It's the hottest diet right now: The low carb Keto diet. If you are not familiar with it, it's a sort of updated Atkins diet, which is high on fats and low on carbs. US News recently rated it the 39th best diet plan in the country.
Celebrities everywhere are on it and Instagramming how much weight they have lost.
But as with any diet plan, could you be wasting your money? If you are not careful, critics say the Keto diet can slim both your waistline and your wallet.
Here are some of the reasons it can get expensive:
- Steak, which is a key part: $30 for two people, even cooked at home.
- Salad bar: $5 or more a night.
- Virgin olive oil, which is highly recommended: $10 a small bottle, which you can go through in a week.
- Prepared meals: Many of the frozen Keto prepared meals are in the $7 to $9 range (per person, per meal), almost twice the cost of a Lean Cuisine.
Do Keto on a budget
We're not debating whether the diet works, as this is a money segment. But the site PerfectKeto.comsays you can do it on a budget.
Among its suggestions:
- Buy meat in bulk, and freeze.
- Stick to cheap veggies like lettuce, broccoli, and spinach.
- Buy chicken and eggs, a lot cheaper than steak.
- Try canola oil: It s similar to olive but one fourth the cost.
- And research any supplements before you buy them.
Which brings us to one final caution about prices: the high cost of some Keto supplements, often known as exogenous ketones.
Some promise they will automatically burn your fat for fuel. Others say they will suppress your appetite, without special food.
But they can cost $60 a bottle which might have you saying "doesn't that stink."
Read reviews, or, better yet, talk to your doctor before making supplements a key part of your Keto diet.
Bottom line: The Keto diet, like the Atkins, can work for you.
But if you are relying on prepared meals and supplement pills it can become very expensive. So be careful ... and don't waste your money.
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