Diane’s Keto on a Budget in Salt Lake City

(Carl Keller) #7

I agree. I will be referring people on a budget to this thread.

#8

Sometimes making your own ingredients can save money too… you can make butter in a mason jar just by putting your heavy cream in and shaking it for 20 mins or less. You can do it with a stand mixer too but most people on a budget don’t have one (me, lol, lost it in my divorce). I will do that when I get a really good sale on organic cream. Doesn’t last as long but, in my home it will be eaten up before it goes bad. Tastes amazing.

Also, if you have a food processor you can make your own almond flour with raw almonds. It’s a little more coarse, but it still works. That way if you just need a cup or so you don’t have to shell out $15 a bag (the going rate in my town)

#9

Oh and for those of us that can’t do Costco type bulk buying, Amazon is a good option. I just got twelve cans of wild planet albacore tuna for $29.99 on Amazon when the cheapest I can get it in the stores around here would have been $3.99 a can (so $47.88 for 12).

(Diane) #10

So… onto cheese. I think I’ll structure this section a bit differently.

I regularly buy most of my cheese at Costco, Winco, Smith’s, Harmon’s, Trader Joe’s and the Gossner’s outlet store up in Cache Valley.

Anywhoooo…

Costco- I have been buying their mozzarella (shredded), Mexican blend (shredded), the big container of crumbled feta (alternatively, the sheep’s milk feta is really lovely, if more expensive- but they don’t always carry it), parmesan (shredded), the big block (3 or 5 lbs?) of Kirkland sharp cheddar (I really prefer the Tillamook sharp cheddar- but the Kirkland brand is good enough that I can’t justify the extra expense right now), the big bag of 50 Tillamoos cheese snacks (medium cheddar, 3/4 oz individual portions and so much cheaper than the little bags you can buy at Walmart), pepper jack (sliced) and string cheese (not my favorite brand, but just barely acceptable). I also like their “party platters” which offer a variety of pre-sliced cheeses. Not really a great deal and when I buy one, I feel forced to over-eat the cheese before it starts to get moldy and goes to waste (food wasting… NOT budget friendly).

All of these cheeses are generally good deals (and often a better quality of cheese) compared to the regular prices at grocery stores. Also, all of these (or almost all) will eventually show up in the monthly (maybe?) coupon books which will save you even more.

All of these cheeses can be portioned out and frozen for future use to prevent spoilage (read wastage). Okay, I haven’t ever tried freezing string cheese, so I don’t know if that would work. Packaging hard cheeses (not shredded) with a vacuum sealer helps prevent freezer burn and allows for longer storage. Sliced cheeses may come out of the freezer a little more fragile (crumbly?) than they were before.

FYI- I’ve found that if you use the food processor method to make fathead dough (versus the method where you melt the mozzarella and cream cheese together first), you can use any (hard) cheese or cheese blend you like (maybe not parmesan or Asiago). So, if the Mexican blend has a coupon which saves me money, that’s what I buy instead of mozzarella.

Winco- they have excellent, everyday prices on smaller packages of cheese. This means a smaller initial purchase price. They also have some smaller packages of specialty cheeses (Kerrigold cheddar, Old Croc, etc) which means you might be able to treat yourself every once in awhile without totally breaking the bank. In fact, I bought a package of Old Croc Jalepeno Bacon cheese slices last night which caught my eye.

They also carry some large packages of cubed cheese in a variety of flavors. I’m gonna buy a bag of the pepper jack cubes someday soon and try out a method of making my own baked cheese snacks I saw on the internet (making my own would be much more budget friendly than buying them).

Smith’s- I occasionally buy the Boar’s head Smoked Gouda from their deli. It’s a dollar cheaper per pound than anywhere else I’ve seen it. I like that I can buy just 1/4 lb (well THEORETICALLY) as a treat to take to the movie. Which is good, because if I buy a pound, I would eat the whole pound… in one night (which has never, EVER happened… honest!). Also, I am sensitive to some ingredient or food additive in this particular cheese. I have gained 2 - 5 lbs of water weight overnight after eating it. I still buy some occasionally because I’m not sure I want to live in a world where I can’t ever eat it again.

They also regularly have very good specials on their Kroger brand of cheeses. I like that I can buy small packages for a good deal that I don’t have to repackage myself before freezing.

