Healthy Foods on a Budget

It�s hard to turn on the news on TV these days without seeing a story about the growing rate of obesity in adults and children. Leading to this are unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise, especially among the children. Even if you already have a regular fitness program like Yoga, Pilates, aerobics or just a daily walking routine, you may want to add a range of healthy foods to your diet and that of your entire family.

There may be some concern that healthy foods are more expensive than easy to prepare fatty foods full of calories and preservatives. The price of groceries in general is going up what with the high price of gasoline. The extreme drought that is affecting many parts of the country is also contributing to the skyrocketing price of all kinds of produce.

But despite this, it is entirely possible to make healthy meals that are well balanced and cost no more than less than unhealthy meals. Sometimes they may even cost you less. It may take a little more planning, like watching the grocery store�s sale ads and learning about certain foods that are both low cost and high in quality. One big tip is to think fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and grains and to avoid the pre-prepared packaged meals. Those items are not only healthier but also cheaper.

Here are some examples of affordable foods that are good for you as well as tasty ways to use them.

Whole Grains

All grains, but inparticular, whole grains are vital for a healthy diet. Besides being known to lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other health problems, they contain several important vitamins and minerals and are low in fat. Eating whole grains is a great natual way to lose weight.

1. Oats � Good old-fashioned quick oats are known to be high in fiber and can help to lower cholesterol. One serving is about � cup and costs about 19 cents. They are great eaten as a hot or cold cereal and sprinkled on fruit along with nuts. They also make great muffins and cookies.

2. Multi-grain or Whole-wheat Pasta � These are much better for you than regular pasta and make a great hot or cold pasta dish for lunch or dinner. A single serving is about 2 ounce of uncooked pasta, and at 28 cents a serving is a very economical choice.

Combine cooked pasta with grape tomatoes, broccoli florets, Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and cooked turkey Italian sausage for a good-for-you salad that is also good for your pocket book.

3. Whole Wheat Bread � Whole wheat bread is the best to use when making cold or hot sandwiches or your morning toast. You can get a good loaf of whole wheat bread on sale for $1.99, making the cost for two slices for a sandwich about 31 cents.

4. Brown Rice � Rice is used in many ways � as side dishes, for rice salads, in casseroles, and in many soups. Brown rice is cheap � approximately $2.00 for a two pound bag and can easily be substituted for white rice in any of your favorite dishes.

There are innumerable health benefits in brown rice. It is a great way to get several of the B vitamins as well as iron, magnesium, and selenium. Plus it is full of the fiber and proteins that we require on a daily basis. White rice is basically brown rice with all of these nutrients processed out of it so that it cooks faster. So stick with the brown rice for a healthy, inexpensive meal.

Vegetables

Adding more vegetables to your menus is probably the best way to make any diet healthier. They contain antioxidants and other vitamins,provide a healthy way to get daily amounts of fiber, and since they contain high amounts of water, they are generally fat free and low in calories.

1. Frozen Vegetables � a one-cup serving of frozen vegetables costs around 25 cents, depending on the vegetable. So not only are they easy on the pocket book, they give you a good percentage of the daily value for things like vitamin C, vitamin 8, fiber, protein, and potassium. Frozen vegetables can be used just as a side dish or in stews, casseroles, and soups.

2. Kale � Kale is full of calcium, vitamin C, and carotenoids and it costs as little as one dollar for a bunch. It is great in stir-fry dishes and you can find many other recipes online using kale.

3. Fresh Spinach � You don�t need Popeye to tell you how good spinach is for you. Naturally low in calories and high in vitamins A and C, calcium, and folic acid, spinach is one of the best things to add to a healthy diet. It is great added to soups, stews, and casseroles and makes wonderful egg dishes. But the best use of it may be a quick spinach salad that uses 4 cups for a single serving. This single serving costs about 66 cents.

4. Potatoes � Once you get past the unhealthy uses for potatoes like chips or French fries, potatoes are actually very nutritious. Much of the nutrition is found in the skin, so when you eat a baked potato including the skin, you get nearly half the day�s worth of vitamin C. Potatoes are also a source of potassium. They are very versatile because they can be used in soups, salads, casseroles, and stews and in many other ways. Sweet potatoes and yams are full of beta-carotene. Potatoes are one of the cheapest things you can find in the produce department.

5. Broccoli � Another vegetable high on the healthy list is broccoli. The nutrients contained in broccoli include vitamins A and C, calcium,fiber, potassium and folate. It also contains a variety of compounds considered to help prevent serious conditions like heart disease,cancer, and diabetes. Broccoli is affordable and is great as a side dish, in stir-fry, and in casseroles.

Other Healthy and Affordable Items

1. Eggs � A dozen eggs costs around $2.00. This makes them an affordable source of protein as well as certain antioxidants that are thought to help prevent eye-problems that can occur with age. There are so many ways to use eggs � scrambled, hard boiled, in an egg salad for sandwiches (with whole grain bread), and sliced up in salads.

2. Nuts � You may have been told all of your life to stay away from nuts because they have a lot of fat in them. That is true, but the fat they contain are the good fats, unsaturated and monounsaturated. Plus they are also rich in some of the essential fatty acids like protein and vitamin E. Nuts can be a little expensive, but if you buy them in the shell they are much cheaper. Even if you buy canned nuts, they are relatively cheap per small serving. The nutrients in nuts are so dense that you only need to eat a handful to get the full benefit from them.

3. Beans � Beans are one of the best sources of protein you can eat not to mention fiber and iron. It is even thought that they are capable of lowering cholesterol. There are so many different types of beans, there is bound to be one kind you like. If you buy them dry they are very cheap, but if you don�t want to go to all that trouble, a can of precooked beans can be purchased for around one dollar.