It doesn't matter what health(ier) eating plan you adopt--making better menu choices almost always equals higher grocery bills. Fresh meat, fruit, dairy products and vegetables cost more than prepackaged dinner mixes, dried pasta and baked goods. Still, with practice I could bring my low-fat shopping basket in under $12 every week.

Then I went low carb, and my grocery budget groaned--then tripled, and groaned louder. Worse, it was February--high-carb root vegetables and citrus fruit were in season, not greens, and meat prices were at their mid-winter highs.

I couldn't triple my food budget to low carb; the paycheck is only so big. Although warehouse shopping clubs work well for many, 5 lb. packages of meat were too large for my one-person budget (and 3.3 c.f. freezer.) Specialty products labeled low carb were triple or more the price of full carbohydrate equivalents, so I resolved to limit them to emergencies and traveling. That left me squeezing my budget with the same cheap protein sources I'd always had: eggs, dairy, tofu, bulk foods (nuts, soybeans and seeds), and whatever I could glean from the non-perishable aisles. A little detective work proved that the basic requirement for cheap low-carb eats was really no different from other desperation budgets--shop smart! As I learned more about eating low carb, I also figured out which food budgeting tricks still worked.

Rule #1: Figure out what you can afford to spend on food.

Protein is the most expensive item on my list, so I take a realist approach. I take what I can afford to spend, set aside about 75% of the total for protein, and divide that number by how much protein I need. To make 21 meals of at least 25g or about four ounces of protein each, I need roughly 5.25 lbs. protein on hand every week. My food budget is $25/week; 75% of that is about $18.75; and $18.75/5.25lbs translates to a maximum protein cost-per-pound of $3.57, or around 90 cents per serving. With that ballpark price-per-pound limit, I can make on-budget choices based just on the store's shelf signs.

Rule #2: Shop around when and where it's practical to take advantage of special prices.

You can buy cottage cheese, vegetables and eggs at the supermarket, but if specialty stores are convenient, their perishables may be fresher, cheaper and cut to order. Is high quality meat and fish cheaper at a market you don't usually visit? Consider switching, just for those items. If non-perishables are cheaper at a place that's a little out of the way, and you have the room to stock up, the savings may make it worth a monthly trip.

Use store circulars from your local paper two ways: 1) plan menus based on that week's specials, and 2) establish favorite markets based on which ones consistently offer the best prices. Compare prices, but don't feel you have to chase the good ones all over town. I know chicken leg quarters are always 39 cents/lb. at a downtown market, but since I never go there and it's out of my way, the savings aren't worth the extra driving around.

Rule #3: Know your source(s).

Get familiar with individual stores, and it's easy to spot specials; you know the signage and where they hide the clearance stuff. In the major supermarkets in my area, "manager's specials" stick out at 20 yards. I know by the type of sign whether the price is a regular price, a weekly special or a clearance deal I should pause to check out.

Take the time to study your favorite supermarket. A little aisle time learning which brands have the fewest carbs, highest protein grams and/or fewest additives per serving will save cash later. Learn to look up or down while shopping. many stores put the less expensive, sale and clearance merchandise above or below those center shelves where people tend to look/reach first. A national brand's organic canned no-salt diced tomatoes ($1.59/can) are 3g ECC per half-cup, but so are several store brands around me. Most hard shell tacos, fat-free tortillas and reduced-calorie or "diet" breads are only 5-7g ECC per taco shell or slice, even though they're not labeled low carb, making them a good alternative to low-carb specialty products. Pappadums, a lentil cracker I'd almost forgotten about, are only 3g ECC for a tortilla-sized serving.

While some people can afford to choose organic regardless of the price tag, on my budget the organic tomatoes have to be on sale for less than the store brand. Get to know your local supermarkets, and you'll know right away whether ten cents off bagged walnuts is cheaper than the regular price in bulk foods.

Rule #4: Buy the highest quality, freshest foods you can afford, in season.

Many foods are cheaper at certain times of the year. When avocados are not in season, get your good fats from nuts and seeds. Kale, chard, cabbage and spaghetti squash are inexpensive even in winter, when spinach, broccoli and asparagus are pricey. Frozen berries are cheaper in February than fresh strawberries.

Look for fish specials during Lent, turkey and ham for less than fifty cents per pound during any holiday period, corned beef and cabbage sales around St. Patrick's Day. If your area supports farmer's markets and roadside stands during the growing season, buy locally and skip the supermarket middleman. And unless you really need shelf-stable aseptically packed tofu at 13 cents/ounce, buy the store brand or bulk bin tofu at 6 cents/ounce.

