If you have wondered how much it would cost to go fully organic, while eating the foods recommonded for the low carbohydrate version of the YACS diet then this post is for you.
This analysis is quite specific to the UK so apologies to our global readers.
This post assumes:
You have shopped at Sainsburys for everything apart from your coconut milk which you have purchased from Holland and Barrett. This is because Sainsburys is currently lacking any suitable coconut milk. These two shops were chosen because they are widely available to consumers in the UK and because they have physical shops there was no need to take into account postage costs. Waitrose was also considered for its wide choice of organic food and availability of suitable coconut milk but ultimately not recommended for those on a budget as it increased the final shopping total by 18% for a similar basket.
That you are eating organically whenever possible, with the exception of a few items which aren’t available from either Sainsburys or Holland and Barrett. These include fennel, shallots, prosciutto and bacon without nitrates and sulphites.
That you are cooking for yourself alone. This means that the costing of the recipes are generally for 2 servings, and the extra serving from dinner is eaten the next day at lunch. If you are cooking for multiple people you may either wish to increase the quantities or cook them something different- if they are not YACS eaters.
That you want to eat reasonably well and have breakfast and a single snack per day.
Drinks weren’t included so you may need to add on the cost of bottled water if you are in a fluoride water region and don’t have a distiller, or you may want to add on the cost of some chammomile tea bags (for example).
Results
The total for the week’s worth of food was £81.15. This compares to a national average of spending approximately £45 a week on food, and that means that the YACS low carb diet is quite expensive compared to a regular diet.
Salmon and broccoli (from The Roasting Tin, leftovers)
4.09
Dinner
Pork Pilbi with butter cabbage (from the Roasting Tin, but with substitutions)
3.76
Snack
Avocado
0.75
Total
£11.09
Friday
Breakfast
Low carb granola
2.49
Lunch
Pork Pilbi (leftovers)
3.76
Dinner
Thai Okra (from The Roasting Tin)
1.86
Snack
Half a packet of prosciutto (non organic)
0.45
Total
£8.56
Saturday
Breakfast
Eggs and Naked bacon
1.90
Lunch
Thai Okra (leftovers)
1.86
Dinner
Half a whole chicken low carb butter chicken
6.85
Snack
Packet of cranberries
2.20
Total
£12.81
Sunday
Breakfast
Eggs and bacon
1.90
Lunch
Half a whole chicken low carb butter chicken (leftovers)
6.85
Dinner
vegetable curry
2.02
Snack
Packet of walnuts
1.90
Total
£12.67
Conclusion
Due to the Low Carb YACS diet’s expense you may find it difficult to afford depending on your circumstances.
If you are a student who finds that carbohydrate makes you feel lethargic or sleepy, you may have to make a compromise such as only eating Low Carb YACS during the exam and revision period, whilst eating a regular moderate carb YACS diet the rest of the year.
If the Low Carb YACS diet is within your budget and you find carbs make you lethargic then go for it! It is difficult to put a price on health and wellness.
If you want to eat low carb but really can’t afford the budgeted cost then consider not eating organically, (hopefully this will be a temporary decision for you) and making changes such as eating more eggs and more pork mince (e.g. homemade meatballs) as this is a cheaper cut of meat.
Y.A.C.S. Info 