Make your fruits and veggies affordable
Many people don’t associate healthy eating with staying on a
budget, but eating healthy doesn’t have to cost more. In honor of
National Fruits
&
amp; Veggies-More Matters
® Month, the Web site www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org is
featuring a list of 30 Ways in 30 Days to Stretch Your Food Budget
to help everyone include the bountiful variety of fruits and
vegetables in their meals. The Web site also highlights a new tip
to help stretch a food budget with fruits an
d veggies as well as a featured dinner menu of meal plans for
four that cost under $10.
Make your fruits and veggies affordable
Many people don’t associate healthy eating with staying on a budget, but eating healthy doesn’t have to cost more. In honor of National Fruits & Veggies-More Matters® Month, the Web site www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org is featuring a list of 30 Ways in 30 Days to Stretch Your Food Budget to help everyone include the bountiful variety of fruits and vegetables in their meals. The Web site also highlights a new tip to help stretch a food budget with fruits and veggies as well as a featured dinner menu of meal plans for four that cost under $10.
Elizabeth Pivonka is a Registered Dietitian and CEO of Produce for Better Health Foundation, the nonprofit entity behind the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters national public health initiative. She’s also a working mother of two who understands how important sticking to a budget can be.
“Sticking to a budget doesn’t mean that you have to eat less healthy foods,” Pivonka said. “Get as much nutritional bang for your buck as possible by choosing nutrient-dense foods. This means avoiding or limiting the purchase of foods that have few vitamins and minerals per calorie, such as chips, cookies and soda, and buying more foods that offer higher vitamin, mineral and fiber content per calorie like healthy fruits and vegetables and 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice.”
Pivonka adds that eating fruits and vegetables is a sound investment in long-term health.
“Fruits and vegetables are loaded with healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals,” she said. “Including a variety of fruits and vegetables in meals and snacks helps maintain a healthy weight and may reduce the risk of many diseases, including a decreased risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some cancers. Fruits and vegetables are the cheapest form of health insurance you can buy.”
She added that all forms of fruits and vegetables – fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100 percent fruit and vegetable juice – are an affordable part of a healthful lifestyle.
“Fresh cabbage, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, apples, pears, and citrus fruits can all be budget friendly,” she said. “Canned, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables are wallet friendly, too. They are just as nutritious as fresh because they are processed quickly after harvest, capturing all of nature’s goodness. Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables can be bought in bulk on sale and used as needed so stock up when your family’s favorites are on sale. Keep them on hand in the freezer and pantry for a quick flavor and nutrition boost to any meal.”
While healthy food isn’t necessarily more expensive, it can require time to prepare. Pivonka said that healthy options are still available even if you truly don’t have much time to cook.
“Instead of making a heavily salted side dish from a box, let canned or frozen fruits and vegetables round out the meal,” she said. “They are very easy to fix and usually quicker to cook than rice or pasta side dishes.”
Pivonka also suggests that protein should not be the main focus of the meal saying that using less meat, or even going meatless for one or more days each week, can help lower both fat intake and costs.
“Meat tends to be the most expensive part of a meal and it can be high in calories and fat,” she said. “Use meat as a side dish rather than the main course. Replace it with extra fruits and vegetables, and use beans as a protein. Beans are a good source of protein and fiber and are low in fat.”
Pivonka advises planning ahead by making a list and eating before heading to the store.
“Shop with a grocery list and watch for sales,” she said. “Studies show that people who go to the store without a list spend about twice as much. Also, know how much your family needs to eat and is likely to eat to avoid waste.”