Rule #5: Check out the quality of items at open box and damaged freight stores.

That may sound like it contradicts Rule #4, but not really. Higher cost doesn't automatically equal higher quality. The "specials" you'll find at wholesalers and damaged freight stores depend on seasonal merchandise and freshness, too, and these outlets clear out inventory from much higher-priced specialty markets. One broken bottle in a case will land the whole case on "special" at the damaged freight store. I passed on a warehouse club membership, but on payday I stop at an "open box" market called Aldi. It's cash-only, merchandising is minimal, customers bring their own bags and name brands are incognito--but I can buy single products at the same type of discount the warehouse club offers on six-packs, and prices on staples like dairy products can't be beat.

Rule #6: Store only those items that have long shelf lives, are used regularly and can be used in more than one way.

A ten-foot kitchen gets pretty tight on pantry and freezer space. I save my freezer space for phyllo dough, berries, a selection of cheeses and vegetables, homemade sugarless jam and sausage, nuts and seeds, fish fillets cut and frozen into portions, a package of organic low carb rolls, fat-free tortillas, a bottle of ice cubes, pre-cooked soybeans and a rotating selection of meals I've prepared ahead for lunches and quick dinners. My non-perishables cupboard has spices galore, cans of broth, black soybeans and diced tomatoes; pappadums, whole wheat and lentil pastas, a variety of canned seafood, olive and coconut oils and a selection of vinegars, each of which can help turn that week's perishable purchases into full-scale recipes. I replace the freezer items and non-perishables a few at a time as they get low and go on sale; otherwise I try to buy just what I'll use up within a month.

Rule #7: Build up a pantry of versatile staples, in amounts that let you restock things a few at a time.

Some people start by "de-carbing" the kitchen, and in one shopping trip stock up heavily on low-carb items. That's a great way to spend your tax refund, but I didn't have one handy. Instead, I cleaned my cupboards slowly, adding new staples two or three at a time-it took a little longer, but it was worth it in space and money saved. For the low carber, converting a pantry from your old eating habits to your new ones all at once can be the death of a budget.

Add your new staples to your sale-watch list. A store brand of diced tomatoes made the cut after the first recipe; I always have a couple cans on hand. But I tried several peanut butters before settling on the brand that tasted best. After a couple of months of building my low-carb pantry, I packed up the non-perishables I wouldn't be using any more and dropped them off at a local food pantry.

Rule #8:Choose at least one budget protein source every week, to save room for times when bargains are scarce.

Every meal doesn't have to be prime rib, grilled swordfish or pork loin. Protein powders, often a hefty price per cannister, can actually be very economical protein sources at the cost-per-serving level. My favorite is $8.95/cannister, but it brings breakfast in 21 cents under my budgeted per-serving figure and makes 13 full meals. A dozen eggs can provide a week's worth of snacks or a couple of meals for under a dollar. One pound of tofu can provide four meals for 25 cents/serving, depending on source. Dried black soybeans cook up at 16 cents/cup, while their canned cousins cost 90 cents/cup on sale.

Less expensive cuts of meat such as lamb shoulder can build filling, protein-rich recipes at a low cost-per-serving. Although buying meat with the bone in means some waste, many times the butcher's extra processing can't justify the higher cost. It's hard to find enough waste in chickens sold whole or cut into quarters at 50-99 cents/lb. to justify buying boned and boxed up pieces at $2.99/lb.

Rule #9: Learn which kitchen gadgets will really help save you money.

If you want to use those less expensive cuts of meat or effortlessly cook dried soybeans, a $15 crockpot makes the difference between tender and undercooked. A $10 stick blender does homemade protein shakes and smoothies to perfection. If you often rely on pre-cooked protein, a contact grill or compact rotisserie could pay for itself. Do you throw food away because it spoils before you can use it all? A vacuum sealing machine may be just what you need to keep your food investment edible. And if, like me, you're always splurging on breves and lattes, an expresso machine may be worth the cost.

Rule #10: Try not to serve more than one meal at a time.

If you have to make one meal for you and one meal for the rest of the household, you'll go broke fast. Good cookbooks will help you find low-carb meals that work for the whole family. Start with simple family-friendly recipes that take the carbs out, like meat loaf, chili, stews and pot roast.