day 1/budget shopping/fast food

[guitz]

Just started Atkins today.....I made a meat loaf (using pace picante sauce , 4 g's of carbs, I think) , fried yellow squash in an egg batter with bay leaves and onions, and cut up fresh cucumber buried in spices lol....as a single guy, I need more 'quick' alternatives!, 'cause laboring like this in the kitchen is NOT something I wanna do everytime (it tastes delicious though)...so what are some quick dish ideas?....also, I notice my grocery bill today, done by selecting all low carb stuff, was significantly higher than my non-carb grocery bill...is that just a by-product of a low carb diet?...lastly , what do I order when faced with the inevitable fast food option?, just ditching the hamburger bun doesn't leave much!..no fries :(....

[JaneDough]

Have you checked out the recipe forums here? Lots of one-pot and casserole ideas, among others; in fact too many to list in this thread. Many people cook enough for several day's meals, refrigerating or freezing portions as needed. Another idea is to prep stuff as soon as you get home with it; wash, fry, slice and dice, etc. so you can just grab it and assemble meals later in the week.

Is it more expensive? It can be, but I found the initial sticker shock offset by the fact I wasn't buying fast food anymore. For the first time I was spending the majority of my food dollars at the grocery store, so it only seemed more expensive at first. Over time, buying fresh veggies and cheaper cuts of meat in bulk will probably save you money.

Most fast food places have salad and bunless burgers, and some have other low-carb items appropriate after Induction. The major chains also have websites with nutritional data, that can help you find some 'favorites' for those times you're eating on the run. Hope some of this helps. :)

[LawDawg]

For me I have found that I actually eat less food so my overall bill has gone down. Besides all those processed sweets I used to buy are missing from the bill too.

As for quick snacks I boil a half dozen eggs at a time and leave em in the fridge for a quick egg salad snack. I buy the meat sticks (be careful of eating too many nitrates) from the deli. I purchase the sliced oven roast turkey at the deli for quick turkey roll ups. Cheese and olives are a permitted quick snack. You can have some fish frozen in the fridge that comes pre seasoned and is low carb. Hormel or Tyson make a roast in au jus that is pretty quick and low carb but watch your serving size. Another thing to consider is slicing and dicing all your veggies to keep them in a quick grab situation and it makes higher carb alternatives not as appealable.

As for fast food, I just get the burger no bun no ketchup and a side salad for my meal. Sometimes I will get two burgers if I am hungry. At a "real" resturant there are usually plenty of options and I always ask for a substitution of veggies for high carb sides and its never been a problem.

[guitz]

thanks for the replies, preparing stuff in bulk beforehand is a great idea, I never thought of that....I'm checking the recipes too, thanks!

[pigasus718]

Hi Guitz,
I'm new at this too, so I'm just feeling my way along with help of reading, reading, and more reading on this site and any books I get my hands on.
I've found it helpful to cook 1 or 2 days a week some things to have on hand when I don't have time to prepare a whole meal.
Cooking/baking/grilling a whole chicken or several breasts, any kind of ground meat made into meatballs with eggs&different seasonings(no bread or crackers). A big roast will last several days or you can freeze portions for later. I've been cooking extra veggies so I'll be sure to have leftovers to heat up later for meals or snacks. And always lots of stuff washed, prepped and ready to toss into a salad anytime or just romaine hearts torn in pieces in a big ziplock, parmesean cheese, and caesar dressing for a caesar salad made in like 2 seconds. You can also throw on some of that chicken or beef that you already have ready to make it more of a "meal" type salad.
My grocery bills remained about the same. I'm buying more fresh items, but lots less prepackaged convenience stuff.
Not sure about fast food yet. Only been once since Atkins, and then I got a chicken blt salad.
Hope this helps..
Hang in there, we'll get by with a little help from our friends.

