Need help with designing "keto on a budget" experiment

#1

Something that concerns me a lot is the economic barriers that discourage people from staying on a keto-friendly food plan. Crappy carbage is cheap, thanks to influences like government subsidies and big food/ag/pharma. So, for someone who is struggling to pay bills, ketosis may be lower on the list of priorities. To make things worse, the resultant obesity and diabetes epidemic causes more strain on people’s personal lives, as well as the global economy.

I’m thinking of designing an experiment to see if I can compare the competition of satisfying ketogenic eating to cheap food. I need the competition to be fair and based on some important nutrition principles.

I’m thinking of using the “Big Mac index” created by Economist magazine, that gives an economic interpretation of the comparative cost of living, worldwide. I’m going to use the Canadian benchmark cost of a Big Mac, which is $4.51 USD.

I’m thinking of using the protein content in the Big Mac as the multiplier, to regulate how much food I need to eat per day (of whatever competing food I choose to eat). One Big Mac has 25 g protein. So, if an average person with a lean body mass of 120 lbs needs to eat 1 to 1.5 g protein per kg, then they would need to consume approx 75 g protein, or 3 Big Macs per day. So, whatever competing food I prepare, I will benchmark the cost-to-protein ratio to be equivalent to 75 g protein. In other words, I cannot exceed $13.53 USD per 75 g protein equivalent meal per day. I only eat about 50 g protein, but will need to multiply my food cost by 1.5X to be on par with benchmarked protein level.

I will not add ancillary costs, like cost of utilities (heating, electricity, tap water, etc.), and I’m also thinking of not wasting my time with minimal kitchen consumables costs like dish soap, salt, pepper, etc. I don’t want to go into absurd mathematical formulas. I just want to attack the obvious big costs.

I might do this for a couple of weeks or a whole month (I still have not decided). I will post my keto food (meal) and recipes, as well as market cost and protein grams.

What do you think? Did I overlook something critical? Is the daily food cost target too low or too high?

(Jamie Hayes) #2

This is a fabulous project. Let us know how we can help.

#3

Thanks, Jamie. When I get closer to launching the test, I will reach out for advice or second pair of eyes to see if the test plan makes sense. And your critique during testing will help, too. My gut feeling is that it is certainly possible to have nutritious keto eating, without extravagant cost, and compete against low cost food. But, I want to put that hypothesis to the test and see how well I can compete against market influences.

(John) #4

Sounds good, will it only be tied to protein though? If you have a list of foods, their various nutrient content, and then price broken by those nutrients you could actually have a meal plan generated to hit certain nutrient targets limiting possibilities by cost.

(Guardian of the bacon) #5

It seems to be fair the average “Joe” isn’t going to eat only proteins. He will be consuming carbs and beverages also. Wouldn’t calculating the cost of 3 “value” meals be a better representation of what a normal person consumes vs what we consume ketogenically?

#6

The idea is to keep it simple and not overthink it. While the Big Mac provides protein, it also provides fat and carbs. The carbs are useless from a standpoint of keto, but the fat is important. Carbs are cheap, while fat (and protein) are expensive.

So, this competition will be based on “macro” nutrients, as opposed to the entire nutritional profile (“micro” nutrients).

(jketoscribe) #7

Have you seen this?

(jketoscribe) #8

And she has a second post using stuff from Aldi as well:

(no Aldi where I live).

#9

The nice thing about the Big Mac index created by The Economist provides a simple cost of living benchmark. It helps to harmonize the average cost of eating based on one unit of measure…the Big Mac. And that Big Mac provides substantial amount of protein, fat and carbs (the 3 macronutrients).

If they add a drink or fries to their order, there is amost no change in protein (minimal amount in potatoes). So, the cost threshold per protein increases (which will make the competition for me even easier).

It will be more difficult for me to compete against $ per protein if we only consider the cost of a Big Mac. I will have less wiggle room to play with.

#10

Thank you for sharing this. Lots of good ideas in there.