Harmon’s- okay, I’m gonna have to fess up here. The specialty cheese section at Harmon’s is NOT budget friendly. They do, however carry three really wonderful cheeses that I buy every once in a great while.

I buy the locally produced (here in Salt Lake County- purportedly by very happy goats) Drake Family Farms flavored goat cheeses (mostly the Garlic & Onion Chèvre and Feta). Though I may get the decadent Apricot & Honey Chèvre (definitely not low carb) for my birthday, now that I’m thinking about it. It would make a great savory, sweet dessert.

Harmon’s also carries the locally produced (Uintah) Beehive cheeses. I like their Promontory cheese (named after Promontory Point where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads finally met and were joined into the first transcontinental railroad in 1869). It is an aged cheese that is rich and the texture reminds me strongly of a good parmesan cheese.

I also like their award winning Barely Buzzed (the rind is rubbed with coffee grinds), Apple Walnut Smoked, Red Butte Hatch Chile, Seahive, Fully Loaded (fortified with rye whiskey and infused with hints of cinnamon, anise, and honey), and (when it’s available) Rosemary cheeses. The Rosemary I tried had those wonderful flaky, salty bits you find in good parmesan cheese. I think I also found one of their cheeses rubbed with lavendar once (but I might be confused).

Okay, it might sound like I buy these Beehive cheeses often, but I really don’t. I used to buy them when I was better off financially. Now, I stay strictly away from the specialty cheese section of the deli and only get pulled into its orbit when I’m looking for a treat.

Harmon’s also carries a beautiful brand of triple cream Brie, Saint Angel. Love it. Hardly ever have it, but only because it breaks the bank.

I do regularly buy Reser’s string cheese at Harmon’s (maybe only 1 or 2 a week). It is SOoo… much better than any other string cheese. But a bit pricey at about ~ 50 cents apiece.

Trader Joe’s. Again, the cheeses here are not super cheap. They do offer choices of some really wonderful European cheeses that might be harder to find and you’ll find them more reasonably priced than you’re gonna find anywhere else.

I like their cave aged blue cheese (used for making my homemade blue cheese dressing) and 1000 day Gouda (again, that wonderful, dense, parmesan like texture). It’s hard to go wrong if you explore a bit.

I also buy their sliced provolone (good!) and smoked Gouda, which is perfectly good (if not as yummy as the Boar’s head), hits the spot and has the added benefit of NOT triggering a binge (or subsequent bloat).

I’m going to include the Trader Joe’s brand of baked cheese snacks here. They might be considered a cracker or a type of chip, but since the only ingredient is cheese, I think it’s appropriate to squeeze them in here. They come in small packages that are portion control friendly. These are intensely flavored (and salty) and I prefer them to the original Moon Cheese snacks (I haven’t tried the other flavors). I get these occasionally as a treat ($2.69)

And that leads us to…

Gossner’s Outlet (Logan)- I have a lot of family up in Cache Valley who hook me up when they come down to SLC.

The guy who founded Gossner’s was Swiss. So, not surprisingly, they make an excellent Swiss cheese, especially their aged Swiss. I find that because I grew up eating it, I’m pretty picky about my Swiss cheeses.

I also buy their fresh cheddar (and smoked cheddar) cheese curds. I have to be careful because curds have more whey in them and are a bit carby.

They have good deals on all kinds of end cuts (like mozzarella, Monterey Jack, etc.) and interesting flavors of cheese spreads (Swiss, cheddar & bacon) that don’t have a lot of weird ingredients added. If they have a lot of a particular cheese, they mark them down even further. You can find some really good deals.

(Diane) #11

My dad grew up on a dairy farm and we often had a milk cow when I was growing up. I had a lot of brothers and teenage boys can drink a lot of milk. My dad also said it gave them something useful to do! We made our own butter then.

I’m not sure of the economics of it now. How much butter do you get from a quart of cream?

(Diane) #12

March 8, 2019

These are the best deals I’ve found so far this week in SLC-

Winco- Boneless pork sirloin roasts @ $0.98 / lb. Most of the packages were about $6 (more or less). One these will feed me for a week. Easy to cook in a slow cooker or instant pot. Very lean, in my experience, so feel free to add extra fat.

Edit: I went back to get another roast and they were sold out. Another location might still have more.

