It's the week before Easter, so there are some great deals to be had in the meat department. This is probably the best time of year outside of the Christmas/Thanksgiving season to pick up a turkey. My local Kroger has it on sale for $.99/lb. Ham is also on sale, and can be had for as little as a dollar a pound. Make sure you check for added sugars in the ham, as well as hidden gluten.
Since Easter is a time for big dinners and family gatherings, baking supplies are often found cheap. While most of it is off limits on a low carb, look for lowered prices on butter, cream cheese, and cooking oils.
Another thing I have seen on sale this week at both Kroger and Walmart has been frozen vegetables. Both stores had a 10 for $10 sale on Bird's Eye brand.
Since the Lenten season is now drawing to a close, it's also a good time to look for deals on fish and seafood.
Don't forget in most areas, farmer's markets are starting to open for business. Local Harvest and the USDA have listings for local farmers markets all over the US.
I hope you have a great shopping week! Find any great deals? Leave them in the comments.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Bacon Roses
I know it's not really a cost saving idea, but a dozen bacon roses would be much cheaper than a dozen real ones, and a much more romantic gift for the low carber than chocolate!
How to make bacon roses via kaptaink_cg on Instructables.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Preparing for the Week Ahead
It's Sunday, which means it's time to start thinking about the week ahead and what you can do to prepare. Part of staying on budget in both carbs and cash is to make sure that you plan ahead for those nights you might be too busy to cook, or for those grab and dash breakfasts.
My Sunday Planning:
1. Pull bacon and sausage from the freezer, make enough of both for breakfast this week.
2. Steam a dozen eggs for breakfast this week.
3. Clean out the fridge, plan to use up vegetables in lunches and dinner tonight.
4. Make a batch of Atkins Rolls for snacks.
5. Make sure all of the lunch containers are clean.
6. Process any vegetables that we bought over the weekend.
What do you do to make your week easier?
My Sunday Planning:
1. Pull bacon and sausage from the freezer, make enough of both for breakfast this week.
2. Steam a dozen eggs for breakfast this week.
3. Clean out the fridge, plan to use up vegetables in lunches and dinner tonight.
4. Make a batch of Atkins Rolls for snacks.
5. Make sure all of the lunch containers are clean.
6. Process any vegetables that we bought over the weekend.
What do you do to make your week easier?
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Seasonal Saturday: Asparagus
One of the best ways to save money is to buy in season, so here at Low Carb on a Dime, each Saturday we will highlight a new vegetable that is in season right now, along with a simple recipe that anyone can cook!This week's vegetable is asparagus. Known by the scientific name Asparagus officinalis, this spring and early summer vegetable is native to Europe, Northern Africa and West Asia, but is cultivated worldwide as a vegetable crop. It is a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, selenium, and chromium.
1 cup of asparagus has 5.2 Carbs and 2.8 grams of fiber, giving it a net carb count of 2.4!
In honor of the fact my family broke out the grill for the first time of the season this week, I present a family favorite:
Grilled Asparagus
1 lb of asparagus, washed and trimmed.
1.5 tbs of olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
2 cloves of garlic
Wooden or Metal Skewers
If using wooden skewers, soak for about an hour to keep them from burning
Peel the two cloves of garlic and rub each asparagus spear with the garlic cloves
Put 4-5 asparagus on two skewers, running one through the bunch at the top, and one at the bottom perpendicular to the stalks
Pour olive oil over the asparagus spears to coat
Sprinkle with salt and pepper
Grill over hot flame for 3-4 minutes on each side
This tastes wonderful with just a bit of fresh lemon zest and lemon juice squeezed over the asparagus just before serving.
Nutrition
Calories 67
Fat 5.2g
Carbohydrates 4.4g
Dietary Fiber 2.4g
Net Carbs 2g
Protein 2.5g
Friday, April 15, 2011
10 Low Cost Things to do Before You Start a Low Carb Diet
Starting a new diet can be many things. It can be overwhelming, it can be an adventure, and sometimes it can even be scary to embark on a new way of eating. When you go low carb, you are committing to not just a diet, but a life change. With a few bits of planning, you can ensure that you will be successful on your new diet.
1. Buy a set (or two) of measuring cups. I bought two sets at Walmart for 88 cents. They had everything from one quarter teaspoon all the way up to a cup. It's very important to be able to accurately measure your food, especially higher carb vegetables, cheese and heavy cream!
