Dirt cheap, lowish-carb paleo dinner ideas?

Hello Everyone!

I'm working hard to get my finances in order (nothing more primal than living within your means!) and as such, I am looking for ways to cut my grocery bill. I have PCOS (for those not in-the-know, in my case it results in serious carb sensitivity) so I don't have the luxury of adding sweet potatoes to bulk up every meal (although I eat them on occasion).

I'd love to know if you have a lowish-carb favorite meal that is really easy on the wallet. One of my go-to options is having an omelette for dinner. I love that, but can't repeat it every night of the week.

Thanks for your ideas!

Replies

Finnellappe

In for the same info lol, PCOS and skint!

TriLifter

I buy meat when it's on sale, separate, and freeze. That and a bag of frozen veggies stir-fried with coconut oil is quick, cheap, and easy.

Howbouto

Shop the ads. I routinely go to 2 grocery stores, a butcher and a farm (for eggs). Not to mention, stopping at farmers markets and popping into trader joes just to buy coconut oil and butter.

Use everything possible, buy a chicken (when it is on sale of course) and roast it for supper. If there is significant meat left, strip it for a lunch or two. Then put the carcass (skin and bones) in a crock pot, with cut up onions, celery and garlc (you can add clean veggie scraps as well ei veggie skins/tops) and let it boil down for at least 12 hours. Skim the broth to get the pieces, and return the broth to the pot. Pick the carcass clean of chicken (you will be surprised how much chicken you get.) Add meat back with whatever veggies you want (carrots, celery, onion, beets, turnips, kale, tomato, potatos (sweet, regular or omit.) ect.) Let cook until veggies are tender. Viola soup.

happyheathen927

I'm t2 diabetic so I eat pretty low-carb for that. Myhubby and kids need more carbs than me, so I try to plan for that by adding potatoes or occasionally rice or corn chips for them. Here are some of my favorite dinners, all of which have some steps that can be done ahead to make them faster to get on the table in the evening.

First, some meal-prep tips:
* I have a local grocer where I can get decent ground beef (not grass-fed, that's nowhere in my budget :frown: ) for $1.99/lb. in big family packs. I buy a couple and divvy it up in 2-lb. portions (for my family of 5) and freeze them. If we're having ground beef for dinner I take out a pack that morning and leave it on the counter. It's ready to cook when I get home.
* My life is MUCH easier when I wash/chop/par-cook veggies on Sunday afternoon for the coming weeknight meals. Salad fixings, broccoli, green beans, sturdy greens like cabbage...they will all hold up to "steam-sauteeing" on Sunday, then reheating/finishing off the cooking process later in the week.
* I've recently started buying 5-lb. bags of frozen chicken breasts ($2/lb), which I toss into my crockpot (still frozen). 8 hrs on low will give you a giant pot of chicken that you can shred and throw in the fridge for ready meals or snacking. You can do the same thing with a whole chicken for cheaper, but "fast" has been more important to me than "cheap" lately.
* I try to boil a dozen or so eggs on Sunday to use through the week.

* Taco/Nacho Night: If I've done my meal prep and my veggies are all chopped, I can have this meal on the table in less than 30 minutes. Brown ground beef and season for tacos. Hubby and I make ours into big salads topped with avocado (if they're on sale), sour cream and salsa. My kids eat nachoes (same ingredients, but added cheese and tortilla chips.... I know...you do what you gotta do).
* Curry: Heat up a big skillet with a little coconut oil. Toss in a bag of frozen veggies (your choice) or a couple servings of your par-cooked veggies from the fridge. Once your veggies are nearly done, toss in a serving of shredded chicken from the fridge and add coconut milk and seasonings (curry powder, salt, etc.). Heat through and eat up.

* Chef Salad: salad fixings, topped with shredded chicken and diced boiled egg, add your fave dressing (I'm a Ranch girl).

These are just a few ideas. I STRONGLY recommend the cookbook Well Fed. The recipes are amazing, but even better is her Hot Plate template and ideas. She suggests cooking up whatever proteins you'll need for the week on Sunday, plus par-cooking a bunch of veggies. Then when you get home, you decide if you want Mexican, Indian, French, Thai, whatever ... then you finish off the veggies, add your meats and spices/sauces and BAM!, you've got an amazing dinner on the table in 20 minutes or so. Her ideas completely changed the way I was feeding my family. I think she shares a lot of those ideas on her blog, too (www.theclothesmakethegirl.com).

Lupercalia

Kind of similar to an omelette, but I do a nice big frittata. Eggs, veggies and herbs (I usually use whatever odd bits are hanging around in the fridge), a bit of meat (again, whatever's leftover and taking up space). I like it because I can eat a bit for dinner, wrap the rest, and keep it in the fridge to have for breakfast/lunch/dinners as long as it lasts. It keeps really well.

