Inner City Blues


(Renee Slaughter) #1

The struggle is real. As I have discussed previously, I live in inner city LA County. Where I live there are at least several fast food joints clustered in a group.4 Mickey D’s, 2 Carl’s Jr. 2 KFC, 2 Taco Bell, etc. Get the point. At any of these places there is a dollar menu. So I can eat cheaply but not healthy. Now if I want real food from any of these places it gonna cost me. Subway salad 10.00. El Pollo Loco 8.00 for one. Del Taco bacon chicken avocado salad 10.00 for me alone. So I keto as best I can and try really hard to manage my funds to spend on real food. Interestingly, when we travel to more affluent areas you have to go some to find a fast food joints and and they do not have a dollar menu.No farmers market nearby, I have to go to another city for that. Traders Joe’s is about 5-7 miles away and when I’m in the area I stock up. So to stretch my funds I bargain shop meat and freeze it away. I know I’m not alone having to stretch the dollar in keto. Where I live HBP and TD2 as you guess are rampant. I’m trying to tell my friends about keto and my progress but changing takes time. I guess the purpose of this rant is to tell you a little about keto in the inner city and the struggle to change hearts and minds.
True I have read on the fourum how we all stuggle with loved ones family and friends to try to help them. I am not underestimating the struggle. All I’m saying is that it is real.
Rant ovet


(Pete A) #2

Great rant! So a Ralph’s or regular grocery store is out of your loop?

From what I’ve learned from your posts, you really have a keto-handle on things. Good going making the right choices!


(Renee Slaughter) #3

Actually Pete there’s a Smart n Final nearby with the best meat deals. Ralph’s in our area closed down. Another resource is Superior markets they have great meat and veggies deals although nothing organic. So I can make it work.


#4

I am sorry this aspect is a struggle. I have read about the caloric density and cost being an issue and fast food is a cheap alternative. Can you make keto choice with the fast food?

When you have more people in your community on keto maybe you can start a buying co op or plan meals together to save money?

I understand your struggles to get your friends to join you. I have been trying since last summer to get people to join me and it does not happen. Their economics or education does not seem to matter, they do not want to do it

Honestly I rarely eat out on keto, by choice. In the last year I ate at McDonald’s twice (that is my favorite fast food of the hamburger places.) when I was on the road. I got a quarter pounder and ate it without the bun. At our local mall there was a Wendy’s and after looking at all the other choices at the mall (with salad options) I recently read a post about how you can request the hamburger without the bun and they serve it with a knife and fork. It was not bad. To be honest, anyplace you go out to eat will usually not be perfect keto. Even steak is too much protein and not enough fat and you have no idea what they season it with. We used to order in all the time before keto and now it is maybe twice a month and it is usually not something that I will eat. H is also LC but he is more liberal


(Renee Slaughter) #5

Thank you, Saphire. I have learned how to order keto when I choose to eat out. However, when my friends order with me or eat with me it’s like why spend 6.00 at Mickey D when you can spend 3.00. And of course you gonna die speech. So eating out is a treat and I choose carefully where to go. FYI 2 scrambled eggs and two sausages at MCD is 6.57 in comparison with their dollar menu. Multiply that x2 for a month and it becomes a little costly. So money better spent eleswhere.
.


(Todd Allen) #7

Make me wanna holler

I eat a lot of organ meats like liver, heart, kidney, etc. both because they are great nutritionally but also because I can get them for a fraction of the price of other meats. Hopefully you can find similar deals in your area too.


(Renee Slaughter) #9

First of all thank you for your suggestions. I am not that person with a green thumb as my cacti will attest to. I mean who kills cactus? And yes to all your other great suggestions. On a more promising note Aldi is a couple cities away, but we do have a Grocery Outlet. The meat is a little pricey but I am finding interesting cheeses for a super low price.


(Erin Valenzuela) #12

Thank you so much for your post, Renee. I also live in the inner city (East Oakland) and it truly can be a struggle.
I think people really underestimate the impact of “food deserts”. In a lot of our communities, there are truly no accesible places to purchase food other than fast food and liquor stores (which generally have overpriced, poor quality produce and meat, if they carry fresh food at all).

