I took a western states tour a few years ago. I am used to cooking everything from scratch. Boy did I get a shock when I even went into some Walmart’s. “ can you tell me where the fresh fruit and veggies are please?” Quizzically look on the store assistants faces…” ummm, you might find some in the frozen meals section…”.
I ended up seeking out any Latino store, just to find fresh food.
My trip was an eye opener indeed.
Well done to you, Renee, for persisting with Keto and working out where to source real food at an affordable price.
Inner City Blues
This is such an important post. Food deserts, unreliable public transport, cheaper crap food, the list goes on. Getting healthy is like a full time job! Some great suggestions above about ethnic markets, etc.
I shop my store’s manager specials about every day for soon-to-be expired meat and eggs. Also liverwurst/braunschweiger is a good liver alternative that I know Walmart carries.
Good luck with everything!
This is so true. Shopping the sales on certain days so I can stretch my dollars. Then getting to the stores. Currently without a car so sucks to be me right now. But honestly as much as I may complain. It’s worth it to be healthy again. And keto rocks!
I miss pollo loco.
I feel ya. I did Atkins back when I lived in Hollywood, back when it was all hookers and druggies. Koo Koo Roo was my jam. Lotta eggs. Food deserts are hard. Gotta be extra clever to make that work.
My best advice is get some deli containers. Let’s you make in bulk and portion to carry. Stretches the dollar. I’m not in that situation, but I’m really trying to cut what I spend while I’m at work because downtown Chicago is a food wonderland of temptation that is all quite pricey. By bringing from home, I’m saving $8-15/day in lunch. Thank you, cheap deli containers I got on Amazon.
Re: Liver, I have finally decided that I have to re-introduce this super-food into my family’s diet. My strategy has been to start small. Literally, the first meal with liver consisted of less than 2 oz. portions for each of us. Told my kids (6 + 9) they had to eat one piece. Then did it again, and then a little more. After about 2 months of once every two weeks (ish- I’m not too strict) we are now up to about 3-4 oz portions and no complaining. Even for myself, I grew up being forced to eat liver that was awful, overcooked like shoe leather, I have to wean myself back on to it. It’s working for us so far.
Biggest thing about cooking it I find is to not over cook it, I cut it about 1/4" thick, fry in lots of bacon fat on one side for about 1-1 1/2 min then flip, for about the same time. Depending on how much pink juice comes out I may flip it back for about a minute. I want there to still be pink juice coming out of it when I put it on the plate. I don’t even know how to describe the texture of overcooked liver, it’s horrid. Others may agree, it’s kind of like some kind of coarse flour when you chew on it. As my 9 year old would put it, it’s gross.
I’m actually starting to enjoy it, last night we had some and when we were done (I had a whopping 2 x 3 oz pieces) I felt like I would have liked more. When I asked my 9 yr old what he thought, he said “I don’t really like _that _much” Which I took to mean he liked it a little.__So in our case it is working.
Got to give it another go. Haven’t had any since I was a child.
You can also look for Liver Cheese. I used to pull that fat ring off…don’t do that anymore!
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/products/oscar-mayer-liver-cheese-8oz-1694.aspx
I forget how lucky I am to live in Australia, last time I was in the states I was genuinely shocked at the fresh food availability
I remember this. I disliked it as a kid. But wish I could find it now. I will be going to Wal-Mart to try to find some liverwurst or even liver cheese. Thanks
Its just a little higher here for good food esp in my area. I remember when the city council tried to have a farmers market. It was poorly received and hardly any vendors. But I was there looking for bargains. Great fruit at the time when I was eating fruit
But it left. So at times it’s also lack of participation that can do us in.
Like most things in the US, if you have money (shorthand for disposable income, good insurance, rainy day funds, live in a good neighborhood with good facilities, etc.) then things are good if not better than elsewhere. However, if you don’t have the above, things either do or very quickly can suck hard.
Living near to a Whole Foods, Bristol Markets, or even more expensive local high-end grocers will give you a great selection of organic and normal produce, Even normal supermarkets are getting better and warehouse stores are also improving BUT compared to Europe, I find them all much more expensive where the ALDI’s and LIDLs have really had an impact on average price levels even for fancier foods.
Being in a food desert, as expertly described by @rslaughter1960 is a real thing and not only hard to defeat but not amenable to correction by standard market forces (as also described).
Crap - I think I just white mansplained
I foudn a way to get liver into my husband’s diet which he LOVES.
Basically, chop up an onion and cook it in a pan til translucent, or golden, throw in the liver (I usually use chicken livers, or lambs liver, but you can use any.
then you get creative - you can use ANYTHING, from Worcestershire sauce, to tomato sauce, red wine to a stock cube, dried rosemary to garlic.
Once the liver is cooked, tip in a pot of cream cheese, and either push everything through a sieve, or use a stick blender to make it smooth.
Instant, delicious pate in about 15 mins.
Mr B likes it for breakfast, on toast. I like it with a spoon. You can tip it into other dishes to thicken the sauce, stuff it into chicken breasts…
I make a big batch, divide it into smaller pots, and freeze or refridgerate. But you can do it in small batches too, if that is easier.
I am loving all the ideas for liver. Got try it now. I’m excited! Going in my weekly rotation. Thank you everyone for all your ideas and support.
I am so trying this. I live mini cucumbers I see myself with a new spread for my favorite snack.
Erin,
Do you have a recipe for lengua? Love it on a taco. I occasionally see beef tongue in the store. Kinda shy away but I really like it.
Good topic, makes me remember how blessed I am in life and where I live.
One suggestion, take ready to eat food with you… everywhere…
We took grocery bags filled with boiled eggs, cooked bacon, nuts and pork rinds into disney land. I got a few side glances from folks but I didn’t give a damn. It’s allowed by the park AND I wasn’t paying 60 bucks to feed three people carb filled junk.
Wife and I take “bento box” style meals into a bar, order a beer, open up our boxes and eat right there are the bar, they are usually boiled eggs, bacon, nuts, olives, maybe some cubed cheese, all covered in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, sometimes we’ll add some broccoli or kale. We even take napkins and our own plastic ware, no bartender has ever said a thing, they make money on the beer/wine/drinks and don’t sweat the food. Sometimes we’ll order some wings just to ensure nothing is said but only if we know the place serves good wings (and they have to be cheap).
I ate a similar box in the middle of a meeting yesterday, no one said a word as I consumed about a thousand calories of healthy nutrition, one person actually asked me what it was since they thought it looked good.
Boiled eggs, cook em in big batches in a pressure cooker. Store them in a tupperwear container lined with paper towels, drain them well in a colander before storing. If you want to take a lot of them somewhere, put them in a large ziplock with new paper towels, they will travel well up to a week.
That’s our method, I hope some of the tips resonate.
Good luck!
I have a question… what would liver be like ground into ground beef? Or ground into pork and spiced up like sausage? Seems a painless way of getting some into family members.
Renee, back in your original post you said there is a Carl’s Jr in your neighborhood. They will wrap any sandwich in lettuce and I have never been charged extra for it.