Lucky’s- Frozen tilapia filets @ $0.98 / lb. Comes in 10 lb boxes. Don’t know the quality as I haven’t purchased these yet, but I’m going to try them as it’s such a mild flavored fish. Edit: I didn’t end up buying the tilapia, it didn’t look like what was shown in the ad. It wasn’t filets, it was a box of whole, cleaned fish (with skin).

Frozen shrimp (raw- peeled & deveined, no size stated in the ad) @ $2.98 / lb. Comes in a 10 lb box. I’d want to check to see the size of the shrimp. Plus, once I buy the tilapia, I’m not gonna have room in the freezer for shrimp.

Fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts @ $0.98 / lb sold in 10 lb “family sized” packages.

Split chicken breasts (bone in, skin on, usually frozen) @ $0.98 / lb. I think these are always available at this price. Package size varies widely. I usually buy about 4 - 6 lbs. I love to cook them in my InstantPot. Makes good bone broth.

Smith’s- Fresh blueberries (not organic) @ $0.99 / pint (about 6 oz).

Sprouts- Zucchini or yellow squash @ $0.98 / lb.

Santa Cruz Organic Peanut Butters @ $4.99 / 16 oz jar. I love their creamy, dark roasted peanut butter. This is the only store where I’ve found this peanut butter locally and is $1.50 of the everyday price (and even $6.49 is much cheaper than you’d have to pay to order it online).

Rancho Markets- I found lemons for 2 lbs / $1. And oranges 4 lbs / $1 ( I use the rinds in my herbal tea sometimes. I got 2 medium oranges for $0.20).

(Brian MacDermott) #13

We always freeze our string cheese so the kids don’t eat it all in one day. It keeps very well and it thaws pretty quickly.

(Diane) #14

Excellent. Thanks!

#15

It’s a little more than half the volume, so if I do 1 cup of cream I get about 1/2 butter. Plus it’s a nice workout :laughing:. If you get a good enough deal on the cream it’s a little cheaper. Especially around my part of town here north of Charlotte, the kerrygold is like $5.99 for 2 sticks but I can often find the organic heavy cream BOGO for what ends up being about $2.00-$2.50 a cup

(Diane) #16

Onto… nuts (nut butters) and seeds.

I usually buy nuts, nut butters and seeds at Costco, Winco, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts.

Just a note: I don’t generally buy the higher carb nuts (such as) cashews, pistachios or other nuts which aren’t mentioned below.

Costco- I usually purchase raw almonds, pecans, walnuts and macadamia nuts (they have the best price by FAR for the macadamia nuts, when they have them in stock). The Kirkland brand of organic peanut butter is also pretty good. I don’t buy their almond butter, if I recall correctly, it has added sugar or other ingredients I wasn’t wild about.

Winco- They generally have the best prices on raw pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. They have a pretty good price for macadamia nuts (they are smaller than those I’ve purchased at Costco) and you don’t have to buy in bulk, just a very small amount if that’s all you can afford or need. I also like their delux nut mix, it’s usually around $6 / lb (give or take) and their smoked almonds. The prices do change a bit from week to week.

Trader Joe’s- I buy their roasted pumpkin seeds (which I don’t think I’ve seen at Winco), hazelnuts and Sun Butter (sunflower seed butter). I haven’t purchased almond or peanut butter at TJ’s, I think I must not have liked the ingredients.

Sprouts- I buy my favorite peanut butter, Santa Cruz Dark Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter (it’s not cheap, it IS really wonderful). It’s the only store locally that carries it. It also goes on sale every 2 to 3 months or so. They also regularly have sales on their bulk nuts (especially the walnuts for some reason). So, I watch for sales and might buy some if the prices are better than I regularly see at Costco and Winco.

I don’t seem to have found a great source for almond butter. I did order some from Amazon once.

Because I’m familiar with the excellent prices at my regular stores, I recognize a really good deal when it pops up elsewhere. The best sales on nuts are gonna happen around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Nuts freeze well and thaw out quickly. Actually, because of their high fat content, and if you buy in bulk to save money, the best place to store your nuts is in the freezer. It will prevent them from going rancid and going to waste.

(Diane) #17

Spices/ Seasonings

I buy spices at Costco, Winco, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, and Sprouts.

Costco- I’ve found that they have the best price on peppercorns and pink Himalayan salt (I buy the ground, not the crystals or chunks). I also like their granulated garlic and dehydrated onions. Check around, they might have good prices on something you use that I don’t.

