These days, everybody is always on the go and finding time to get your nutrition in on a low carb diet can be difficult when you’re in a rush. First off, planning ahead the day before by packing your snacks in the fridge or leaving them out will make it much easier to head out the door before your busy day.
Whether you make your own snacks or buy premade snacks, it’s important to remember to prepack them ahead of time because if you forget them and have to buy random snacks throughout the day, it can throw your whole diet off.
Premade sets of food such as tuna, eggs, beef sticks, nuts and protein bars are great grab and go items to use as snacks throughout the day. You might want to think of your travels for the day if you’re going to be out because some snacks might need to be refrigerated or packed in cold temperatures unless it’s not refrigerated in the store – such as a protein bar.
The refrigerated items will be good for settings like home or work, where you usually have some sort of refrigerated option available. If you want to take a break from the same old prepackaged meals at the store, then try making some fresh snacks from home!
Making nutritious snacks at home does take a bit more time, but the end result is a low carb snack you’ll love because you put ingredients that you prefer into it, and there are hundreds of recipes online for low carb snacks as well.
A few popular homemade low carb snacks are: Celery Peanut Butter sticks, trail mixes, or something like a lettuce roll up with turkey and cheese inside. It doesn’t matter if you decide to buy your snacks or make them fresh from home.
The only real difference is your preference in flavor and ingredients. The macronutrients should be similar regardless of how you decide to prepare your food. Ideally, if you’re following a specific meal prep or eating schedule, these snacks should be kept on hand for moments when you might have to miss a meal or absolutely can’t wait until your next meal.
Snacking all throughout the day – even on a low carb diet – is not ideal. Always try to keep a steady eating schedule. This will make tracking your macronutrients much easier as well.
Plus, it will help your blood sugar stay level. However you decide to use your new snack preparation advice, take it all one day at a time, and don’t cheat yourself out of your hard earned work!
Dieting and meal planning on a budget can be a tricky obstacle to overcome, but luckily there are a couple of good rules of thumb for saving money when going on a low carb diet.
You need to first decide where to get your food from, and find out which stores are the most cost effective in your area. Most of the times you can find good foods at good prices by shopping at Walmart, Aldi, with occasional sales at other big name brand stores.
Regardless of where you decide to shop for fruits and vegetables, just make sure there are fresh, healthy options that match your spending limit. Preparing your low carb meals each morning, or just buying all of your food in general from a store with low prices will also cut back on money if it will make you eat out at fast food restaurants less.
Preparing meals at home is typically a healthier and cheaper option than deciding to eat out. When comparing foods at your local grocery store with the best deals, keep an eye out for meals that are low in carbs, but high in protein and fats.
Most people might think that fats are counterproductive, but having more unsaturated fats in your diet will fill you up faster – meaning your food will last you longer while preventing overeating.
The high protein is for recovery and muscle production, and you should be eating at least your bodyweight or more in grams of protein. If those aren’t enough to help your low carb diet match your budget, don’t just compare food prices but also compare different types of food!
For instance, some frozen vegetables may be cheaper than fresh ones and vice versa. Brown rice is often cheaper than white rice. Along with frozen foods, canned and jarred foods can also usually be found to be cheaper than buying it fresh.
Some proteins are cheaper than others. Pork is one of the cheapest meats, and even with chicken, thighs are less expensive than breasts are. With beef, you can find marbled cuts of steak that are less costly than lean filet mignons, and the fats are okay for you on a low carb diet!
Regardless of how you decide to save some money in your low carb budget, make sure you are always checking the macronutrients of everything you buy. Buying food on a budget at times mean you lack the money to buy your favorite foods, so consider putting that paid subscription or other unnecessary spending into your diet instead.
Aside from budgeting your food money, maybe compare the benefits of cutting out other expenses you make by looking at your bank statements and finding out what is and isn’t necessary – because your health and fitness should be a main priority.