I am lucky in that I have dependable transportation, but many of my neighbors and friends don’t. We also had a Foodsco open close by about six months ago which has been SUCH a boon for our community. Between that and the local Mexican market I do OK. I can get cheap cuts of meat, ground beef, canned fish, manteca (lard) for dirt cheap, organ meats (love me some lengua and beef lips or cheeks especially). Produce leaves lots to be desired, but I can get decent greens, brocolli, cheap avocados and nopales.

I do sometimes get jealous of folks who have easy access to Trader Joe’s, Farmer’s Markets, etc. But you know what? I’m lucky that I at least have access to a real grocery store now, not to mention a couple great Mexican and Asian groceries. But if I had to take the bus to the Mexican and Asian markets? Or if Foodsco hadn’t opened? It would be much more challenging, and in fact borderline untentenable.

I’m determined to KCKO, and it sounds like you are too. I really appreciate that you’re pointing out these roadblocks that exist in many of our communites. As in so many things, it is NOT a level playing field. Thanks for some much needed reassurance and inspiration on a rainy Saturday, Renee. Best of luck and keep fighting the good fight :+1:


(Renee Slaughter) #13

Yes we have an Asian grocery store near by maybe 6 miles. Definitely will check out the faux noodle. I can usually pick up kimchee at a super low price there. I do miss my noodles


(Renee Slaughter) #14

Thank you Erin. You get it. In my original post I left out the pizza, mom and pop hamburger stands and the plethora of so called Chinese food joints. Yes I have learned to make keto work for me as best as I can. And my persistence has paid off. I see yours has too. Congrats on the new grocery store. We got this.


(Renee Slaughter) #15

I’m gonna try. I find liver unappealing. But I saw a recipe for skewered chicken hearts that looked delish. Any ideas on how to make liver palatable?
I do like liverwurst but hard to find now.


(Todd Allen) #16

I like liver cooked in butter on low heat cooked so it is still pink in the center which keeps it tender. It can get tough with over cooking. And then I sprinkle on plenty of salt. It took a while but I’ve really come to like the taste. I used to always add one or more other strong flavors like garlic, onions, fennel, cumin, chiles, mustard, etc. and still like those but I’m also fine with just butter and salt.

I watch for sales and buy almost all our meat at sale prices in bulk and keep it frozen. Unlike most meat with a sharp knife I can cut frozen liver and it cooks up fine from frozen so it is a common last second choice for me when I forget to thaw something in advance.

ALDI stores carry an inexpensive imported german braunschweiger liverwurst. My wife makes an excellent pate from chicken livers, lots of butter and herbs and a little booze.


(Renee Slaughter) #17

Thanks so much. I saw liver at a new Wal-Mart that just opened in our area. Will keep my eye open for the liverwurst. Next time I will try the liver and maybe keep at it.


(Tubeman) #18

Any butchers nearby? Sometimes they have good deals, depending what you like. Went with my pops to a butcher at a spanish grocery store last time I was visiting fam in FL, and we got all kinds of weird stuff like sweetbreads, tripa, blood sausages, and some kind of steak, all super cheap. Had ourselves a nice asado.

I’m pretty broke myself and essentially live on ground beef. I’m pretty lucky though, because there’s a ton for farms around here that raise cattle, and I can get grass fed beef at 5/lb if I get a 1/4 cow. With the water situation where you are, I can’t imagine there’s a lot of cattle farms nearby.

Good luck sourcing keto food and winning hearts!


(Renee Slaughter) #19

Yeah no farms nearby. But there are several Latino markets that send out flyers. I will pay better attention to them. Thanks for the heads up.


(Karen) #20

Yep, gentle cooking liver or you won’t like it, I like it cooked in bacon fat. Small amount of onions. Pink in the middle for sure.

K


#21

Chopped chicken liver recipe

I have no idea what gribnes are so ignore that part. Schmaltz is chicken fat. You can make your own or probably use another type of animal fat or butter.

I would cut the recipe in half if it is just for yourself. It makes way more than I can eat of it in a week. I like to add a lot of pepper and eat it with a vegetable, on jicama or tomato (assuming you eat those otherwise). Might be ok on celery too, I am not a fan of celery in general


(Erin Valenzuela) #22

Gribenes is just the Hebrew word for crisped chicken skin


#23

LOL “and of course you gonna die speech”. That is funny! Totally get that one aaaallll the time!! Funny the way you put it


(Renee Slaughter) #24

Thank you for this recipe. I’m definitely going to try this. Something new. Going to try the fried chicken skin. Awesome can’t wait.