Winco- I buy their taco seasoning in the bulk bins. I think it’s a bit spicier than the stuff you can get in the packets, it’s cheaper and it’s the lowest carb I’ve found that you can buy. Again, look around, they have lots of options in the bulk bins.

Walmart- I buy their onion and garlic powders. They are $1 per container. I might buy their garlic salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes. Again, look around.

Trader Joe’s- I love their Everthing but the Bagel seasoning. I just bought their Chile Lime seasoning and a can of smoked paprika to try.

Sprouts- I buy the Simply Organic Smoked Paprika. It’s really good.

Edit: Amazon- a good source for specialty spices

Ethnic stores (Asian, Indian, Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern (Greek, Egyptian), Hispanic, etc). There are a lot of these smaller ethnic grocery stores in my area of SLC. You can find really good prices for whole spices and bulk spices. They tend to go through stock quickly, so you’ll find fresher, better quality spices.

(Diane) #18

Here’s a different tack that didn’t occur to me when I started this thread. How does someone find recipes which are successful so you don’t end up wasting your ingredients when you get an inedible result?

I’ve found several excellent recipe developers on the internet that are trustworthy. I find that if the recipe measures ingredients by weight, they tend to be better recipes. This is particularly true for baking! If you don’t already have one, a good digital scale on amazon is a must have. This one is really good and is inexpensive. I’ve had mine for a couple of years now.

image
E5D3F59A-7442-4069-9112-8A84706A7843.jpeg1205×555 175 KB

CarrieBrown.com has a lot of good recipes which are free on her website. She sells some wonderful cookbooks (I would recommend the physical copies, I don’t like the kindle versions I bought). Some of her recipes on the website might predate her conversion to a keto diet, so pay attention when you’re reading the recipes. I believe that they are all at least low-carb.

I also recommend checking out Carrie Brown on the Ketovangelist Kitchen podcast with Brian Williams (Episodes 1 - 99). The later episodes don’t include Carrie and I lost interest. My favorite episode was #26, a primer on how and when to use specific low carb thickeners. Episodes 40 & 41 are good for those who want to make excellent homemade, ketogenic ice creams.

I also like Maria Emmerich, some of her recipes get overly complicated for me, but they are really good. I find it easier to find her recipes using a google search than searching on her website. Search “Maria Emmerich ***** recipe”, inserting your food of choice.

Leanne Vogel has great recipes. She has a cookbook (I think she’s now in the process of writing a second). She also has free recipes on her website: healthfulpursuit.com. She has lots of recipes which have been modified to accommodate different dietary restrictions (dairy free, egg free, vegan, etc.). I’m not sure if all her recipes are Keto compliant.

Urvashi Pitre runs the food blog twosleevers.com. She has written several keto cookbooks. I can’t recommend them enough. If you have an InstantPot type pressure cooker, start with the InstantPot cookbook first. Not all her recipes on the blog are low carb or Keto. So, again, pay attention.

Kristy Sullivan has a YouTube channel Cooking Keto with Kristie and several cookbooks. Her YouTube videos start out really rough, and you have to write down the recipes as you go, but I’ve had a lot of success with them. She has also written a couple of cookbooks now. She breaks all my rules (doesn’t measure by weight) but her Miracle Biscuit recipe was my first successful attempt at a keto baked good.

I have used recipes from the KetoConnect.net website. I have had poor luck with any of their baked goods, but I like some of their other recipes. They also have a cookbook Keto Made Easy which some people have really liked.

The DietDoctor.com website has a lot of great, free recipes. They do offer a monthly subscription to their website, but you don’t need to sign up to get access to their free content which includes the recipes. Their Keto bread recipe is probably their most famous.

This article purports to direct you to some of the best Keto food blogs. https://www.everydayhealth.com/ketogenic-diet/living-with/blogs-keep-you-motivated-when-all-you-want-carb-fest/

I haven’t checked all of these out yet, but you might have some fun exploring. I would just keep in mind that it is easier to get good results replicating a recipe when it lists the ingredient measurements by weight (especially for baking).

These are just some ideas which occur to me this morning. I may add to this post later on. :yum:

Good luck!

Other YouTube recipe developers (or food bloggers) I enjoy include: Headbanger’s Kitchen, Papa G’s Low Carb Recipes, Dot2Trot’s Low Carb Kitchen, Highfalutin’ Low Carb, The Keto Chef, and Hungry Elephant.