I’m going to be a bit more explicit with the $ per protein food cost, though. It won’t let me escape the problem of adding bulk to my meal without considering the most expensive part of the meal.

(Meeping up the Science!) #11

I love this idea. Many people have done similar things, but they have not lasted long into their monthly budgets. I think it would also provide an alternative for people who eat very little a month due to food stamps.

When I was on disability I ate for $10 or less a day, and still met 75g of protein. How’d I do it? Organ meat, sales, farmer’s markets. Most people do not eat these items, though. I would love to assist, however. Please let me know if you want to collaborate. I’d even do a challenge one month.

Of course, I am a WLS patient which makes it easier some say, however when you don’t eat whey protein, it’s still more food than most imagine!

(Becky Stratton Cooper) #12

Is there a way to adapt this idea for people on a budget in extreme areas? For example I live in a rural Alaskan Bush Village. I’m only a few weeks in, but I believe in the long run Keto will actually be cheaper for me because of the extravagant cost of car-y crappy junk food and the availability of game in the area. My go to protein right now is moose, because I have 50-70lbs of it in my freezer. At the same time getting added fat so I do not blow my protein goals is a litter harder.

#13

Awesome, thanks Donna! When I get closer to launching the test, I will definitely reach out. I am considering doing a 2 or 3 day “pilot test” to demonstrate the competition process and get some critique/advice before going whole hog. Your pair of eyes and critique will help. I may also go back to some recipes I already posted on this forum and work out the $ / gram protein cost, to see how they would relate. I suspect there are some very good candidates in there already.

About a week ago, I did a poll on this forum, asking people what sort of recipes do they want to see. With the risk of sounding sneaky, the hidden agenda behind that poll was to help me formulate this test. In the poll, the people chose beef, cheese and eggs as top desired recipes, followed by chicken and pork. I want to see if I can eat in accordance to the “average” ketonian taste buds, and not always resort to offals and other lower cost foods to meet the food cost target.

(matt ) #14

I love this idea. If I can help let me know.

#15

That’s a good question, Becky. Having beautiful game meats in your freezer is difficult to compare to a Big Mac index.

Would you be able to estimate the cost for procuring that game meat…as in hunting license cost, butchering costs, hunting supplies costs, etc. So, if let’s say you got 100 lbs of moose meat in your fridge, what was the cost to get it?

I am salivating at the fact you’ve got that much game meat in your freezer by the way…yummers :slight_smile:

#16

Awesome, thanks, Matt.

(Becky Stratton Cooper) #17

There are 2 levels of licenses for Alaska, the game meat we have at the moment cost us nothing but time. Maybe $20 in ammunition - my husband went out with some locals and gave them ammo as he did not have tags this year. In return he helped bring the moose back and received a total of 4 legs from 2 moose to butcher. And yes, the taste is amazing! Moose (and goat - we are raising dairy goats and will butcher extra males next fall) is our go to red meat these days.

For non Alaskan residents, licenses are expensive - $300+. plus the cost of travel. For residents the license is >$20, but ammunition is hard to ship and very expensive to get here. For Alaskan Natives living a subsistence lifestyle (I teach in a Native village) the license is $5.

#18

Yep…it all adds up!

(Meeping up the Science!) #19

Becky, if you are willing to eat organ meat, absolutely it will be cheaper. Just make sure to get enough fat, as some game meat is very lean, and unless you also eat some of the organs (heart is quite fatty, for instance) you may have an abundance of protein. You definitely could do it though for cheap.

That’s crazy about ammo, though. Even with it being more expensive, I bet you’d still save a ton long-term.

(jketoscribe) #20

Can you get salmon and crab at reasonable prices in season there in Alaska, or is it just as expensive as in the other 49?

We lived on the Big Island of Hawaii and food was very expensive there. Even local food was costly, so it wasn’t just the excuse of the food that had to be shipped in from the mainland. That was a huge drain on our budget.