Chilis, stews, etc. are pretty inexpensive to make and can really stretch a long way. Civilized Caveman has a pineapple chili recipe that we love.

Anything with mince (ground meat) is a bit more economical in my experience. Sweet potato hash? I love hamburgers, so I have those quite often, just wrapped in lettuce, sometimes with bacon and avocado, homemade mayo always....tomato and red onion, yum! I make kofta with ground lamb and have it with a salad of cucumber, mint, tomatoes, red onion...Also, there are lots of great meatball recipes on Melissa Joulwan's site, theclothesmakethegirl.com

I love it when I find nice roasts (or whole birds) on sale--I can make those last at least two or three meals. I usually eat them as a traditional roast the first night, then do some sort of salad with them the next night or two.

courtniemarie

I think you've already gotten a lot of great ideas. Like everyone said - buy meat on sale and freeze into portions. I buy frozen veggies on sale ($1/bag).
I always grab a 5 or 2lb bag of yellow onions which beefs up a meal for me.
Get canned tomatoes (paste, sauce, crushed, stewed, diced, anything!) when they're on sale (can get REALLY cheap!) and make a chili with that ground beef or turkey you got on sale! Or make a spaghetti sauce with any kind of meat, peppers (green are always cheaper, and then the bagged ones are even cheaper, then they make frozen bags of peppers and onions that would probably be the cheapest), onions, and put it over spinach.
Canned artichokes are great to grab when they're on sale too and can be thrown in the crockpot with a meat, some canned tomatoes, and spices. When I grocery shop, I grab the meats and veggies (and sometimes fruit) that are on sale. The meal planning comes once everything is in the kitchen and I see what kind of possibilities I have.
Cans of tuna I'll get when they're $1/each or less. Can you eat cheese? I've made some great noodle-less tuna casseroles with zucchini and summer squash.

Good luck!

shar140

* I've recently started buying 5-lb. bags of frozen chicken breasts ($2/lb), which I toss into my crockpot (still frozen). 8 hrs on low will give you a giant pot of chicken that you can shred and throw in the fridge for ready meals or snacking.

@ehmayo: Do you put them in the crock pot frozen or thawed? Curious, as whenever I try putting chicken breasts in the crock pot, I always end up with overcooked, dried out chicken.

So I avoid putting chicken breasts in the crock pot. Thighs work better for me! Also, the pressure cooker has been awesome to get quick meals!

OP: as what others have mentioned, shop the ads, buy what's on sale, stock up when it's cheap. About 6 months ago, one of the grocery stores has 1/2 price frozen chicken...I bought like 3-4 bags. lol. And I do the same as ehmayo prepping stuff ahead - the entire bag of chicken breasts, or a package of bacon or sausage I cook ahead (though that wasn't your original question).

Use all parts - I make my own bone broth from the chicken/turkey carcass. A whole turkey can be cheap, too, in the long run. Buy cheaper cuts - they may be tougher meats, but crock pot/pressure cooker can help with that!

I stock up on frozen veggies when they're on sale (like $1), buy veggies seasonally when they're cheaper, and you could even buy extra and can/freeze for later. I did that with sweet potatoes when they were on sale at the holidays.

Can you grow any of your own food? We started a small garden, and are trading our overabundance of lettuce for some eggs from a co-worker (he was giving them for free, but I feel bad for it).

primal7

Here is a site that did Paleo on $20 a week per person and recipes
http://www.koastrength.com/15/post/2013/05/week-4-recipes.html

LadyPaleo

Thank you all for your smart, creative and thrifty ideas! This is why I love this forum!!!

@shar140: Unfortunately, I do not have the space or sunlight to grow anything at my rental. It's a dream of mine. Someday...

Again, thank you all for your great advice.

happyheathen927

Shar140, I do put them in frozen: just open the bag and dump 'em in there! I'll usually throw in some seasoning, too... salt, garlic powder, etc. They can get a little dry in the crock pot, but this way seems to minimize it. Also, because I either use them in other recipes or dip the pieces in mayo, it doesn't matter as much to me.

highervibes

I eat beans (gasp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) so my cheap go to is chlii. Not sure that will be of much help to you though, on account of the beans.

Dragonwolf

I eat beans (gasp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) so my cheap go to is chlii. Not sure that will be of much help to you though, on account of the beans.

There is such thing as chili without beans.

bostonwolf

I eat beans (gasp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) so my cheap go to is chlii. Not sure that will be of much help to you though, on account of the beans.

There is such thing as chili without beans.

Agreed, but if you want cheap it's not a bad compromise.

Another is to pick up meat at the grocery store with the manager's special sticker on it. This means they are about to throw it away. The chili is going to cook for six hours so contamination should not be a worry.

zellagrrl

Agreed, but if you want cheap it's not a bad compromise.

