Back before my family and I lost a combined total of over 500 pounds, the way we were eating was almost entirely based on foods that seemed to be a great value for the money. Sadly, processed junk food looks to be the best value in the grocery store when you are not considering how unfulfilling and hungry it leaves you only a short time later. We all better realize now that fresh, healthy eating does not have to cost more! That’s why I believe that recipes should not only be delicious, fresh, and easy, but also affordable.
One of my biggest goals when creating the recipes for my family and my cookbooks is to try and keep the grocery lists short. Naturally, this will help keep grocery costs down in itself, but with the costs of fresh foods and vegetables skyrocketing these days, I wanted to share a list of tips that I have found helpful in maintaining an affordable low carb lifestyle.
Grow Your Own Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs
Rachel has maintained a garden at our house for years, and we have all greatly enjoyed the fresh fruits and vegetables that she has provided! Besides great fresh flavors, your own garden has other benefits. For one, it is a rewarding way to get outside and get some exercise. Also, letting your children watch and/or get involved in the growing process helps to get them excited about eating fruits and vegetables (that usually taste even better than the grocer’s produce section). Of course, the most obvious benefit is that the cost of the seeds or starter plants is much cheaper than buying produce from a grocery store. Often times, you can buy an already maturing fresh herb plant in a pot of soil for under $3, the same price you would pay for a small package of the herb in the refrigerated case. Even if you’re not as vigilant as Rachel about watering the herbs, they should still last longer than the cut and packaged herbs. With a little more care, they will quadruple in size and keep you in fresh herbs all year long. With a food dehydrator or an oven on the lowest, warm setting, you can even dry fresh herbs to make jarred spices that will last for up to a year.
Get the Most out of Your Freezer
Used effectively, your freezer can be one of your best tools when trying to maintain an affordable healthy lifestyle! With your freezer, you can buy in bulk and freeze what you are not ready to use immediately. This allows you to take great advantage of specials and coupons as they become available, and also allows you to shop at larger bulk club stores.
Along the same lines of buying in bulk, I find that cooking in bulk and freezing what you don’t eat to be another great trick. This I find is a great solution if you work long days that make cooking every night difficult. You can cook in bulk on your day off so that you have no worries during the week.
Finally, one of the best things about having a freezer is that you are able to fill it with frozen vegetables (the ones you have grown in your own garden of course). Frozen vegetables are delicious, often cheaper than fresh, and still very nutritious! While I prefer cooking with fresh vegetables, I often keep my freezer stocked with bags of frozen, in the same manner that I keep my spice cabinet stocked with different spices. You never know what you’re going to need!
Keep on Low Carbin’!
Chef George Stella
For tons more low carb recipes, ideas, and support please visit:
www.StellaStyle.com
www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends
I have a small garden & also belong to a crop share program. My question is how you freeze green/wax beans. I think I blanched them last year & they turned out horrible!! I ended up using them in soups which worked out ok.
Thanks for your help
Anne Kitto
I have a vegetable garden this year and is enjoying the fruits of my labor but I did not plant enough ochro (4 plants) and long green beans(12 to 18 inches) so there is usually not enough for a meal. Hence, they sometimes start to spoil by the time I could accumulate enough produce. How do I keep it in the freezer and they remain almost fresh?
P.S. I recently started following you and love your recipes and articles.
I love most veggies, but I can not have them….especially the one I love the most. I take too many blood thinners and doctor said not to eat any green leafly veggies. There is not much I can eat. So what is a person to do to help them loose weight? I am borderline diabetic so no sugar or starches.
Mushrooms are put in everything these days….I don’t eat mushrooms. To me a mushroom tastes and feels like what a piece of raw human flesh would taste and feel like in my mouth. You talk about eating organic…..well, it’s too expensive to eat. It shouldn’t cost as much as the other veggies, meats, etc. since you don’t have to use pesticides on them.
I’ve seen and been one that thought I couldn’t do it because of cost. BOY, WAS I WRONG!
I now sit down with the current grocery ad’s and make my menu according to what is on sale that is weight loss friendly. (I am on Low Carb, High Fat (LCHF) and have lost 80 lbs!!!
Please don’t make finances your excuse for not losing weight! I live on a restricted budget too. I live alone so I buy in smaller quantities most foods but if I know I can freeze it and use it before it freezer burns, I go for it! Freezers are wonderful.
When you freeze food, home grown or bought, mark with a “Use By Date”. Organize your freezer, so you can find food by type and be sure the oldest are in front. I’m in my 70’s and I wish I’d quit making excuses years ago. I hope you, the reader of my post will be honest and stop making excuses and really get busy with focusing on “what you can do” and stop saying “I can’t because….(fill in the blank that is holding you back)! Your “can’t” mentality is ruling your life. YOU CAN DO IT!! BIG HUGS of Encouragement coming your way!!!
What about a vegetable soup? If your plants are producing too fast you could make more & freeze it.