Hello, and welcome!

I once read something along the lines of "What you pay for quality food today you will save in managed care later." Of course this isn't true all of the time, but you get my drift.

That said, here are some ideas:

1. Eggs. They're very nutritious, cheap and easy to prepare. Plus there's a lot of ways to vary them.

2. Fattier cuts of meat. If you are doing Atkins, the extra fat shouldn't be a problem, plus it tastes good.

3. Sales and bulk-shopping.

That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure others will have more tips.

As far as low-carb "frankenfoods" go, they can be good sometimes. But if used as a large part of your diet, they can reinforce the bad habits you're trying to get away from. Try the "Sweet Treats" part of the recipe section, and you can make your own goodies, often at a fraction of the cost of the packaged stuff plus you can control quality.

I'm glad you've made it here! Regardless of what plan you chose or what your budget allows, just keep moving forward in the right direction.