2. Get a copy of the plan you plan on following. Most people are not successful making it up as they go along. Most low carb plans are based on research, science and experience. You can often find copies of the most popular books such as Dr. Atkin's New Diet Revolution, the South Beach Diet, and Protein Power at used bookstores or used online for less than two dollars.
3. Get a recipe arsenal. One of the biggest keys to surviving your first week on any diet is to have an arsenal of recipes to fall back on so that you don't have a moment of "What should I eat?" There are millions of great websites with huge recipe collections.
4. Decide on how you will track your carbs. There are many ways you can count your carbs. You can do it the old fashioned way, using a pen and paper, or you can go high tech, using sites like Fitday, SparkPeople or the Daily Plate. There are even apps for iPhone, Blackberry and Android that can help you keep up with your calorie intake.
5. Plan your menu. The key to staying on track and staying on budget will be to plan ahead. Create your menu, decide what can be prepared ahead of time, like hard boiling eggs and baking bacon for a quick breakfast.
6. Invest in a water bottle. It's another five dollar investment, but you will reap rewards for years to come. Low carb diets are a diuretic, so drinking water is a must! It will be much easier to get your 64 ounces of water in a day, and be less tempted by a diet soda in the middle of the day.
7. Ask your friends and family for support. Being on a diet is so much easier when you have the support of your friends and family. In fact, you are much more likely to be successful if you have family and friends on your team.
8. Get a good multivitamin. A good multivitamin will make night and day difference in how you feel as your body adjusts to your new diet. It's also a good idea to get additional magnesium and potassium tablets for the first few weeks to fend off sleeplessness and leg cramps.
9. Prepare your kitchen. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it, you are going to be cooking a lot more on a low carb diet. Part of preparing for that is getting your kitchen ready. Make sure your knives are sharp, your oven is clean, and you know where your mixing bowls are! If it's good weather (or you're like me), be sure to clean your grill! It will be so much easier to cook when you know where things are and your tools are prepared.
10. Buy a measuring tape. Not all results from a low carb diet can be seen on the scale. Sometimes the scale won't budge, but you will see inches gone. A measuring tape costs less than two dollars in the sewing section of your local discount store, or even cheaper at a dollar store.
1. Buy a set (or two) of measuring cups. I bought two sets at Walmart for 88 cents. They had everything from one quarter teaspoon all the way up to a cup. It's very important to be able to accurately measure your food, especially higher carb vegetables, cheese and heavy cream!
2. Get a copy of the plan you plan on following. Most people are not successful making it up as they go along. Most low carb plans are based on research, science and experience. You can often find copies of the most popular books such as Dr. Atkin's New Diet Revolution, the South Beach Diet, and Protein Power at used bookstores or used online for less than two dollars.
3. Get a recipe arsenal. One of the biggest keys to surviving your first week on any diet is to have an arsenal of recipes to fall back on so that you don't have a moment of "What should I eat?" There are millions of great websites with huge recipe collections.
4. Decide on how you will track your carbs. There are many ways you can count your carbs. You can do it the old fashioned way, using a pen and paper, or you can go high tech, using sites like Fitday, SparkPeople or the Daily Plate. There are even apps for iPhone, Blackberry and Android that can help you keep up with your calorie intake.
5. Plan your menu. The key to staying on track and staying on budget will be to plan ahead. Create your menu, decide what can be prepared ahead of time, like hard boiling eggs and baking bacon for a quick breakfast.
6. Invest in a water bottle. It's another five dollar investment, but you will reap rewards for years to come. Low carb diets are a diuretic, so drinking water is a must! It will be much easier to get your 64 ounces of water in a day, and be less tempted by a diet soda in the middle of the day.
7. Ask your friends and family for support. Being on a diet is so much easier when you have the support of your friends and family. In fact, you are much more likely to be successful if you have family and friends on your team.
8. Get a good multivitamin. A good multivitamin will make night and day difference in how you feel as your body adjusts to your new diet. It's also a good idea to get additional magnesium and potassium tablets for the first few weeks to fend off sleeplessness and leg cramps.
9. Prepare your kitchen. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it, you are going to be cooking a lot more on a low carb diet. Part of preparing for that is getting your kitchen ready. Make sure your knives are sharp, your oven is clean, and you know where your mixing bowls are! If it's good weather (or you're like me), be sure to clean your grill! It will be so much easier to cook when you know where things are and your tools are prepared.
10. Buy a measuring tape. Not all results from a low carb diet can be seen on the scale. Sometimes the scale won't budge, but you will see inches gone. A measuring tape costs less than two dollars in the sewing section of your local discount store, or even cheaper at a dollar store.
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