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Weekly Newsletter Archive >
How To Eat Healthy on a Budget - Part One
How To Eat Healthy on a Budget - Part One
Mar 4, 2010
Did you know: The cells in your body perform millions of functions every minute of every day. In order to do this, they require the proper nutrients and oxygen, which they get from your blood. The nutrients in your blood come from the foods you eat and from supplements you take. Of course, you knew that. However, knowing what to do and actually doing it are very different things. We all recall times where we knew what to do to correct an issue – but we just didn’t do it. There’s a third scenario, and that is: knowing what to do, having the desire to do it, but not the ability. That’s what I want to address today as it relates to nutrition.
First of all, no matter how good your diet is, it’s a good bet that you are not getting optimal nutrition from your foods. I’m not just talking about improper eating. You know, not enough fresh fruits and vegetables, too much soda, coffee and processed foods. Even if you eat a reasonably clean diet most of the time, the actual soil that our food is grown in has been over-farmed and lacks essential nutrients. In fact, according to a government study, only 4% of Americans are getting their recommended daily allowance (RDA) of essential vitamins. And the government RDA’s are notoriously low!
So what if you want to eat a healthier diet, you want to make sure your children eat healthier, but you don’t have the money to buy all organic produce, grass fed beef and wild caught fish? We, as a country, are experiencing very unstable economic conditions and many people find themselves unemployed or underemployed. So, what can you do to improve your diet when you don’t have a lot of money to spend? I’ve had some subscribers ask that very question and I am sure it affects many of you, so felt it was important to address this issue and give you some specific suggestions. This is part one of a four-part series for the month of March. Here are the first five suggestions:
1. First of all, just decide that you will make the best choices available to you. You may not be able to afford ALL organic produce – not many of us can – at least not all the time. You can, however, try to buy locally grown produce, in season. There are usually farm markets that have very fresh, seasonal produce. If you want asparagus in December, you will pay top dollar! You’ll know what is in season because that is usually what is on sale. You can click the link below and then find your state or region of the country to see what fruits and vegetables are on sale during each season. Also, why not think about growing your own? A vegetable garden is a fantastic way to get the freshest vegetables at the best price.
2. Some vegetables ALWAYS seem to be a great value – one of the most versatile is cabbage. You can eat it raw (if you have no sluggish thyroid issues) in a slaw, ferment it into a healthy sauerkraut, cook it as a base for a ratatouille type vegetable dish/soup or blanch and stuff the leaves. It is very inexpensive and quite nutritious. Next, don’t discount the lowly potato – white or sweet! While I wouldn’t suggest you eat a lot of potatoes, particularly if you have a weight issue, potatoes have vitamins, minerals and fiber and they can extend a vegetable dish, you can roast them or bake them – just don’t
load them up with sour cream or butter – choose salsa, a drizzle of olive, flax, hemp or some other healthy oil instead. And red potatoes have less sugar than russet. Of course, never forget about onions, garlic, celery and carrots. They’re usually on sale somewhere every week. They are nutritional powerhouses, very inexpensive and add flavor, texture and nutrients to any meal they become part of. An extra tip - to keep your celery crisp and fresh longer - wrap it in aluminum foil.
Seasonal Produce
http://localfoods.about.com/od/searchbyseason/Search_Seasonal_Fruits_and_Vegetables_By_Season.htm
Click the link above to visit a website where you can find your region of the country or the state you live in and then learn what fruits and vegetables are in season for you right now.
Buy Local Produce
http://www.localharvest.org
Visit this link to get to localharvest.org – you type your zip code in and specify what you are looking for and it will come up with a list of local farms, farmers markets, online stores or coops in your area.
Nutrition-Boosting Strategies e-book
http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/nutrition-boosting-strategies/7486352
If you want more in-depth information about how to get the most nutritional bang for your buck, including recipes, this e-book is a great value at only $8.99!
No-Nonsense Nutrition
http://www.threedimensionalvitality.com/No_Nonsense_Nutrition.html
Are there specific nutrition questions you and your group (prayer group, exercise buddies, mom’s group, neighbors) have? Click the link above to find out how you can have a “No-Nonsense Nutrition Q & A Party!” Improving your nutrition is the #1 BEST thing you can do to create better health.
3. Beans (chick peas, cannellini, kidney, pinto, lima, black, navy) and legumes (lentils, peas) are absolutely one of the best values around – nutritionally as well as for your budget! This is one of the few canned foods (besides canned tomatoes) I consider a staple in my pantry. Canned beans and even dried beans that you cook up yourself are loaded with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. They are nutritional powerhouses and there is almost always a brand on sale. You can put them on salads, make a bean salad combining several types, use them for soups, puree them and mix with ground meat to bump up the fiber and nutrition content of burgers or meat loaf or make them into a delicious dip like hummus; I even puree them and use them in baked goods! (Shhh…don’t tell my family! They have no idea.) Keep in mind that if you combine beans or legumes with a whole grain like brown rice or barley, you have created a nutritious, inexpensive, complete protein.
4. That brings me to whole grains. Oats, brown rice and barley are among the healthiest, and most affordable whole grains. You can use them in so many ways. I already mentioned combining them with beans or legumes for a complete protein. They are wonderful extenders in ground meat meals like meatloaf or burgers (instead of bread crumbs). Oatmeal is a wonderful breakfast or even snack. They make delicious and nutritious cookies, bars, crisps and crumbles. Brown rice and barley are excellent added to soups and stews, combined with vegetables to create nutritious, satisfying vegetarian meals and as a side dish flavored with spices and herbs. And don’t discount buckwheat and grain-like seeds such as quinoa, millet and amaranth. They are a bit more expensive and are available usually at a health or nutrition store, but these versatile, nutritional powerhouses also go on sale periodically, too. Keep your eyes open for sales. Just be sure to prepare them properly. If you need info on exactly how to do that, it’s in the Nutrition-Boosting e-book, along with other strategies to get the most nutrition from all your foods. A quick note about pasta. Whole grain varieties are the best choice. Watch for the sales and stock up then. When you combine these with beans and vegetables you have an inexpensive, low fat, high nutrition, complete protein meal.
5. Frozen vegetables and fruits are a good choice when they are on sale and fresh produce is not. They retain much of their nutritional value – never buy canned. Also, one of the absolute best values, pretty much all year round, is frozen spinach. It is so versatile. This can serve as a vegetable or side dish sautéed with garlic and olive oil, but you can also add it into soups, combine it with grains and add this to smoothies, omelets and into your burger meat – it extends the meat, which is good in several ways. You use less meat which is healthy and it saves money. Spinach also contains a compound that synthesizes protein, so you get more benefit from the protein you combine it with. A win-win in my book.
I hope you find these first five suggestions to be practical and helpful. I would appreciate your comments. I will give you five more in part two of next week’s newsletter. Until then, as always I wish you overflowing, abundant health, joy and peace and I call you BLESSED (empowered to prosper and excel).
Ann
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