A secret about the keto diet: It’s actually perfect when you’re on a budget. That’s because many keto-friendly foods, such as chicken, ground beef, eggs, cheese, cauliflower, and greens can be relatively inexpensive if you know how to shop for them. They can also be used in a variety of creative ways. When you’re aiming to save money on a keto diet, remember:
- Buy big. Pantry staples like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and spices can be purchased for less if you buy them in larger quantities. Just make sure to store them correctly (usually in a cool, dry place) so that they don’t go rancid.
- Shop the bulk section. If you need a specialty ingredient (like a specific seasoning) that you don’t use regularly, you can weigh out just what you need in the bulk section, saving waste and money.
- Eat eggs. They’re cheap, and they offer fat and protein, the two macronutrients you’re focusing on.
- Go for conventional. You don’t have to buy organic if it’s not in your budget. The research that links fruit and veggie consumption with health benefits was done on conventional produce, according to the nonprofit Alliance for Food and Farming.
- Get back to basics. Building a keto diet that relies on fresh, whole — and yes, incredibly basic — foods like meats, veggies, dairy, and nuts and seeds is cheaper compared with the new prepared keto-friendly packaged foods that are emerging on store shelves.
RELATED: 7 Keto Diet Pantry Staples to Buy
When you’re developing your keto pantry, there are some foods you’ll want to have on hand, including:
- Avocado
- Leafy greens like kale, collard greens, and arugula
- Shredded cheese
- Cream cheese
- Bell peppers
- Cauliflower
- Spices
- Salt
- Chicken
- Bacon
- Nuts and nut butters
- Almond flour
- Garlic
- Sausage
- Ground beef
- Eggs
- Olive oil
RELATED: The Best and Worst Fats to Eat on the Keto Diet
Now onto the recipes! Here are 10 dishes you can make for less than $5 per serving (not including basics like salt, pepper, olive oil, and conventional spices). Each recipe includes info on nutrients and net carbs, which you can roughly calculate by taking the total carbs minus the fiber grams and sugar alcohols, according to Atkins. Bonus: Many of them make awesome leftovers.
Buffalo Chicken Jalapeño Popper Casserole: About $1.56 per Serving
The folks at Ruled.Me call this marriage of buffalo chicken and jalapeños “a flavor explosion.” It certainly helps that there’s also bacon and three cheeses (cream cheese, cheddar, and mozzarella) thrown in in for good measure. You can make this recipe easier — and faster — with boneless, skin-on chicken thighs. This pan meal makes six servings, so your dollar is going to go a long way — especially when you realize that the flavors really meld (and intensify) as any leftovers hang out in your fridge.
Per serving: 782 calories, 67 grams (g) fat, 4.6 g net carbs, 38.6 g protein
2. Stuffed Chicken With Asparagus and Bacon: About $2.41 per Serving
Here’s the brilliant thing about this meal: There are five ingredients, including salt and pepper. Chicken tenders and asparagus spears are wrapped in bacon and then baked in the oven until juicy and crispy. It’s the type of meal you serve to guests — supplement with a fresh salad of mixed greens and a vinaigrette — and they’ll think you’re all fancy.
Per serving: 377 calories, 25 g fat, 2 g net carbs, 32 g protein
Easy Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs: About $2.34 per Serving
It’s hard to ignore the Instant Pot — it produces such stellar results, especially when you’re looking to make certain cuts of beef incredibly tender. You’ll love how this recipe uses ingredients you probably already have in a well-stocked keto kitchen (garlic, coconut, aminos), so the only item on your shopping list is the beef — and maybe some beef broth. If you’re making this for a special occasion (or Sunday supper), serve these short ribs on top of a creamy cauliflower mash.
Per serving: 226 calories, 13 g fat, 1 g net carbs, 23 g protein
White Lasagna Stuffed Peppers: About $2.47 per Serving
Stuffed peppers may have been a staple at your home when you were a kid, and it’s time to bring them back for the regular weeknight rotation. This easy recipe has you stuff peppers with ground turkey, bake, and then top with ricotta and mozzarella and bake again until they’re gooey and bubbling. It’s the type of meal that everyone in your family — keto or not — will love, and you get the benefit of eating an entire half of a pepper (which, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, contains a respectable 1.5 g of digestion-friendly fiber) in each serving.