[MeBLady]

Just started Atkins today.....I made a meat loaf (using pace picante sauce , 4 g's of carbs, I think) , fried yellow squash in an egg batter with bay leaves and onions, and cut up fresh cucumber buried in spices lol....as a single guy, I need more 'quick' alternatives!, 'cause laboring like this in the kitchen is NOT something I wanna do everytime (it tastes delicious though)...so what are some quick dish ideas?....also, I notice my grocery bill today, done by selecting all low carb stuff, was significantly higher than my non-carb grocery bill...is that just a by-product of a low carb diet?...lastly , what do I order when faced with the inevitable fast food option?, just ditching the hamburger bun doesn't leave much!..no fries :(....

I definitely agree with the preparation in advance idea....that is what got me through. I am the only LCer in a family of four. I buy family packs of ground beef, chicken, bacon, sausage, etc, cook it all in one shot, and put it in the freezer or fridge for a quick microwave fix. It takes me less than 5 min. to make a healthy, nutricious, LC meal. A good tip is to always have something ready to defrost.....makes it easier than to submit to something "quicker" that isn't good for you.

Fast food? Most places have a LC alternative these days, and good for an emergency if you are on the go for lunch or out of town with family....but unfortunately, most fast food places cook their meats with tranfats, and even their salads contain sugar. The one exception I have found is Quiznos subs....they pride themselves in serving non processed deli meats, and their flatbread is to DIE for (as long as you dont' have a problem with soy flour,and past Atkins induction to include a serving of LC bread). Buffets, Golden Corral in particular, have been my newfound places to eat out, as I can pick and choose a bit easier with a tasty variety of LC options.

The best way to ensure you are getting a healthy meal is to cook it yourself, with fresh foods. If you prepare stuff in advance, it really isn't that hard. Family packs will save on your budget with meat....get small portions of fresh veggies/fruit....I tend to hit the store every other day or so because I buy my stuff fresh, but overall, my grocery bill is actually LESS because I no longer go to McDonalds (I'm on a limited budget),and I've managed to convert my family to semi LC by buying real butter instead of margerine, fruits instead of Little Debbie snacks, etc.

I live in a one income family (I'm a sahm), and I've found it very affordable to keep my LC lifestyle. Many times, I have to depend on sales with chicken, most of the time, buy the cheapest cuts of ground beef (which is better for you anyway), and hit Wal Mart which has excellent prices on fish....considering the amount of protein a LCer has per day, and the amount of carbs (a package of broccolli or strawberries will last me a week), it evens out pretty well.

It can be done, you just have to adjust to a new way of cooking, and a new way of shopping.

LC products are expensive....but those aren't good for you anyway, they are a treat in maintenance. The best LC way in weight loss mode is with fresh foods....which ARE actually less expensive than processed products that should be avoided.

[zajack]

Lettuce Rollups, Hot wings with bleu cheese dressing, and prepare bulk items to have in the fridge/freezer. Some examples: Grilled chicken (have in the fridge for caesar salads or dip pieces in garlic butter), LC chicken parm (fine to freeze in portions), Roasts (make in a slow cooker and separate into ziplock freezer bags with veggies for later use), Tunafish salad...great to have in the fridge, Hard boiled eggs (good by themselves or whip into a quick egg salad or deviled eggs), ziplock omlettes (see recipe forum), have veggies and dip on hand, stuffed peppers (make and freeze), Lettuce wraps are always fast and good (esp with a slice of bacon in them)...and did I mention wings? :lol:

[Laydebleu]

A small steak can be cooked quickly as can a chicken breast. I get my chicken skinless and boneles, but you can have skin on... I pop it in a tin with a bit of olive oil and a bit of a dry bbq rub on it and cook it in the oven. This can be cooking while you are doing other things... then make a veggie or a salad and it is a quick and easy dish. Planning ahead is key but having some chicken in the freezer you can pop right in the oven help too.

Everyone here has given great ideas... I wish you great success with your low carb way of eating.

Oh and I don't eat a fast food places any longer, I used two about 2 to 3 times a weeks. I just think if I'm going to eat out I want to sit down and have something good like steak or shrimp...