Another is to pick up meat at the grocery store with the manager's special sticker on it. This means they are about to throw it away. The chili is going to cook for six hours so contamination should not be a worry.

THIS. I still do this-- picked up 6 organic whole chickens one time for a steal. Two are still hanging out in our freezer.

Also, we shop at Trader Joe's a lot-- I can buy good quality stuff, often pre-done (i.e. bags of kale) for cheaper than at our regular grocery store.

Aside from that, we do pulled pork in the crockpot (expensive, but it feeds 2 people for several days), chili (without beans) and eggs with insert sale meat product here. We do a lot of meat + vegetable and minimal effort cooking, because I'm lazy and busy.

I discovered salads in a jar last week, and have prepped them for lunches-- layer dressing, then hard veg, then meat, then lettuce/spinach and when you're ready, shake them up and eat. Awesome, low effort, and pretty cheap.

homesweeths

Agreed, but if you want cheap it's not a bad compromise.

Another is to pick up meat at the grocery store with the manager's special sticker on it. This means they are about to throw it away. The chili is going to cook for six hours so contamination should not be a worry.

THIS. I still do this-- picked up 6 organic whole chickens one time for a steal. Two are still hanging out in our freezer.

Also, we shop at Trader Joe's a lot-- I can buy good quality stuff, often pre-done (i.e. bags of kale) for cheaper than at our regular grocery store.

Aside from that, we do pulled pork in the crockpot (expensive, but it feeds 2 people for several days), chili (without beans) and eggs with insert sale meat product here. We do a lot of meat + vegetable and minimal effort cooking, because I'm lazy and busy.

I discovered salads in a jar last week, and have prepped them for lunches-- layer dressing, then hard veg, then meat, then lettuce/spinach and when you're ready, shake them up and eat. Awesome, low effort, and pretty cheap.

I've also found that Trader Joe's is cheaper than our regular grocery stores. One day I picked up a package of heads of Romaine at Walmart, and then went to do my TJ's shopping, and found the same amount of Romaine there to be $1 cheaper! TJ's can really help your budget if you avoid impulse buys (like chips and snack food).

LadyPaleo

Love the ideas! Luckily, I have a Trader Joe's in relatively close proximity. Cheers!

primalkiwi

This link may help - 4 weeks worth of paleo recipes and they post their budget. Lots of variety and plenty of low carb meals.

http://www.koastrength.com/the-paleo-experiment.html

meghanner

Grassfed ground chuck in lettuce boats...cheap, delicious and can change like the wind depending on the spices you use.

sportyredhead01

I eat a lot of cabbage stirfry with balsamic vinegar and celery seeds (not sure if it's paleo?) since cabbage is pretty cheap and filling.
I add carrots and onions (also cheap) and whatever fancy things that were on sale, like broccoli or zucchini. You could probably stuff all this in a zucchini and add some ground meat for a decent supper.

I might actually try that tonight. :drinker:

craudi

You could probably stuff all this in a zucchini and add some ground meat for a decent supper.

Mmm zucchini boats! I can't wait for zucchini to be in season!

We participate in a CSA from May-October. So we have to pay a lot up front, but then every week through those months, we get a part of the local farm's harvest. Right now we're getting radishes, lettuce, garlic scapes, chard, snap peas...and maybe that's it right now. Oh and lots of herbs. It ends up being so much cheaper than buying produce at the store...plus it's organic and local!

Also, I don't think this would be a solution for you right now since you're in an apartment, but maybe you could share and store it with a friend...but we bought a quarter of a grass-fed cow from our farm too. Grass-fed beef can be expensive, as I'm sure you know, but in the end we got our beef (ground, roasts, and steaks of all kinds...and they threw in the neck bones for stock!) all for about 2.50/lb. AWESOME in grass-fed beef standards. The issue is storage for most people though.

You'll get there! I eat so many more veggies over the summer, and if you shop farmer's markets and in season produce, you'll save a lot of money!

AbbeyDove

Primal7,

That link was extremely helpful! Thank you! If you know of any others, let us know!

LadyPaleo

What a helpful bunch of people on this forum! Thanks for the great ideas.

redheadmommy

If you do not have a freezer, get one!!! Freezer was on my christmass and birthday wish list for years, and this year I finally got it. OMG it is amazing! I am still learning , but it is a great resource.
Buying bulk at Costco or other places can makes thing so much cheaper. I'm from Canada, and groceries here twice as more than in the US , so budgeting is even more important. Here grocery stores usually have 15% off on the first Tuesday of the month on the top off their regular deals. Obviously it became my shopping day. I check the flyers and hit 2-3 stores on that day and buy a month worth of meat, eggs, and dairy ( I am primal not paleo),toiletteris, spice and anything that can be stored for 3-4 weeks. I also visit Costco at that day. This makes that day very loong and tiring , but than shopping is done for the month. I portion out the meat that day and freeze it. Beside the protein and no perishables, I buy enough fruits and veggies that last 2 weeks. This way I do not have to visit the store the following week. 2 weeks later the big shopping, i visit a farmers market only to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Again buy enough mfor 2 weeks and that's all the shopping I do in a month. Sometimes I visit the farmers market twice a month, but the grocery stores only once.

