Getting a jar of coconut oil (refined, LouAna's brand is the cheapest I've found) can change coffee into a meal (bullet proof coffee style). Switching to intermittent fasting might help, too.

Are there any ways in which you can consume eggs? There are about a million ways to prepare them from using them to make sauces to deviling them to frying them to gently cooking them to using them in dishes, etc.

I think the cheapest cuts of meat I've found right now are pork - loin, steaks, chops, roasts. Less than $2 per pound. Ground beef (the fattiest cuts 73/27 can be under $3/pound) can be used in many ways. Canned tuna, salmon, etc. can be used to make many a meal (you can make patties or just a "salad." Pepperoni is good on plate-pizza (crustless), but if you're not a cheese fan, that won't help.

I will tell you one of the biggest things that helped me was eating ENOUGH at meals to get away from snacking. The only time I really need to snack is when my meal is postponed beyond my control past 10 or so hours... It takes a bit of work to get there, but adding in intentional water fasting can help, though it might make you feel worse right now being only two weeks in. Making soups and such can stretch any foods and help you get in more liquids...

Getting creative with meal times (breakfast foods don't always have to be at breakfast) or mixing things up helps. Sometimes an investment like a low carb protein powder can pay off in spades. Also, shop at the beginning and end of the days, that's usually when most stores mark down their "getting close to deadline" meats. I've gotten things at 25% of their normal cost by just making sure to use it immediately. Buying bulk can help, too. The price drops from $0.50-$2 per pound when buying large packages. Many stores have meat sales. Watching and learning those helps, too.

Essentially, you just have to start thinking more outside the box!

I batch cook taco meat, a lot! My taco salad is meat, with sour cream and cheese. You could obviously leave off the cheese. I sometimes add diced tomatoes or avocado for fats! But the onions in salsa aren't worth the extra hits.

My guy makes his in a baked tortilla shell with beans, meat, lettuce, cheese and salsa. Or tacos. Or tostadas. Etc.

You can eat anything you'd normally have for lunch/dinner for breakfast, too. So you could have taco salad breakfasts or whatever....

I like adding cream or butter to a soup to stretch it, but you could do coconut oil or coconut milk, etc. too.

Chicken was my first thought, too. I'll buy a big package at bulk pricing, slice the breasts in half to make them thinner, then pan fry in coconut or olive oil and butter and keep in the fridge for an easy protein source. Chop up a breast and add to a salad, make a cream sauce for dinner, add mushrooms and cheese for a smothered breast. Tons of way to cook chicken!

Some of the fatter cuts of meat are usualy less expensive ... like pork shoulder instead of loin. They are all great in the slow cooker with your preferred seasoning. Pulled pork? Carnitas? Balsamic beef? Shredded chicken fajita? Stretch it out by putting it on top of finely shredded cabbage, and any other veggies your carbs allow, sauteed in coconut oil or butter

I don't know what the cost of tinned fish is in the US, but here a tin of mackerel in olive oil is quite cheap - can use with salad leaves etc to make a reasonable LCHF meal.

Agree with @kimberwolf71 about slow cooker - lamb shanks etc which are only really edible when slow cooked but tend to be cheaper cuts of meat, ditto with beef shin.

totaloblivia wrote: »

I don't know what the cost of tinned fish is in the US, but here a tin of mackerel in olive oil is quite cheap - can use with salad leaves etc to make a reasonable LCHF meal.

Agree with @kimberwolf71 about slow cooker - lamb shanks etc which are only really edible when slow cooked but tend to be cheaper cuts of meat, ditto with beef shin.

Lamb shanks here used to be the cheapest thing in the world, I bought them to cook for my son and was always asked "are those for your dog"? Now ... they're more expensive than steak. It's ridiculous. All because some restaurants started doing them "slow cooked" and they've somehow turned into a gourmet thing.