It's not just an excuse: Nutritious eats really are more expensive than food that won'tdo a body good.
According to a new study, healthful food is $1.50 more expensive per day, or about $550 per year.
But that certainly doesn't mean you can give up on fruits and veggies, nor does it mean that lean meats and whole grains have to break the bank. Here are eight of our favorite superfoods -- all of which cost less than a buck per serving. Now that's delicious!
Dried Beans
Cost Per Serving: 18 cents per half-cup cooked
Why They're Super: Beans -- of any variety -- are loaded with filling fiber, which protects the heart. They've also got a hearty dose of protein: about as much as an ounce of meat in just half a cup, according to the American Diabetes Association. And when eaten with a grain, they're considered a complete protein.
Potatoes
Cost Per Serving: 21 cents per potato
Why They're Super: Spuds only deserve their bad reputation if they're doused in oil and fried, or loaded up with butter or sour cream or cheese. In their purest form, potatoes are one of the healthiest foods ever. They're loaded with complex carbs, vitamins B and C and fiber, if you eat 'em with the skin on. Plus, they've got more potassium than a banana!
Eggs
Cost Per Egg: 16 cents
Why They're Super: That single egg packs 6 grams of protein -- and it's top-notch protein too, since all of the protein found in an egg can be used by the body. Egg yolks are also one of the best ways to get the B vitamin choline, essential for brain development.
Bananas
Cost Per Banana: 16 cents
Why They're Super: "Nature's Powerbar" is well-known for it's high potassium content, but a banana is also a good source of fiber and vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin B6.
Oats
Cost Per Serving: 62 cents
Why They're Super: It's tough to find a better way to start the day than with a bowl of filling, cholesterol-reducing oats. They're also rich in thiamin, magnesium, phosphorous and manganese.
Brown Rice
Cost Per Serving: 10 cents
Why It's Super: Thanks to about 3 grams of fiber per half cup, brown rice can help fill you up without bulking up on calories. It's been found to help lower diabetes risk in people who switched over from white rice, and may also lower blood pressure.
Canned Tuna
Cost Per Serving: 46 cents
Why It's Super: Along with canned salmon and sardines, tuna is a cost-effective source of iron, protein and healthy fats that can help boost brain power and fight off heart problems. Look for white or light chunk tuna canned in water so you avoid as much contamination (and added fat) as possible.
Cabbage
Cost Per Serving: 11 cents
Why It's Super: It's an often-overlooked green, but cabbage is more nutritious than you might know. Not only is it a good source of vitamin C, fiber and potassium, it also boasts some of the same disease-fighting powers of other veggies in the same cruciferous family, like broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
According to a new study, healthful food is $1.50 more expensive per day, or about $550 per year.
But that certainly doesn't mean you can give up on fruits and veggies, nor does it mean that lean meats and whole grains have to break the bank. Here are eight of our favorite superfoods -- all of which cost less than a buck per serving. Now that's delicious!
Dried Beans
Cost Per Serving: 18 cents per half-cup cooked
Why They're Super: Beans -- of any variety -- are loaded with filling fiber, which protects the heart. They've also got a hearty dose of protein: about as much as an ounce of meat in just half a cup, according to the American Diabetes Association. And when eaten with a grain, they're considered a complete protein.
Potatoes
Cost Per Serving: 21 cents per potato
Why They're Super: Spuds only deserve their bad reputation if they're doused in oil and fried, or loaded up with butter or sour cream or cheese. In their purest form, potatoes are one of the healthiest foods ever. They're loaded with complex carbs, vitamins B and C and fiber, if you eat 'em with the skin on. Plus, they've got more potassium than a banana!
Eggs
Cost Per Egg: 16 cents
Why They're Super: That single egg packs 6 grams of protein -- and it's top-notch protein too, since all of the protein found in an egg can be used by the body. Egg yolks are also one of the best ways to get the B vitamin choline, essential for brain development.
Bananas
Cost Per Banana: 16 cents
Why They're Super: "Nature's Powerbar" is well-known for it's high potassium content, but a banana is also a good source of fiber and vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin B6.
Oats
Cost Per Serving: 62 cents
Why They're Super: It's tough to find a better way to start the day than with a bowl of filling, cholesterol-reducing oats. They're also rich in thiamin, magnesium, phosphorous and manganese.
Brown Rice
Cost Per Serving: 10 cents
Why It's Super: Thanks to about 3 grams of fiber per half cup, brown rice can help fill you up without bulking up on calories. It's been found to help lower diabetes risk in people who switched over from white rice, and may also lower blood pressure.
Canned Tuna
Cost Per Serving: 46 cents
Why It's Super: Along with canned salmon and sardines, tuna is a cost-effective source of iron, protein and healthy fats that can help boost brain power and fight off heart problems. Look for white or light chunk tuna canned in water so you avoid as much contamination (and added fat) as possible.
Cabbage
Cost Per Serving: 11 cents
Why It's Super: It's an often-overlooked green, but cabbage is more nutritious than you might know. Not only is it a good source of vitamin C, fiber and potassium, it also boasts some of the same disease-fighting powers of other veggies in the same cruciferous family, like broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
No comments:
Post a Comment