By Sarah Mehta, Nutrition Intern
We’ve come up with 3 more tips for eating healthy on a budget (find previous tips here):
1. Drink water.
- Not only will you save calories by choosing water over sodas and other beverages, but water is free!
- When you’re out of the house – at school or work – grab your re-useable water bottle, fill ‘er up and go. When you’re thirsty, water is just a sip away.
2. Choose whole grains to stay full.
- Unlike refined grains, such as white rice or flour, whole grains haven’t been stripped of their fiber-containing bran and germ.
- The fiber from whole grains, like brown rice or oatmeal, will give you a long-lasting feeling of fullness. So, you’ll likely eat less, saving both money and calories.
3. Eat beans for protein.
- Not only are beans an economical source of protein, but unlike meats and poultry, which can be expensive, beans come with the additional benefits of fiber and less saturated fat.
- There are various kinds of beans – black, pinto, kidney, lentils and garbanzo to name a few – so mix it up!
- If you’re buying canned beans, be sure to get the no-salt added or low-sodium cans. However, if time is not a factor, cooking dry beans yourself is even cheaper than the pre-cooked, canned variety. So, you can make your beans and eat them too!