If you see cheap whole chicken buy a few and grill them at once. Or buy ready to eat rotisserie chicken if it is on sale. Take the meat of and chop into pieces and bag it, freeze it. This is the best go to food in my house. Great fast lunch or extra protein in any dish really.
A couple of additional freezer advice:
1. LABEL everything. Content, date size, so you actaully know what is in bags in the freezer.
2. When you portion out put the price on the portions, it makes you aware of the prices. Our family loves chick breast, but seeing the price on a single dinner portion day after day, made me shift toward cheaper cuts like leg and thigh.
3. If you see some fresh fruits and veggies are going soft , toss them into a bag and freeze them. I Usually keep my fruits in the fridge except bananas. When they start to get brown spots, I peel them , chop them and toss into a bag and freeze them. Berries Can go bad fast and thy are pricey, so freezing even a leftover half container is worth it. No fruits or veggie gets thrown out this way. The fruits can be used in smoothies , the veggies can get steamed, or fried later.
4. If you eat dairy, freeze them too. Cream, cheese, butter even milk can be frozen. I buy the biggest , cheapest , family pack from everything and freeze it. I buy a 5 lb shredded mozzarella , portion into 1 lb bags and toss 4 into a freezer , 1 goes to the fridge.

Joydriven

Definitely check out local farmers for buying beef, pork or chicken. Even without a separate freezer, if you don't normally keep a lot of frozen items, you can still store a quarter beef. And it reduces tremendously on your most costly food item. So, use the high rent district to hold the high rent food.

www.eatwild.com is an excellent resource for searching out local farm producers. And don't be afraid to ask about splitting up possibilities.

carrieann8

Found this today and thought of this board.
http://balancedbites.com/2012/09/faqs-how-can-i-eat-paleo-on-a-budget.html

Really great ideas.

bump for later

bump

we eat a lot of meat, so i go early am ( bet 7 and 9 ) to shop for meat. They start marking it down around 6:30 / 7. i have gone during the week and weekends and they mark down everyday. Last week i got a large chuck roast reg. price 17 something for just under 8 $. it was large enough for 3 meals for 2 pple. Also, other fresh items (veggies and fruits ) are also being marked down at this time as well and many times i am lucky enough to find expensive cheeses marked down too. If i find milk marked down, i bring it home pour up a bit and freeze the rest. Shop early.

EricCowperthwaite

Favorite go to stuff for inexpensive, low carb, paleo/primal dinners

- whole chicken, roasted and green beans sauteed in EVOO and butter. Save the remainder of the chicken, get lots of lunches out of it.
- Taco salad - Buy the fattiest ground beef you can find (it's cheapest), season it up and cook it, put over lettuce and tomatoes and maybe some salsa on top
- When I am craving steak - a flank steak is pretty cheap per lb, I grill it to medium rare, slice it thin across the grain, serve with a salad or maybe broccoli. Use the left overs for steak salads throughout the week. Put chimichurri sauce on it. see my recipe below for it, put chimichurri on most any grilled meat, it's inexpensive if you make your own. #Nom
- grilled chicken breasts: if you buy the ones on special at the grocery store, you can get 'em pretty cheap. Buy the great big package, too, and split 'em into portions, and then freeze.
- stewmeat, make your own chili. If you want to save more money, use ground beef instead of stew meat.
- if you have easy access to an actual butcher shop, go in and ask him what he has on special. Ask him how to cook it. He'll give you great advice.

Some of the things we do ....

I save all left over meat, use it for my lunch salad. 3 oz or so of chicken or beef on a salad is a great lunch, and very inexpensive.
We buy the huge mondo bag of chicken breasts at Costco and keep in freezer. I can easily pull out however many chicken breasts I need for dinner and cook them up. Almost always have leftovers for my lunches to go to work.
Pork shoulder! Costco sells a package with two pork shoulders that have the shoulder bone already removed. Make Chile Verde in the crockpot or smoke the shoulder and make pulled pork.

Chimichurri recipe:

1 cup lightly packed chopped parsley (ideally, flat leaf "Italian" parsley)
3 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons shallot or onion, minced
3/4 cup EVOO
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

In blender or food processor, pulse all ingredients until well chopped and a nice sauce is forming, but do not overdo and puree. Spoon on to sliced flank steak (or any other grilled meat you prefer, I love on top of a grilled pork chop).