Healthy foods that are cheap

Many times, I hear people say it costs too much to eat healthy foods.  Yes, buying fresh fruit and vegetables can cost more.  But saving money by buying fake foods like fake juice, think Sunny D, is not a healthy choice.  Fake juices don’t provide the nutrients that real juice does.  WebMD has an interesting article on “Cheap, Healthy Foods”.  There are food choices you can buy that are healthy but won’t cost too much.  I have had students say they can’t afford to buy fruit.  I then bring in a 6-pack of small raisin boxes that cost 99 cents.  One box of raisins a day (about 17 cents) and you added a fruit to your day.  An easy, inexpensive way to add fruit to one’s and an easy to carry snack, or addition to one’s lunch. 

So easy to pack - bring a box with you for a healthy snack.

 What does WebMd suggest? 

• Lentils or beans – One half cup serving of lentils costs about 20 cents, one half cup beans about 10 cents a serving.    Lentils and beans are both good protein sources, and depending on how you cook them, low in fat but high in nutrition.  They provide important nutrients like folate, iron, potassium and also fiber.  Since they provide fiber, when you eat them at a meal, they help fill you up.
  
• Eggs – so nutritious.  Do you know that the protein in eggs is about the highest quality protein you can eat?  Eat one egg and it costs about 25 cents and is low calories at about 60 calories per large egg.  Full of nutrition as eggs provide bout 6 grams of protein, vitamins A, D, E, B2, B12 and B5.  Another nutrient is choline which bodybuilders use and athletes say it delays fatigue when doing endurance sports.  Yes, eggs have cholesterol about 170 mg per egg.  However, the latest research indicates we can enjoy an egg a day again.  It seems saturated fat is more linked to heart disease risk than cholesterol.
• Oats – think oatmeal.  I always tell my students oatmeal is one of the healthiest cereals they can eat.  And you can boost the nutritional value of oatmeal even more by what you put on it or make it with.  Cost is cheap, only about 22 cents for a half cup (dry) serving which makes 1 cup of cooked oatmeal.  And oatmeal is low in fat and low in calories, about 154 calories per serving.  Why is oatmeal such a healthy food?  Think fiber.  Not just any fiber, but the fiber in oatmeal is soluble fiber that helps remove cholesterol from your body.  So, eating oatmeal is good for your heart.  Ever notice the box of Cheerios says it is heart-healthy and can help lower your cholesterol?  That’s because Cheerios are made from oats.    Researchers have also found that oats boost your immune system, which is especially important right now.  The fiber in oatmeal contains “beta-glucan” which helps your white blood cells fight off infections.  Boost your oatmeal by topping it with some blueberries (see Eat Blueberries for a Health Boost) and some chopped walnuts (see Walnuts for good health) for more protein and those heart healthy omega-3 fats.  In place of water, I make my oatmeal with 1 cup of organic skim milk.  This adds high quality protein, calcium and vitamin D to my breakfast.

Enjoy oatmeal with some blueberries and chopped walnuts. 

• Sweet potatoes – so many people cut back on potatoes because they think potatoes are fattening.  Not true, unless you load up that potato with sour cream, butter, gravy, bacon, etc.  But plain potatoes are loaded with good nutrition.  One medium sweet potato cost about 30 cents and has only 103 calories.  And talk about vitamin A, one sweet potato provides about 400% of your daily vitamin A and about a one third of your vitamin C needs.  Make your own baked sweet potato fries for a health boost.    Or have a baked sweet potato and sprinkle on some cinnamon.  Cinnamon is full of healthy benefits, see Cinnamon and your health.

Sweet potatoes are loaded with good nutrition. 

• Popcorn – many people think popcorn is unhealthy.  Not true.  Popcorn is whole grain and many Americans have no or only some whole grains in their day.  So, having some popcorn is an easy way to add a serving of whole grains to your day.  Popcorn can be unhealthy when loaded with unhealthy fat, like movie popcorn.  Popcorn is cheap, less than 20 cents for 3-4 cups popped.  And, until you add the butter, popcorn is low in calories, only 140 calories for a 3-4 cup serving of popcorn.  Since it is whole grain, it packs some good fiber and healthy nutrients into your day.  If you are buying microwave popcorn, read the label for the amount of fat and skip popcorn with palm oil.  Palm oil is not heart healthy.  If making popcorn at home, make it using sunflower, corn or canola oil, all heart-healthy oils.

Want to pack some good nutrition into your day but not break the bank with expensive food?  Easy to do with the above tips.  Boost your health this week without busting your budget.

Sources:  Cheap, Healthy Foods , choline , immune , infections, Eat Blueberries for a Health Boost , Walnuts for good health  , baked sweet potato fries , Fries,   peel  Image sources: Oatmeal, Raisins  , fries 

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes, halved and cut into 4.5 inch wedges

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (a heart healthy oil)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper  

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Place sweet potato fries on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Spread out in an even layer so they aren’t touching.  Bake in a preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes.  Turn fries over and bake until crispy, about 10 minutes more.   (You can leave the peel on if you like.)