Cheap Atkins Menu

[Tom]

I have a request via PM for someone to post a cheap atkins menu.
They tried to follow what is on the atkins site but it was just too expensive.

Can you please post a series of cheap atkins days of food?

Like 3 meals + 2 snacks x 5 or 10 so that we can all see alternatives to do atkins on the cheap.

[choeve]

Re: Cheap Atkins Menu

If I were buying for myself, cooking for myself only not other family members here is the simple week of induction meals and snacks. Also considering I have oils and butter to cook with already. If not that would be on the shopping list also.

Shopping list:
Mayo
Few cans of Tuna
Pack of Chicken legs or thighs
Pack of Hamburger
Pack of Pork Chops
1 lb of Bacon
1 lb of Sausage
Pack of Sliced Ham or Sliced Turkey
Eggs probably an 18 pack or a flat
Cream Cheese Block or Tub
1 block of cheddar cheese
Pepperoni bag of sliced
Ranch Dressing
Lettuce
Cucumber
Green Pepper
Radishes
Mushrooms
Turnip
Cauliflower
Can Green Beans
Cabbage

Snacks from above would be:
Deviled eggs
Pepperoni and cubes of cheddar cheese
Ham or Turkey rollups with cream cheese
Tuna and mayo

Day 1
B-Eggs and Bacon
L-Tuna with mayo and salad with Lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper, radish
D-Bacon Cheeseburger with Turnip Fries

Day 2
B-Eggs and Sausage
L-Leftover Hambuger and Salad
D-Chicken with Cauliflower (I make like a faux mashed potatoes using cream cheese and butter)

Day 3
B-3 Egg omlet with mushrooms and cheese
L-Leftover Chicken and Salad
D-Pork Chops and Sauted Cabbage

Day 4
B-Eggs and Bacon
L-Leftover Pork Chops and Salad
D-Hamburger and Green beans or turnip fries again

Day 5
B-Eggs and Sausage
L-Left over Hamburger and Salad
D-Chicken and Cauliflower

Day 6
B-3 egg Omlet with Mushrooms and cheese
L-Left over Chicken and Salad
D-Pork Chops and Cabbage

Day 7
B-Eggs and whatever you got left sausage or bacon or omlet
L-Left over Pork chops and Salad
D-Again here whatever you have left meat and veggie wise since this is last day before shopping again.

Basically I picked the veggies I like the best for salad and as sides off the list of induction foods. You may like different veggies for salad. I have 2 cups of salad and 1 cup low carb veggie per day. Also I switch the next week and buy broccoli, squash, spinich for the veggies so I have something a little different. Moslty I drink water so I didn't list drinks. I might have a coffee in the morning with slenda and half and half.

Anyway maybe you get the idea. I just keep it simple and use up everything I can each week. Once I get past induction then I branch out into trying recipes etc...

[GottaBme]

Re: Cheap Atkins Menu

Cheryl's got a good list and plan there. Way to go!

I read this question this morning then had to think about it for awhile, and started making some notes. Then it occurred to me that it's not WHAT I buy, but HOW I shop.

For instance, you can say for supper to have beef and a salad with a cup of herbal tea.

I could do that with a $6/pound steak a $3 fancy packaged mixed greens salad, expensive low-carb salad dressing, expensive herbal tea made with bottled water, and run this meal up to about $10.

Or, if you're retired and scraping to get by like I am, this could mean $1.29/pound beef neck bones, iceberg lettuce salad from a $1 plain lettuce head and a dolup of mayonaisse, and a good but cheap herbal tea made with tap water, for about $2.

It's all the same as when eating the way we were before starting Atkins. We can shop expensive or shop cheap, and either way, I just have to be careful to read the food lables for hidden sugars, etc. I mostly buy bulk. Like I buy bulk meats, divide 'em up and freeze them, always on the lookout for sales, coupons, etc.

GBM

[Neecy]

Re: Cheap Atkins Menu

Good menu - I have a question - does anybody know an induction-friendly "shake" or "smoothie" type drink? I am getting so tired of eggs and omlettes.

[sincub]

Re: Cheap Atkins Menu

I've only recently started buying a whole chicken each time I go to the grocery store. I cook it in the crock pot, take all the meat off the bones, then leave the carcass in the crock pot for awhile and add water for broth. I can make meals out of that chicken meat and broth all week (I usually freeze the broth).

You can do chicken salad, chicken soup, egg drop soup, chicken tacos, chicken and veggie omelets, crustless chicken pizza, chicken/swiss/spinach quiche, anything chicken! It's much cheaper and tastes a billion times better than the stuff in a can.