When money is tight, it can be challenging to eat healthy. A lot of foods that are high in nutrients are pretty pricey, which is why some people choose cheap junk food instead.
The positive news is that there are lots of cheap, healthy foods that are simple to add to your diet.
Cheap healthy foods
This piece talks about 10 inexpensive healthy foods and how they can help your health.
1. Potatoes
You can usually find russet potatoes for a fair price, and they are a wonderful source of nutrients. Most of the time, they cost around $.60 per pound.
Potatoes are a nutritious source of many nutrients, including vitamins C and B6. They also have fiber, which helps digestion and controls hunger.
Potato skins also have a lot of vitamins, especially potassium. There is almost twice as much potassium in a medium-sized brown potato as there is in a banana.
You can eat potatoes in a number of different ways. They are a great side dish and taste great baked or boiled.
2. Broccoli
Broccoli is a cheap food that costs about $1.92 per pound and is full of vitamins and minerals that your body needs.
This food contains a high amount of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that may help your defense system. One cup gives you 135% of your daily needs.
It also contains a lot of vitamin K and folate, which help the blood clot and prevent some birth problems in the neural tube.
Broccoli may help keep you from getting long-term diseases like cancer and heart disease, according to studies that looked at its nutrients and vitamins.
You can eat bok choy raw or cooked. A lot of people put it in soups, salads, and casseroles.
3. Put spinach in bags.
A lot of the time, bagged spinach is a decent deal and a healthy food choice. It costs about $3.83 a pound at most shops.
Spinach contains large amounts of vitamin K. This vitamin helps keep bones healthy and lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Spinach also has vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and manganese, all of which help your defense system.
A 2021 study found a link between not drinking alcohol and having fatty liver disease.
Spinach has beneficial plant chemicals in it, just like other leafy green veggies. They can lower inflammation and stop cell damage, which helps keep people from getting chronic illnesses.
Making spinach a part of your meals is simple. It tastes delicious in soups, salads, and casseroles. You can also incorporate it into soups to enhance their nutritional value.
4. Onions
Onions are a common food that is beneficial for you in many ways, and they don’t cost too much. You can get them for about $1.05 a pound (.45 kg) at most shops .
These foods are famous for having a lot of antioxidants, which may help protect against allergic reactions, arthritis, heart disease, and some types of cancer.
Onions also have small amounts of several nutrients, such as potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and manganese.
The versatility and great taste of onions make them very useful. They are excellent in any dish.
5. Squash with butter
Adding butternut squash to your diet is a cheap way to get a lot of nutrients. When it comes to nutrients, butternut squash is better than other winter squashes.
One cup has 127% of the DV for vitamin A, 34% of the DV for vitamin C, 12% of the DV for potassium, and 14% of the DV for magnesium.
In addition, it has a lot of dietary fiber and antioxidants, which are beneficial for your health in many ways, like helping you lose weight and lowering your risk of heart disease.
There are numerous ways to enjoy sugar pumpkin. People often eat sugar pumpkin as a side dish, but it also tastes excellent on its own.
6. Green cabbage
Green cabbage is a nutritious food for people on a budget. Green cabbage has a lot of vitamin C, as well as some B vitamins and trace minerals.
Cabbage and other cruciferous veggies are special because they have a lot of glucosinolates. Researchers have studied antioxidants like glucosinolates to see if they can help fight some types of cancer.
Consuming cabbage may also greatly lower the chance of getting heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to some studies.
There are numerous ways to incorporate cabbage into your diet. People often eat it with salads and cabbage, or they can ferment it to make sauerkraut.
7. Quinoa
Quinoa is a full source of protein; it gives your body all the amino acids it needs. It stands alone, unlike other grains, which require eating with other foods to be full of protein.
Some of the other things that quinoa has in it are fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, manganese, zinc, and a number of minor minerals. These all help protect your cells from damage that can cause disease.
Studies have shown that Quinoa’s health-benefiting traits improve brain health and may help prevent heart disease.
Quinoa, another healthy food that is safe for people with celiac disease, is a wonderful choice.
You can cook quinoa in the same manner as rice. It’s simple and quick to make, and you can eat it by itself or add it to salads and other hot foods.
8. Apples
Apples are good for you and don’t cost much—about $1.62 a pound on average.
Studies have shown that apples can lower serum cholesterol levels. This is mostly because apples contain two grams of fiber per average apple.
Apples are also a good source of antioxidants, vitamin C, B vitamins, and trace minerals. If you eat them often, they may help lower inflammation in the body, which is a big risk factor for many long-term diseases.
They are simple and quick to add to your diet, and many people eat them as a snack or chop them up and put them in a salad.
9. Kiwi
Kiwis are really cheap—about $2.18 a pound—and they are very good for you.
A medium-sized kiwi has 83% of your daily vitamin C needs met. This contributes significantly to their ability to boost your immune system.
They also contain a significant amount of fiber, vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidants. These all work together to keep your cells healthy and lower your risk of getting chronic diseases.
Studies have shown that eating kiwis on a daily basis can raise “good” HDL cholesterol, lower blood fats, and lower blood pressure. This may be especially good for heart health.
10. Yogurt
There are 32-ounce (1 kg) containers of yogurt in most stores that cost about $2 to $3. It is healthy.
One cup (245 grams) of yogurt provides about 23% of your daily calcium needs. It also meets 13% of your zinc needs and 19% of your phosphorus requirements. It has a lot of B vitamins and 8.5 grams of protein.
Some yogurts also contain a significant amount of probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that may improve your gut health.
You can add yogurt to soups or mix it with nuts or fruit to create a tasty snack. You can also transform it into a sauce and serve it with hot food.
The bottom line
Eating well doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to buy foods that are high in nutrients.
Really, some healthy things are less expensive than junk food. This piece lists 10 foods that are both cheap and good for you. They are great to add to your diet.
