Cheap Eats: How To Find Healthy Food During Tough Economic Times

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Cheap Eats: How To Find Healthy Food During Tough Economic Times

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112453.php

Are you having a hard time stretching your grocery dollars during the

current economic downturn?

You're not alone. But before you stop buying fresh fruit, meat,

vegetables and other items often perceived as costing a lot, check

out these tips from a University of Michigan Health System dietitian.

Holly Scherer, R.D., says you can follow a few easy guidelines and

still buy healthy foods, rather than switching to a diet of potato

chips, macaroni and cheese, and a fast-food burger.

She suggests that you make your own coffee, buy fruits and vegetables

that are in season, occasionally replace meat with protein sources

like eggs and beans, and, no matter how tempting it is, skip the fast-

food drive-thru window.

" Hard economic times don't mean that you have to eat less well, " says

Scherer, a health educator with MFit, the health promotion division

of the U-M Health System.

" By planning ahead, shopping the sales and trying out those generic

or store brands you really can save a significant amount of money

while also providing healthy, well-balanced food for your family. "

Fruits and vegetables:

Scherer debunks a popular myth: That produce is too expensive. Wrong,

she says. In fact, if you buy fruit and vegetables that are in-

season, the price typically is very reasonable, she says. Buying

fruit or vegetables by the bag instead of individually also tends to

be cheaper.

If the produce you want isn't in-season, canned and frozen fruits and

vegetables can cost less. They are just as nutritious as fresh

because they are packaged at their peak of freshness.

If you're feeling especially frugal and you have a green thumb try

growing your own, she says.

" A great way to get fresh fruits and vegetables right outside your

own door is to plant a vegetable garden, or, if you don't have space,

you can plant a few plants in a pot, " Scherer notes. " You may pay one

to two dollars for a vegetable plant, but you're going to get a very

large amount of produce from that. "

Protein:

Protein can be a tricky thing to buy on a budget. Filet mignon and

fresh lobster are probably out of the picture, but you can still find

tasty meat for low prices.

First, Scherer says, it's better to buy the less-prepared items. " You

can season and marinate your own meat; you don't need the store to do

that for you, " she says. You'll save money, and you can also find

nutritious, low-salt ways of preparing meat compared with store-

prepared items. In addition, buying chicken with the bone and skin

can cost a lot less, and you can remove those easily to make a

skinless boneless chicken breast.

And meat isn't your only option. Consider replacing meat with a

protein substitute a couple times a week. " You can pay sometimes

three times more per ounce for meat rather than buying a substitute

such as beans, eggs or peanut butter, " Scherer says.

Grains:

As with protein sources, buying less-processed grains is the way to

go. Stick with the plain brown rice instead of boxed rice mixes. Buy

big containers of quick-cooking oats instead of individual packets of

instant oatmeal.

And it's a good idea to buy bread, English muffins or whole wheat

tortillas when they're on sale and freeze any extras that you're not

going to use before the expiration date, Scherer says.

Beverages:

One of the biggest cost-savings can result from buying a filter for

your tap water instead of buying bottled water, Scherer says. Also,

buying the frozen juice concentrate instead of a large bottle or can

of juice can save some money.

For the triple-iced-latte lovers among you, coffee can cost a lot

less than $4 a cup. " Making your own coffee at home and adding a

specialty creamer or something that makes it a little tastier is a

lot less expensive than going out every morning for that specialty

coffee drink, " Scherer says.

Single-serving snacks:

Instead of buying 100-calorie packs or individual bags of baked chips

or pretzels, buy the bigger box and package them yourself in little

snack bags. You'll pay about half of what you would if you were

buying the single-serve packs, she says.

General tips:

-- Look for the generic or store brand.

-- Look for bigger containers and boxes to save some money. To see if

you are really getting a better deal, compare the unit prices of the

bigger and smaller containers on the store's shelf.

-- Stock up on non-perishables when they go on sale.

-- Avoid the temptation of the cookie aisle and the chip

aisle. " Spend more time in the perimeter of the store, where the

fresh products are, and really focus on the fruits and the vegetables

and the lean meats and the low-fat dairy, " Scherer says.

-- Use coupons, but only for things that you normally would buy not a

lot of high-fat, high-sugar foods.

-- Cook at home instead of going out to eat.

-- When you do eat out and you know that a restaurant serves large

portions, have them bag half the meal right when they serve it and

eat the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Recipes:

Some quick and easy recipe ideas that are inexpensive include black

bean salad, vegetables and scrambled eggs, and peanut butter and

jelly in your brown bagged lunch.

For the black bean salad, cut up some of your favorite fresh

vegetables, add them to a can of rinsed black beans with a squirt of

lime juice and some cilantro, and serve in a tortilla or with some

baked tortilla chips, Scherer recommends.

For more information, visit these Web sites:

U-M Health System's MFit: http://www.med.umich.edu/mfit/index.htm

MFit nutrition: http://www.med.umich.edu/mfit/nutrition/index.htm

Healthy dining tips:

http://www.med.umich.edu/mfit/nutrition/dining.htm