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Good
nutrition doesn't have to be expensive
November 25, 2009
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
You’d think hard times
would make us all lose weight. Less money to spend on food,
less food to eat, right?
Cutting back on food spending, though, may have the opposite
result. That’s because what’s cheap is often highest
in calories.
It’s often the least nutritious, too, which means that
cutting food costs may also lower the overall quality of your
diet.
For example, huge bottles of soft drinks and fruity sugar-water
cost less than real fruit juice. And the soft economy loaves
of bread made with refined, white flour cost less than coarse,
fiber-rich whole grain varieties.
You’ll pay more for a head of vitamin-packed broccoli
than you will for a big bag of chips, and a cheap, fast food
burger can pack hundreds more calories than a simple sandwich
made at home from fresh ingredients.
But with more of us trying to cut costs, these nutritional
shortcuts may be tempting to take.
How can eat you cheap and still maintain a high-quality diet?
I wrote about strategies for trimming your tab at the grocery
store in a previous column. Find it at www.onthetable.net/shop-strategically.html.
It’s important to have the right staples on hand if
you want to save money and eat right. But knowing how to put
those ingredients together in good-tasting, appealing ways
– or making the best choices when you’re away
from home – is important, too.
Keep some simple rules in mind: Choose foods as close to their
natural state as possible, look for short ingredient lists,
and aim for foods with as little added sugar and salt as possible.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
* Grab and go. Fast snacks and mini-meals to take from home
include raisins, small bags of Cheerios, store-brand, nonfat
yogurt, an apple, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole
wheat bread, a homemade muffin or bag of popcorn.
If you’re away from home and need something fast, buy
a piece of fresh fruit or a small bag of nuts or seeds.
* Breakfast buys. Nothing is less expensive or better for
you in the morning than a big bowl of cooked oatmeal. Cold
cereals – raisin bran, bran flakes, Cheerios, and shredded
wheat – are also good bets.
Round out the meal with some applesauce, canned peaches, or
whole-wheat toast with jam. Take whatever you can with you
on the road if you must, rather than risk succumbing to the
allure of a drive-through window.
* Lunch breaks. Bring a bag lunch from home filled with last
night’s leftovers and a piece of fruit. Make use of
odds and ends that aren’t enough for a family meal and
would otherwise get tossed.
Other cheap-but-wholesome choices: A cup of chili, a bean
burrito, soup and crackers, peanut butter on an apple, hummus
and pita wedges, and nonfat yogurt.
* Supper solutions. Whole-wheat spaghetti with your favorite
tomato-based sauce is fast and cheap. Seasoned beans over
rice, soup and salad, and baked potatoes topped with chopped
vegetables and a sprinkling of low-fat cheese are other good
choices.
Save money by wasting less. Stir leftover cooked vegetables
into soup or spaghetti sauce. Combine leftover tomato soup
with vegetable soup or use up small amounts of either by adding
it to other sauces or casseroles.
Buy supplies wisely, make conscious choices, and waste less.
It is possible to cut food costs without sacrificing good
nutrition.
Suzanne
Havala Hobbs is a licensed, registered dietitian and clinical
associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and
Management and the Department of Nutrition in the UNC Gillings
School of Global Public Health. Send questions and comments
to suzanne@onthetable.net.
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