Per serving: 281 calories, 14 g fat, 6.5 net carbs, 32 g protein
Low-Carb Big Mac Bowl: About $2.71 per Serving
There’s a chance that, since you’ve gone keto, you’ve eaten a lot of ground beef. After all, it’s certainly a budget-friendly source of fat and protein. If you’re nearing boredom and looking for new, inventive ways to eat it, let us introduce you to the "Big Mac" bowl. This recipe combines ground beef with the famous burger fixings, like diced onions, shredded cheese, dill pickles, and a homemade special sauce. Best of all, it’s served on top of a bowl of shredded cabbage, a brassica with cancer-fighting compounds, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Per serving: 581 calories, 44 g fat, 7 g net carbs, 34 g protein
Southwestern Low-Carb Crustless Breakfast Tarts: About $0.80 per Tart
They may be called breakfast tarts, but don’t let that stop you from eating them for dinner. The egg and cheese get a spin from zesty seasoning, hint-of-spice green chilis, and the rich taste of roasted peppers. Make a bunch, freeze the leftovers, and pop them out when you need a superfast meal or snack. To round out this dish, you can serve it with a side of greens tossed in your favorite keto-friendly dressing. (Primal Kitchen’s line of dressings are a tasty option.)
Per tart: 146 calories, 10.5 g fat, 4 g net carbs, 8.5 g protein
Low-Carb Pepperoni Pizza: About $0.89 per Slice
When you began your keto diet, you may have assumed that pizza was off-limits. Turns out there's a creative workaround! This low-carb pepperoni pie uses a base crust made of almond flour, psyllium husk powder (upping the fiber and decreasing the net carbs), plus cheese. It’s then topped with tomato sauce, more cheese, and pepperoni. This recipe calls for a specific brand of tomato sauce, but you don’t have to be limited by that. To save money, purchase a jar of your grocer’s own (generic) line (be sure to read the ingredients label to look for added sugar).
Per slice (? pizza): 335 calories, 27 g fat, 3.2 g net carbs, 18.2 g protein
Easy Cheesy Baked Keto Cauliflower: About $1.13 per Serving
If there were a veggie that could be crowned the king of keto, it would be the cauliflower. It’s not only a lower source of carbs (one cup of florets has 3 g of net carbs), but it has the perfect mild flavor that allows it to masquerade in a host of recipes. And this is the mac and cheese you were missing. The yummy dish not only makes a hefty six servings, but is a great way to sneak an extra veggie into your day.
Per serving: 220 calories, 14.8 g fat, 4.8 g net carbs, 13.3 g protein
Sausage and Spinach Crustless Quiche: About $1.35 per Serving
Eggs are the budget-conscious keto-er’s best friend. They’re a cheap but important source of nutrition, offering 6 g of protein and 5 g of fat in each large egg and almost no carbs. This recipe will help you meet your fat quota, as it contains heavy cream and two types of cheese, plus sausage (for more filling protein) and baby spinach (to get something green in your diet).
Per serving: 429 calories, 38 g fat, 2 g carbs, 18 g protein
Low-Carb Keto Sausage Balls: About $0.91 per Serving
Think of these as creamy meatballs. Ground pork sausage (feel free to sub in turkey or chicken sausage if you prefer) adds another layer of flavor to the traditional meatball, and cream cheese gives these an awesome moist texture. Almond flour is the secret ingredient that holds it all together. A word on that last ingredient: You can buy almond flour in the amount you need in the bulk section of some grocers, which makes it more affordable. Or you can invest in a larger amount — not a bad idea, considering it’s a cornerstone ingredient in the keto diet. This entire recipe makes 14 servings, so you can halve or freeze the leftovers for easy dinners in the coming weeks.
Per serving: 313 calories, 27 g fat, 4 g net carbs, 13 g protein
Kelly Kennedy, RDN, LDN
Medical Reviewer
Kelly Kennedy is a licensed dietitian-nutritionist with over 14 years of experience in digital media. She previously managed and oversaw nutrition content, recipe development, meal planning, and diet and nutrition coaching at Everyday Health. She developed and reviewed various meal plans, books, slideshows, and online tools, and oversaw the creation of more than 500 unique recipes. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a master's degree from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.
Kennedy enjoys anything that takes her outside, from gardening and playing in the yard with her kids to hiking and even feeding her pet chickens.
Jessica Migala
Author
Jessica Migala is a freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in health, nutrition, fitness, and beauty. She has written extensively about vision care, diabetes, dermatology, gastrointestinal health, cardiovascular health, cancer, pregnancy, and gynecology. She was previously an assistant editor at Prevention where she wrote monthly science-based beauty news items and feature stories.
She has contributed to more than 40 print and digital publications, including Cosmopolitan, O:The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, Fitness, Family Circle, Health, Prevention, Self, VICE, and more. Migala lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two young boys, rescue beagle, and 15 fish. When not reporting, she likes running, bike rides, and a glass of wine (in moderation, of course).