We have a large portion of our nation's population that economics plays a part in poor nutrition. This segment of the population includes the elderly, the working poor and the unemployed.
These groups have limited income that has to stretch to cover food, and all the other essentials to living.
I’m going to give you 10 tips to improve your diet that actually can save money.
1. Buy brown rice rather than white rice. The nutritional value of the brown rice is significantly higher. There is good fiber and all the bran, vitamins and minerals remain intact. Cost is about the same as the white varieties.
2. Beans and lentils are a great source of protein and are very nutritious. They are also a great buy compared to other protein options. They may require a longer prep time but can be cooked in a slow cooker while you are at work.
4. Potatoes are a stable for many people, inexpensive and filling………… They also can be a big contributor to weight problems due to the easily digested simple starches. To offset some of this problem when possible do not peel potatoes, as this is where the vitamins and fiber are stored. Limit their consumption, substitute for other forms of carbs that are less easily digested.
5. Tomatoes, Apples and oranges in season are a great buy – Winter squash is another vegetable that is extremely healthy and is quite reasonable to purchase. Frozen vegetables in larger packages are often quite cost effective per serving. If you have the room to store extra frozen items watch for sales and stock up.
6. Buy Whole Wheat Pasta products. Most regular pasta is made from refined flours. No fiber, all vitamines and minerals have been reintroduced and way too easily digested. These again can lead to weight problems.
7. Meat is a big portion to any food budget. Bulk packaging can save you a substantial amount over individual packaging, these large packages can be divided up into a number of portions and then frozen for later meals.
8. Chicken is almost always a good buy. Purchase several and freeze them. If a whole chicken is more that can be eaten in a single meal cut the birds and then only cook what is needed for the meal.
9. If at all possible limit food items such as hot dogs and other prepared meats, these are usually inexpensive but have very high fat content which can be a problem.
10. 100% whole wheat bread products are much better choice both in nutritional value and will help prevent weight gain due to the fiber and enzymes in unprocessed grain products.
To finish off this article I’m going to recommend a few other things that can save you money and will be a major improvement in overall diet and health.
If your community has a community garden or is involved in second harvest program find time to participate. This is a great way to add those other fruits and vegetables that can be too expensive to buy regularly.
Reduce sugary sodas or eliminate them all together. These are just empty calories. Water is a great drink, learn to drink it.
Deep Fried Snack foods such as potato chips, reduce or eliminate. These items can be exchanged for plain or lite popcorn or dry unsweetened cereal.
Buy only unsweetened breakfast cereal, learn to read those labels. You can find the amount of added sugar by reading the side label. Look at the bottom shelf for those bagged cereals, these will be a much better buy per serving than those top shelf varieties.
Thanks for reading.
