*written by Sophia Wagner - Dietetics Senior from Minnesota State University - Mankato Many people fall into the impression that healthy eating is very costly, which at first glance it may be. A pack of ramen is under 50 cents while a container of strawberries could be four or five dollars. A McDonalds burger and fries would be under five dollars, but a pound of ground beef is $6.49...so that must be the case then eating healthy is going to cost an arm and a leg? Food Processing and How it Makes Our Food Cost MoreSomething that impacts our food prices is how much a food is processed. Contrary to popular belief food processing is not a bad thing. Fermenting is an example of food processing. A common fermented food is yogurt, which provides probiotics, beneficial for gut health. Any way we alter food to yield something with more vitamins and minerals, a longer shelf life or better taste and texture are ways a food has been processed. The image below illustrates the different ways foods are processed. As you can see there are definitely benefits to processing foods. However too much of anything is too much. Highly processed foods, such as frozen pizza, some breakfast cereals, chips, candy and pastries are examples of foods that have been processed to be highly palatable and give us a lot of calories, but not a lot of nutrition in return. It also costs money to turn ingredients into convenience foods. Draw ComparisonsMore often than not, whole food in its original form is reasonably priced and packed with nutrition. Lets compare some foods... Pop tarts are $2.85 for 8 servings coming out to $0.36 per serving versus oatmeal is $4.99 for a container of 30 servings costing $0.17 per serving. A frozen XXL pizza is $11.29 or $1.88 a serving, in comparison, chicken breast is $7.01 for a container coming out to $1.47 a serving. A 13 oz bag of potato chips at $4.79 equals $0.37 a serving. ...Meanwhile a bag of baby carrots is $1.19 for a 16 oz bag, which is $0.24 a serving. For the most part, a healthy, nutritious meal can be made costing the same, if not less than a meal made from convenience foods. When it comes to grocery shopping on a budget buying staples in bulk or larger containers is a way to save money. Also, take advantage of frozen or canned fruit and vegetables. Not only is this a cost effective way to buy produce but their shelf life is extended, decreasing the chance of them going to waste. Depending on your grocery store if it has a bakery, its worth checking to see if they have a "day old" section and you can get those items at a discount. Along with that, buying the store brand or off brand of foods is a way to cut back on grocery expenses. As you can see in the picture below these two products are largely the same, but the store brand is $1.50 less. Now lets explore some meal ideas that are inexpensive to prepare and do not take a lot of cooking skills.
Breakfasts: -PBJ Oatmeal. Oatmeal with frozen fruit drizzled with peanut butter or another nut butter of choice. -Egg tacos, make scrambled eggs and normal and add to a whole wheat tortilla with some cheese and salsa if desired. Lunches: -Tuna or egg salad sandwich, made with a lighter mayo and served on whole wheat bread to add fiber and increase fullness. -Burrito bowl. Rice and beans are very budget friendly staples, add lettuce, corn, taco sauce, sour cream, cheese and anything else you like this meal is very versatile. Dinners: -Chicken, baked potato, and a vegetable of choice. Sometimes simple is better. Here's a link to how I cook my chicken www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a30519954/crockpot-salsa-chicken-recipe/. It's easy and never comes out dry. For the rest of the meal, bake your potato at 350 degrees F for about an hour and vegetables can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop, whichever you prefer. -Split pea soup, I like this recipe www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16217/vegan-split-pea-soup-i/ Sources: https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/nutrition-facts-and-food-labels/processed-foods-whats-ok-and-what-to-avoid
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |