Eat Healthy Without Breaking Your Budget
By Lisa Waterman Gray, Contributing Writer
When you’re on a tight budget, cooking healthy meals can be a challenge, especially if you include fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Cooking healthy meals also may take a little more time than you’re used to, but healthy eating can reduce your risk for developing obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic health problems. And home cooked food often is still cheaper than T.V. dinners or restaurant meals.
What is a healthy meal? Each one should include two servings of grains/ whole grains, one serving of protein, one to two servings of vegetables and one serving of milk/milk products, says Wendy Kreutzer, MS, RD, LD, Unified Government Public Health Department WIC Program, Nutrition Services and Breastfeeding Coordinator.
At lunch and dinner, half of your plate should be fruit and vegetables, says Denise Schmitz, Nutrition & Health Education Specialist/Coordinator Family Nutrition Education Program with the University of Missouri extension office.
Grocery lists and watching for store sales will help with meal planning. Stick to your list and plan two-three meals a week that use similar ingredients to avoid spoilage. “Look and see what you have and plan ahead for your shopping,” Schmitz says. “And don’t shop when you’re hungry; you’re more likely to impulse buy.”
Items placed at eye level and the ends of aisles generally cost more. Also, look carefully at prices; sometimes a cheaper item doesn’t offer the same amount of food. Low-fat, low-sugar items (typically found on middle shelves) also may offer less food for the price.
Many generic and store brands are the same as national brands and cheaper than a national brand with a coupon. But coupons make sense if a food is healthy and it’s something you’ve wanted to try that’s otherwise too expensive, says Shelly Summar, MS-Ed, RD, LD and weight management program coordinator for Children's Mercy Hospital.
If you have enough storage space, buy large containers of oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, vegetables, cheese and meat and incorporate them frequently in your weekly meals. “It’s generally a lower priced option,” says Laura Drake, RD and Johnson County WIC program manager. You also can freeze individual portions of meat and cheese for later use.
Look for bargains on day-old bread and bakery products. Drake recommends buying whole grain breads and cereals whenever possible. “Buy lower sugar [cereals] and add more if needed,” she says. Also, buy two or three boxes of whole grain cereal when they’re on sale. And skim milk usually costs about the
same as whole milk, says Summar. Get as many colors of fruits and vegetables on your plate as possible – different colors signal different nutrients – through farmer’s markets and store discounts. Steaming or stir-frying retains their natural color and nutrition.
Stock up on peaches, melon, berries, or grapes during their peak season. “Freeze them yourself on a sheet pan and put them in freezer safe bags until [you want to use them],” Summar says. “Wash them later. (Apples or pears aren’t as successful and frozen bananas in the skin may be much mushier when thawed.)”
If fresh fruit and vegetables aren’t available or cost too much, buy frozen when you can. “Steam [vegetables] and don’t add a lot of sugar and butter,” Drake says. Check salt and sugar content of canned fruits and vegetables, which often have more of both, and rinse them before using them.
Substitute dried herbs and spices for salt. When making sauces and gravy, Kreutzer suggests, “Use fat free half and half or evaporated skim milk to add richness but keep it low-fat. In baking, use plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt or sour cream or one cup of applesauce per one cup of fat [such as oil, shortening or butter] to reduce fat content.” However, you may notice a difference in texture and/or flavor.
If you cook more than one meal at a time you can freeze leftovers. You also can save money on meat by combining ingredients – beef in stew, lasagna with ground beef, or chicken burritos. Or have a vegetarian dish, using protein alternatives such as silken tofu in a smoothie, black beans in a Mexican casserole, or a scrambled egg sandwich (people who must watch their cholesterol can scramble egg whites and leave out the yolks). Throw chickpeas or garbanzo beans in your salad for fiber and B-vitamins, which support your body’s energy level.
Summar encourages clients to make oatmeal for breakfast, an inexpensive option that offers plenty of fiber and protein. Combine oatmeal with applesauce and a glass of milk or cook the oatmeal with milk add fruit and you get a meal with three food groups. Other good combinations are peanut butter on toast paired with a banana or eggs with toast and milk.
Kids who help prepare a meal will more likely eat it, so ask them to make pizza with you and let them place the vegetables, meats and cheese. Make macaroni and cheese healthier by adding tuna or broccoli bits. Consider using whole grain pasta. While it often costs more, it also offers more flavor, dietary fiber, and nutrients, than traditional pasta does. Try tomato sauce with lean ground meat rather than higher fat cheese sauces and add fun to meals by creating sandwich or smoothie bars or sides of toppings/fillings.
Choose nutritious snacks with minimal salt, sugar and fat such as yogurt and fruit; vegetables with low-fat dips; nuts and dried fruit. You also can make traditional ethnic foods healthier without sacrificing taste. For instance, use corn tortillas, which are whole grain, lower fat cheeses, and vegetable oil versus lard, when making Mexican food.
Our grandparents cooked healthy meals at home by planning ahead, shopping wisely, using fresh or preserved foods, and combining them for tasty results. With the right information, you can do the same. ### |
