Ten Healthy and Budget-Friendly Foods

Oats

Oats are one of the cheapest and healthiest breakfast foods around. As whole-grains, they are full of healthy nutrients. For instance, a serving of oatmeal contains 5g protein and 4g fibre. It will cost you hardly anything and contains around 150 calories.

You can buy plain, dry oats in big canisters; these will be cheaper than the individual packets. Furthermore, this way you will also have more control over the added ingredients, such as sugars, and the total calories. You can added fresh or dried fruit, peanut butter, honey, chopped nuts, or anything else that appeals.

Frozen Mixed-Vegetable

Very often, bagged frozen vegetables represent fantastic value for money. Furthermore, because they will often contain up to seven different types of vegetables in one bag, they are a cheap and easy way to introduce a colourful variety of foods into your diet. You would be spending far more if you were to buy each vegetable individually and you would be far more likely to waste some as well.

Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh vegetables are. They are picked and flash-frozen to lock in nutrients. They can be used in exactly the same way as fresh vegetables as long as you pick blends that do not contain additives.

Bananas, Apples, and Oranges

Fruit is expensive. However, you will find that some fruit, such as bananas, apples and oranges, will be cheaper. The cheapest fruit will depend on where you are, but the aforementioned three are likely to be cheaper than pineapples, melons, and so on.

Bananas are particularly good if you want to save money. Choosing green bananas means that they will last a long time at home and if they do start to turn black, you can freeze them to be used later. They can be added to smoothies, mixed into oatmeal, and more.

Lentils

Lentils are extremely healthy. They contain fibre, protein, folate, iron, potassium, and many more trace minerals. Most importantly, they are cheap and easy to prepare. They do not require pre-soaking and they cook quickly. They can be simmered, added to soups and stews, and far more.

Beans

Beans are full of protein, making them an excellent cheap substitute for meat, poultry and seafood. Furthermore, they are extremely healthy and full of fibre, which will help with digestion, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Dried beans will keep for a very long time, so they are always worth buying, and canned beans will last even longer. They can be used instead of meat in chilies, tacos, soups, and burgers, or they can simply be added to salads. Either way, they are a cheap and healthy food.

Peanut Butter

Not many people realise that peanut butter is packed full of protein, monounsaturated fats, vitamin E and B vitamins. While it is high in calories, in moderate amounts it is a cheap and healthy food. It is best to choose natural peanut butter with no additives.

Canned Salmon

Fresh fish is very expensive, but it is a good source of omega-3. Luckily, you can also get plenty of omega-3 from canned wild salmon and if you don’t mind removing the bones and skin yourself, then you will save even more money. Canned salmon can be used in numerous ways and many children love it, which is always an advantage.

Fat-Free Yogurt

Fat-free yoghurt is an excellent option for a breakfast or snack that is full of protein and calcium. You can buy huge tubs of yoghurt, which is far cheaper than buying individual cartons. This will only be economical if there are enough people in your household to eat the entire tub before it goes bad. However, if there are a lot of you, it will certainly save you money.

Eggs

Eggs are an excellent low-cost source of protein. When stored correctly in the fridge, raw eggs will last about three weeks without going bad, so you can stock up on them when they are on sale. Furthermore, you can buy them in large quantities to save money. Eggs are extremely versatile and tasty, meaning that they are always worth having in the fridge.

Sweet Potatoes

While sweet potatoes may be slightly more expensive than white potatoes, they are more nutritious. They are an excellent source of potassium and they deliver more fibre, vitamin C and beta-carotene than white potatoes do. You can use them to make oven chips, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, stews, and more. In other words, you can do everything with a sweet potato that you can with a white potato.