Cheap Healthy Eating!!!

[Rebel Queen]

Cheap Healthy Eating

Now Is The Fresh Foods Moment

The USDA's 2005 dietary guidelines emphasize whole foods, and despite the fact that healthy choices such as fruits and vegetables seem to be expensive, you don't have to spend your whole paycheck on them. According to a new survey by the American Dietetic Association, a healthful 2,000-calorie meal plan costs only about $6.69 per day–$6.33 if you're vegetarian.

These data support what researchers at the University of Buffalo reported in 2002 after following 24 families with overweight children for one year as they switched to the Traffic Light Diet. As the families learned to eat more Green Light foods (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and fewer Red Light foods (such as packaged snacks, red meat, and soda), they significantly lowered their food costs. Ironically, the most expensive packaged foods are products that claim to be low-fat or low-calorie–we pay more for those buzzwords, says Hollie Raynor, PhD, RD, one of the study's coauthors. Besides skipping Pop-Tarts and low-carb white bread, there are other ways to eat well without breaking the bank.



Buy in season and local foods. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are cheaper than even canned or frozen produce, according to a USDA report. Farmers' market offerings are also usually much less expensive than what's available in grocery stores, because you aren't paying shipping costs for food that has traveled thousands of miles.


Shop the frozen food aisle. The cheapest way to stock up on the out-of-season fruits and vegetables that you can't live without is to buy frozen produce, which has the same nutritional content as fresh (double-check that there are no added sugars). Choosing frozen canned 100 percent juice from concentrate, rather than ready-to-drink cartons, will also save you cash.


Bulk up. Brown rice, oatmeal, and other whole grains are cheapest in the bulk aisle of your local health food store because you're not paying for packaging. Staples such as peanut butter and olive oil are also cheaper in bigger sizes.


Go vegetarian once a week–or more. Alternative protein sources–such as beans, lentils, and nuts–are much cheaper than meat; they're also lower in fat and higher in fiber.


Skimp on cost, not on flavor. Soda and sports drinks add unnecessary expense (not to mention sugar and calories) to your shopping cart. Try iced decaffeinated herbal teas, or add lemon, lime, or cucumber slices to ice water.

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