are concerned about cholesterol and fat, eliminate the yolks and just eat the whites. Eggs can be scrambled, hard boiled, poached or combined with other ingredients to make low-carbohydrate dishes like frittatas and omelets.

Leafy Green Vegetables

Leafy green vegetables are relatively low in carbohydrates, and they are plentiful all year around, making them affordable. The Atkins Diet recommends eating 2 cups of leafy greens per day during induction, and more as you progress through the levels of allowed carbohydrates. To save money on leafy greens, avoid prewashed, prepackaged or baby greens and instead select an entire bunch of spinach or a whole head of lettuce and wash it yourself.

Inexpensive Cuts of Meat

Meats are a mainstay of low-carbohydrate diets. Typically, tougher meats like chuck roast and pork shoulder are less expensive than well-marbled tender cuts such as tenderloin. Likewise, skin-on, bone-in poultry is less expensive than its boneless, skinless counterparts. To tenderize inexpensive cuts of pork and beef, use cooking methods like braising or a slow cooker, which add moisture to the meat and make it more tender. If you opt for whole poultry or poultry with bones and skin, remove the skin and bones yourself. You can also roast whole poultry in the oven and remove the skin after cooking. Inexpensive cuts of beef, pork and poultry also make an excellent base for a soup or stew, where the quality of the meat is less important.