The last avocado
Like many of us, I lost my job in the pandemic. My unemployment payments, which consist of 40 percent of my income, have made it hard to keep myself in blueberries.
The sudden tightening of funds led to some radical substitutions in my daily eating habits. Bye-bye raspberries, hello giant cabbage head is one of them. I made some quick calculations and figured out I was spending an obscene amount on Hass avocados and Cornish double cream in my former life as employed. They both had to go. The free-range, organic, artisan foods were also an instant victim. If it’s me or the chicken it’s me. I considered going vegetarian for a while but changed my mind. I need animal protein and I’m not that nice. Sorry chicken.
One of the main complaints I read about low carb living is that it’s expensive. I wanted to point out that it doesn’t have to be, providing you’re willing to let go of the sea buckthorn and pink Himalayan salt. Sacrifices must be made. Here’s what I’ve been doing.
Getting cheap cuts of meat. These are often the fattier cuts of pork and chicken thighs which are flavorsome, nutritious, and just what you want on a low carb diet. I like liver but I’m a bit of a special case. Stewing beef is always cheap. We’ve been making a lot of goulash and chili con carne, which is excellent for freezing and reheating. Saves you slaving in the kitchen with the punishing heat. Buying the whole chicken and doing some kitchen surgery will save you a lot of money. It’s also perfect for roasting or turning into a curry.
Cheese is the ultimate low carb food. It’s a great source of protein, with an equal amount of good fat to go with it. I’ve been having lots of grilled camembert and mozzarella salads with a tiny splash of balsamic (very sweet, be careful) or French dressing. My 97-year old grandmother who is in excellent health eats a lot of cheese. And Wallace and Gromit just can’t be wrong.
My favorite discovery among the cheap vegetables is cabbage. Not only is it more nutritious than lettuce, which is simply an exclusive way to transport water around the globe, but it comes in many pretty colors. It’s very low carb at 6g per 100g and is great for bulk in a salad as it’s very filling. The bear likes to make coleslaw by chopping cabbage, onion, and carrot, and adding a tablespoon of homemade mayonnaise. I like cooking up simple foods from scratch. It makes for happy eating.