Recently, I wrote a blog of the top 10 keto myths. Once I finished the blog, I realized how much there was to say about each one! So, I decided to break each one down into its own blog. The last one on the list looks at the question, “Is keto too expensive?”
Is Keto Too Expensive to Start?
Honestly, keto can be expensive when you are first starting out. There are some staples that you need to buy, like sweetener and almond flour. Other ingredients it’s nice to have, like spices and low-carb chocolate chips. And then there are things you will need, but you may already have some, like cheeses and cream cheese. You just may need more of them.
Keto can also be expensive to start if you invest in some of the cooking equipment. We did this gradually, but they soon became essentials because you are cooking at home so much more. This includes our air fryer, our immersion blender, and our waffle maker (you’ve got to have chaffles!).
We also invested in a vacuum sealer, which has saved us so much money in the end! If you can afford to save up and go to a place that sells in bulk, like Costco, you can save money. Then, if you vacuum seal what you buy into the servings that you will cook, it also saves you time! It protects your food from frostbite so you won’t have to throw out food that’s just been in the freezer too long. And, it takes up less space in your freezer so you can get by with a smaller one.
Is Keto Too Expensive When You Get Going?
If you look at any healthy diet, it is going to be more expensive than if you buy Kraft dinner, canned spaghetti, and instant rice. Those foods are cheap for a reason – they are made up of nothing. On keto, you are going to be shopping the outer aisles of the grocery store, which are more expensive because they are real food. This includes things like fresh vegetables, proteins, and dairy.
There are some ways to budget on keto, though. If you plan on cooking your vegetables, you can buy frozen ones. Make sure the ingredients listed only include the vegetable itself, and no fillers or chemicals. They keep a lot longer than the fresh vegetables. I don’t know how many pieces of cauliflower and lettuce I have composted because I just didn’t eat them in time, or they were almost rotten when I got them home.
If you have a meal plan, that helps with the costs a lot. You know exactly what you need and you can go shopping with a list. As soon as I start wandering in the grocery store, I can hear the cash register going off in my head. Ohh, let’s get some Bubly. How about a Lily’s Chocolate Bar? Ummm, those Quest peanut butter cups look good. Yep, you can still impulse buy on keto.
Finding Keto Too Expensive? Avoid Hyped Keto Products
If you read a lot of keto books, they will push you in the direction of specialty products to get you started. We found they were not at all necessary. We did not use exogenous ketones or MCT oil, and while we did have some of the symptoms of the keto flu, we also managed it by drinking lots of water. They are expensive, and we have not found them necessary at all.
You can also save by avoiding the prepackaged keto labeled foods. First of all, they are often higher in carbs than you would expect. A lot of prepackaged foods compare themselves to non-keto options and call themselves low carb. Keto crackers, keto granola, and keto bread come to mind.
Secondly, they are expensive. I love Keto Shellz, sold by No Sugar Company that I get at Costco. Part of why I love them is why they are quite expensive – natural, quality ingredients. So, I splurge and get a box of them and keep them at work. I have 2 on days that I am feeling especially stressed or on days when there is a celebration at work and others are eating cake or ice cream. They last me a couple of months, which is much less expensive than if I brought them home and ate 2 a night for 6 nights in a row!
Comparing Keto and Eating Out
Keto is so inexpensive compared to eating out all the time. If you have been eating at home and cooking for yourself, you may find eating keto a bit more expensive. Then again, if you’ve been eating at home, you are likely not looking to change your lifestyle as much. People don’t tend to get unhealthy if they are eating broccoli at home. But, if you’re grabbing a burger at McDonalds every day for lunch, you’re actually going to save money by going keto and cooking for yourself.
Hamburger is about $0.36 an ounce here in Nova Scotia. So, 4 ounces would be about $1.44. A quarter pounder with cheese at McDonald’s is $6.49. Even if you add $1 for the cheese slice, sugar-free ketchup, and mayo at home, that’s a huge difference. Rounding up, let’s say it’s $2.50 to make a burger at home. At McDonald’s, it’s $6.49. You can do the math.
The other part about eating at restaurants is that you don’t get a discount when you don’t get the bread. They factor that into the price, but if you order a quarter pounder without the bun, you don’t get a discount. I’m not picking on McDonald’s – every place is the same. They have to pay for the labour to make the food and make a profit. This is why it’s cheaper to eat at home.
A Final Thought about Whether Keto is Too Expensive
You also have to consider what your health is worth? Bill’s health was failing when we started keto. My health was teetering and would have gone downhill fast if I hadn’t made changes. How many pills would we have had to take? How much time off work to go to doctors’ appointments? Would we have had as much quality time together? To me, it’s worth a little extra at the grocery store to have my partner in crime around for a long, long, time.
Wendy
