On The Table

A collection of knowledge-based articles to inspire overall wellness.

Low Cost Foods that Making Healthy Eating Inexpensive

High food costs have always been a barrier to healthy eating. Thanks to bistroMD that is no longer the case.

Low Cost Foods that Making Healthy Eating Inexpensive

It's not a secret that healthy eating can be expensive; but, what if you had healthy options for less than the price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks?

Here are five healthy foods for under $1:

Apples - An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apples are great for snacking, green salads and a number of other side dishes and snacks for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A single delicious apple contains vitamin C and five grams of fiber.

Yogurt (low fat or fat free) - Yogurt is wonderful in smoothies, yogurt parfaits, dips and dressings on salads. An eight-ounce container is about one serving and it typically costs around 60 cents. Yogurt is packed full of calcium. An eight-ounce serving can contain as much as 13 grams of protein.

Bananas - Bananas are the perfect on-the-go snack. They're also delicious in fruit salads, yogurt parfaits and smoothies. One banana equals a serving and could cost you as little as 45 cents. Potassium and vitamin C make this fruit a fan favorite.

Baby Carrots - Carrots are good as snacks, in casseroles, stews, veggie platters and as side dishes. About half a cup, or two ounces, of raw carrots make up a serving and will only set you back 19 or so cents. Rabbits and people alike love this yummy treat. Carrots are packed with vitamin A and vitamin C. Not to mention, they have a very small amount of calories.

Canned Beans - Canned beans work perfectly in green salads, casseroles, stews and chili. Each can contains about 3.5 servings which means a serving runs for as little as 28 cents. Canned beans have seven grams of protein, six grams of fiber as well as calcium and iron to give your body what it needs to succeed.

Beware of healthy imposters.

Healthy eating is important in virtually every aspect of your health. However, sometimes the grocery store will try to trip you up and convince you to buy food that claims to be healthy when in reality; it really isn't healthy at all.

Here are three evil imposters to stay away from:

Bran Muffins and other "healthy" muffins. Let's take Starbucks for example. The Apple Bran muffin, which sounds and looks healthy, has 350 calories. Now we're going to compare that to a Mini Chocolate Croissant, which sounds delicious, but not as healthy as the Apple Bran. The Croissant only has 140 calories.

Smoothies. Fruit smoothies are delicious and we often think, "Hey, it's just blended up fruit," so we pat ourselves on the back for healthy eating. However, smoothies contain lots of sugar, sherbet and frozen yogurt. Take Jamba Juice for example, an original sized Banana Berry has 400 calories. That's almost as much as a muffin from Starbucks!

Salads (sometimes). Many people think salads are healthy. We order salads when we want to be healthy. We hate to burst your bubble, but many salads are not healthy at all. For example, pasta salad, egg salad and chicken salad are loaded with mayonnaise, calories and sodium. Additionally, fast-food salads are often one oh the highest calorie items on the menu.

Healthy eating won't let you down

Healthy eating, when done right, won't let you down. Feel free to browse our Health Library for more information on this topic.