Edit: I’ve just started exploring the recipes on the ketodietapp.com. So far, I like their healthy low carb ketchup recipe. https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/category/Recipes

Keto recipes
#19

How wonderful that you make your own ghee. I just made some today - have been doing so for a long time. The sweet aroma that fills the kitchen comforts my soul. :sun_with_face: :last_quarter_moon_with_face::sparkles:

(Running from stupidity) #20

SO MUCH THIS

The only time I haven’t switched Brian off is when he was on someone else’s podcast as a guest and was being a real person, not a podcast host. Needless to say, that was very frustrating, seeing what he could be like when he wasn’t playing a role.

BOOOO

YAY!!!

(Diane) #21

Yeah, I get that!

(Diane) #22

Deal alert for SLC through April 27,2019

Natural Grocers

Lily Chocolate products

Bars (2.8 to 3 oz) @ $2.79 each
Chocolate chips (9 oz) @ $4.49

(Diane) #23

Deal alert in SLC for May 11, 2018

Winco
Blackberries - 6 oz for $0.50
Whole pork loin roast with fat cap- $1.79 / lb
HUGE split chicken breasts (with skin and bones)-
$1.79 / lb.
Chicken livers- $1.49/

Smith’s
Blueberries - 6 oz for $0.99

Sprouts
Bulk bin walnut halves & pieces (SUPER YUMMY!)- $3.99 / lb

(Diane) #24

6/12/2013 in SLC

Sprouts
Lily’s chocolate bars on sale at @ 2 for $5
Lily’s chocolate chips @ $4.99 per bag
Strawberries $0.98 for 16 oz
Blueberries $0.98 for 6 oz

(traci simpson) #25

This still has 10 total grams of carbs per serving. I’m counting all carbs not just net carbs.

(B Creighton) #26

I no longer go for the cheapest food. I go for quality, but I still am price conscious. BTW I live in Utah Co, so shop at most of your same stores.

I now try to get pastured eggs. Trader Joes’ is generally cheapest for this.

Cheese is a living, fermented food. So, no, it does not freese well. Many cheeses do keep in the fridge well for a long time ie like cheddar. I get my cheeses when on a digital sale at Smith’s or sometimes at Costco. However, I now get a specialty goat cheese at Trader Joe’s that I use for dessert - it does have a little added sugar to the blueberry coating.

I’ve told several friends about the benefits of goat yogurt, and told them I get it at Trader Joe’s, and now they stock more - hopefully I encouraged the store to keep it in stock. However, I am now making my own from a local source, and in the winter, will probably use raw A2 whole milk from another local dairy to make my own yogurt. Even at $12/gal for the goat dairy, it is cheaper than the $11 per 1/2 gal, you will pay at the store or more. Trader Joe’s was the cheapest I found locally. My goat yogurt is full fat, and has 2X the MCT fat as cow yogurt - also no A1 casein.

Breyers got bought by a European company - I think Unilever - and the quality definitely went down from the natural ingredients it used to have when I was young. If I’m going to eat junk food, I can get Ice Cream quite cheaply at Smith’s. I like their Butter Pecan ice cream - but yeah - it’s full of gums.

Smith’s - I acually like their produce better than the local “Independent Foods” stores like Macey’s. I also find most of their organic foods to be reasonably priced, and buy their Simple Truth organic beans, mustard, etc. Their organic celery for instance is cheaper, than my other local sources.
I typically spend $30-$80/wk at Smith’s where I get most of my staple groceries including wild shrimp. Sometimes, I get wild shrimp at Winco’s or Trader Joe’s.

Costco - I get a kale salad here. I also get their air-free packaged salmon at times. I get either Adam’s PB or Costco’s organic PB. I get my raw pecans and almonds here. Pistachios either here or at Smith’s on sale and with a coupon.

Walmart - Just hasn’t won me over with their groceries. I go here occasionally for things like their organic coconut, and a few other foods. I much prefer shopping at Smith’s, Costco, and Trader Joe’s.

Total weekly budget is probably no more than $100. That is darn good compared to what I hear from other people. However, my wife does buy some things on her own. Anyway, the “cheap” processed foods don’t seem so cheap based on what people are paying by the time they fill up their carts with the stuff - and then have to pay for prescriptions as a result too. Healthy whole foods are satiating, and don’t require one to eat as much or as often is what I’ve found.