Greetings from HealthStart!
I’d like to talk today about a common misconception that healthy, nutrient-rich food is more expensive than the foods that are not so good for us. This might be true if you’re thinking price per calorie — a McDouble from the Dollar menu has more than enough calories for a person.
However, if you look at price per weight or even price per food, healthy food can be quite frugal. A lot of people agree that they can go through an entire box of cookies or a few bars of candy and not feel completely full. A bowl of oatmeal and a banana costs less than a dozen cookies or a few candy bars and will leave you more satisfied and for a longer period of time because they are so fiber-rich. Empty calories can end up costing more since they don’t leave you as satiated, causing you to eat more anyway.
In the long-run this habit of choosing low-price, high-calorie, high-sugar, high-sodium food can lead to health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, etc., and the healthcare costs of that are enough to offset those of the “more expensive,” healthier options.
So, what are some great, cost-efficient, healthy food options? Here are just a few.
Frozen fruits and vegetables (canned may seem like more for your buck, but after draining fluids, don’t have quite as much as their frozen counterparts)
- Canned or dried beans
- Greens (lettuce, spinach, etc.)
- Canned tuna
- Eggs
- Bananas
- Onions
- Potatoes (just stay away from the deep-fryer!)
- Oats (or even oatmeal)
What are some of your favorite, frugal healthy foods? Comment and let us know! Recipe are always welcome as well. We’ll be sharing some of our favorites soon!
Supplemental reading:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/05/16/152823181/how-to-make-healthy-eating-easier-on-the-wallet-change-the-calculation?ft=1&f=1053&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
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