4 Best Inexpensive, Healthy Foods

I don't know anyone who isn't trying to scrimp and save right now. I think about every dollar I spent at the grocery store and I am trying very hard not to waste food.(even when my toddler throws it on the floor-5 second rule, right?)I love this information from Media Source It really does help me out at the grocery store!

If you spend any time at all in the grocery store, chances are you’ll spend a lot of money. The price of food has jumped 7.5% in the last year alone, more than twice the rate of medical costs.

Even though food costs more, you don’t have to sacrifice nutrition. Experts say there are plenty
of low-cost highly nutritious foods, and a few you should put on your next grocery list. Like most of us Kelly Urse has felt the bite of her budget when it comes to fixing food for her family, which means she and her daughters have to plan their meals more carefully than ever before. “We shop the ads, we look for those flyers that come every week in the neighborhood newspaper, and we’re certainly looking for coupons,” says Kelly.

Experts say in an effort to save a little money, many of us often buy cheaper, more processed
foods, which can be unhealthy. So scientists and dietitians from Ohio State University Medical Center have identified some of the top foods for staying healthy on a budget.

It all starts with the TOMATO. “Always cheap, no matter what time of year it is. You can buy tomatoes already canned with a lot of extra herbs and spices in them,” says Shirley Kindrick, PhD at Ohio State University Medical Center. Researchers at Ohio State have found that cooking tomatoes concentrates their power to fight diseases like cancer.

So registered dietitian Shirley Kindrick says, tomato soups, pastes, or spaghetti sauces are a cheap healthy idea, and if you want to cut down on the price of meats... “One of the first things that comes to mind is BEANS. Beans are an excellent source of protein and what’s our highest-cost item in the grocery store? It’s our meats,” says Kindrick.

Next, an inexpensive item you may not have considered, but Kindrick says cooking STEEL OATS in a crock pot is a great meal anytime. “We often overlook the importance of oatmeal, but that’s a whole grain. One that we know will lower our cholesterol,” says Kindrick.

And lastly, buy cheap, DRY PASTAS, even macaroni and cheese, to make the most of leftovers.“So throw in that broccoli, maybe you have some leftover meat, throw that in there and you’ve got a great meal for not very much and it didn’t take you very long,” says Kindrick.

If you are a savvy shopper, please give us more tips! What do buy at the grocery store that is inexpensive and healthy?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Scrimping on Health Food

With America's economic crisis getting more pronounced by the hour, something's gotta give. Since most bills are unavoidable, many people say one of the only things left to "cut" or "skimp" on is food.

From CNN: Many families have changed their ways to keep food budgets under control. Some have cut the number of trips they make to the store, admitting that, once they're steering the shopping cart, they now focus more on their bottom line, than on nutrition.

"We're trying to go healthy, but it's just unbelievable, the organic everything is way too much, and with the cost of living you can't go healthy as much as you want to you know?"

"I like to eat healthy, but the foods are really expensive so I go around the store and look for um bargains but I don't find it that healthy, they've got too many contaminants and chemical and stuff, so I don't really like it, but you know it's the way I have to live now."

Most of the people say they'd love to be able to buy more fresh fruits and vegetables for their refrigerators, but after looking at the prices they usually end up in the canned food aisle buying fruits and vegetables they know won't be as healthy for them.

But Registered Dietitian Nancy Dell says canned vegetables are better than no vegetables at all. Your canned vegetables still have lots of nutrients if you want to get rid of the sodium, rinse them off, or buy ones that have no salt added. Dell says, if you're willing to do the research, it is possible to eat healthy on a budget. "If you look in the fliers for this week, you can get grape tomatoes 2 for $4.00. I went shopping today, I got carrots 69 cents a pound," said Dell.

Remember two sayings:

1. You are what you eat. If you eat poorly, you're spending more on co-pays, you're spending more on sick days.

2. Without my health, I have no wealth.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.