Four Foods For Staying Healthy On A Budget

If you spend any time at all in the grocery store, chances are you'll spend a lot of money. Food costs seem to be increasing al the time. In 2008 the Bureau of Labor Statistics said prices were 7.5% higher than in 2007. That was more than two times the rate of medical cost increases. Many couples spend between $150 and $200 per week at the Grocery Store.

Even though food costs more, you don't have to sacrifice nutrition. Experts say there are plenty of low-cost highly nutritious foods, and a few you should put on your next grocery list.

The majority of us have been hit with the budget crunch when trying to balance the cost of food with all the other expenses.

Meals are now planned more carefully than in the past. We check for coupons in the neighborhood paper, flyers, and online looking for discounts and savings. Studies are showing many of us are buying less expensive processed foods in order to save a little money, but this can be unhealthy. Some alternative healthy foods have been identified by scientists and dietitians that can help in balancing our diet as well as the budget.

First consider the tomato. They are low cost all year round and you don’t have to grow them yourself. They are already in the can with extra herbs and spices built in. Researchers at Ohio State have determined that cooking tomatoes concentrates their power to fight diseases like cancer. The lycopene found in tomatoes is a powerful antioxidant, so tomato soup, pastes, or spaghetti sauces are a cheap healthy idea.

Because meat is so expensive we can supplement the tomatoes with beans. They are a great source of protein and much cheaper than steak which is one of the most expensive foods in the store. Meatless chili comes to mind. Something else that gets overlooked in our diet is pinhead or steel oats.

These maintain all of the nutrients from the whole grain oat and are a rich source of soluble fiber, protein, and vitamins, as well as other nutrients like selenium, thiamin, phosphorous, and manganese. These will also lower our cholesterol.

Finally stock up on some cheap, dry pastas, or macaroni and cheese, to make the most of leftovers. Add some broccoli, or leftover meat, and you've got a quick and inexpensive dish.

With all the focus on obesity maybe the silver lining in these economic times is to think about portion control. Not making a meal of each food group on the plate has less calories and will promote weight loss as well as stretching the budget for groceries a little further.

Keep in mind that one portion of meat is about the size of a deck of cards, and fill up on dark greens or other less expensive side items like cooked carrots or potatoes.

Here is the link to Bureau of Labor Statistics if you would like to check out the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group, http://www.bls.gov/cpi