Fruits and vegetables are essential for a strong body and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but purchasing produce can be challenging when you are trying to stretch a tight budget.
Budget-conscious shoppers may be tempted to bypass produce in favor of pre-packaged processed foods that appear to have more bang for the buck.
In the short-term this may seem like a good idea, “but the total cost isn’t reflected in how much you pay for your meal in the immediate moment, it’s the cumulative cost of what those decisions cost you over a lifetime,” writes Dr. Mark Hyman. Hyman is a family physician, best-selling author and Chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine in Federal Way, Washington.
Experts say on average, people who eat unhealthy foods pay $1,500 per year more on health care over their lifetime than those that eat healthy.
Research shows eating a diet high in fruit and vegetables lowers the risk of chronic disease, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity-related cancers and arthritis, among others.
Fruits and vegetables of different colors give your body a wide range of valuable nutrients, like fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C and most are naturally low in calories, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends filling one-half of your plate each meal with produce.
The best part is eating healthy doesn’t have to break the bank. Try these tips to eat healthy on a budget.
Grow Your Own
If you've got a yard, make some of that valuable real estate work for you by starting a garden. Growing your own food can yield the biggest value for a small investment.
Pick an area in your yard that gets a sufficient amount of sunlight (at least six hours a day). If you're not an experienced gardener, start small and pick easy-to-grow produce that thrives in your area and suits your personal taste. A local nursery or home center can advise you or check out online sources or your local library for gardening books.
No yard? You can still grow carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and herbs in patio containers or on a sunny windowsill.
And don’t let cold temperatures stifle your enthusiasm. Some varieties do well in pots indoors in a sunny area or can be started when snow is on the ground and transplanted later outdoors.
Buy in Season
Buying fruits and vegetables in season when they are freshest typically cost less. During the fall and winter months, look for citrus, squash, cabbage, broccoli, pomegranates and apples.
Buy Local
Farmer’s markets offer freshly-picked fruits and vegetables, which not only tastes better, they can be more nutritious. Shopping at the end of market day could yield some added savings, too. Some farmers would rather sell their remaining produce at a discounted price than haul it home.
Buy Fresh Produce Whole
Opting to cut your own fresh fruits and vegetables instead of buying pre-cut or pre-packaged varieties can save you money. Besides being more expensive to purchase, packaged goods tend to spoil faster.
Buy only the amount of fruit you can eat within one to three days, or opt for choosing a few less ripe pieces to extend your time to eat it. Vegetables can be bought in large quantities when they are on sale, since they last much longer.
Buy Frozen
Many experts agree frozen fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious as fresh, particularly if your fresh produce is transported more than 300 miles from where it was grown. Many recipes allow for the substitution of fresh vegetables with frozen ones, which could save you as much as 70 cents per pound. Be sure to seal the freezer storage bags tightly between uses.
The Harvard School of Public Health has more information on fruits and vegetables for health, including 5 quick tips for getting more produce in your diet.
Lynette Summerill is an award-winning writer and Scuba enthusiast who lives in San Diego with her husband and two beach loving dogs. Besides writing about cancer-related issues for EmpowHER, her work has been seen in newspapers and magazines around the world.
Sources:
Reflections on HBO’s The Weight of the Nation. Timesunion.com. Retrieved Nov. 13, 2012.
http://blog.timesunion.com/holistichealth/author/andreadavis
Why Quick, Cheap Food Is Actually More Expensive by
Mark Hyman, MD. The Huffington Post. Retrieved Nov. 13, 2012.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/why-quick-cheap-food-is-a_b_681539.html
Reviewed November 13, 2012
by MIchele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith