Plus, 50 items it’s possible for you to include.
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When youre on a budget,grocery shoppingcan be a challenging endeavor.
Seriously, food prices have never been higher, especially forsuperfoodsor ultra-healthy ingredients.
Photo:Javier Zayas/Getty Images
But the good news is that you dont actually need to buy those trendy foods to cookhealthy meals.
TheHarvard Healthy Eating Plateis a great reference for this.
It illustrates a plate filled with one quarterwhole grains, one quarterhealthy protein, and half fruits and vegetables.
Then, outline what youd like to whip up for meals and snacks for the week.
An example would be using leftover roasted chicken and veggies from Mondays dinner and to make quesadillas on Wednesday.
I like to write out the specific amounts of ingredients I need to avoid accidentally over-purchasing.
Produce
Bananas:When it comes to produce, it doesnt get much cheaper thanbananas.
Cabbage is the perfect way to add nutrition to soups, stews, salads, and stir fries.
Leave the skins on for added value and nutrition.
Broccoli:As one of the least expensive members of the brassica vegetable family,broccoliis a value-added purchase.
These combine to benefit our eye, immune, heart, and metabolic health.
Garlic:Similar to onions,garlicis typically not too pricey and lasts for several weeks at room temperature.
They serve as a delicious snack or addition to salads, sauces, marinades, and baked goods.
Zucchini:Zucchinigrow like wildfire in the summer months and their price reflects it.
Cucumber:The belovedcucumberis usually pretty reasonably priced year-round given its popularity.
These nutrients combine to boost immune, digestive, and heart health.
Leave the skins on for better value and benefits.
They are terrific sliced as a snack, or added to fruit salads or desserts.
Buy melon uncut for the best price.
And while you may think farmed salmon is less safe than wild, that actually isnt always the case.
Still, it is important to buy salmon from a trusted retailer.
Salmon is excellent roasted, grilled, poached, broiled, pan fried, or simply baked.
Rub this cut of meat in herbs and spices and roast, grill, or pan fry it.
Frozen Foods
Frozen Berries:If you lovesmoothies, then frozen berries are a must-buy.
This is especially true when you consider how muchspinachcooks down.
Frozen spinach is a wonderful addition to soups, pastas, casseroles, smoothies, and savory pies.
Frozen Mango:Another smart buy is frozen mango over fresh.
Frozen Cauliflower:Frozencaulifloweris another way to skirt the cost of the fresh stuff.
you might even defrost it and rice it for a low-carb swap.. My favorite dishes for this frozen blend include pot pie, fried rice, and vegetable noodle soup.
Frozen Fish:Iffresh fishis out of your budget, frozen fish may be a better alternative.
Just be sure to shell it first.
Refrigerated Section
Sauerkraut:Not all condiments have to be sauces, andsauerkrautis the perfect example.
This zippy fermented cabbage also tends to be relatively inexpensive too.
And boy, did it make ahugedifferencewere talking a fraction of the price.
Miso Paste:Miso pasteis a fermented soybean paste full of rich umami flavor.
Miso paste adds unctuous flavor to sauces, marinades, soups, and more.
Yogurt:Staying on the probiotic train, yogurt is another cheap but nutritious option.
Yes, its high in probiotics, but also offers protein and phosphorus for tissue and bone health.
Opt for plain yogurt for cost savings and culinary flexibility.
Eggs:No affordable grocery list would be complete without the addition ofeggs.
Butter:Whilebutterisnt thehealthiestingredient, it is a staple in many households across the nation.
Cottage Cheese:Cottage cheeseis by far my favorite kind of cheese.
These are delicious on salads, sandwiches, and in lettuce wraps.
Canned tomatoes make a quick pasta sauce, soup, or casserole addition.
They are delicious as oatmeal, overnight oats, or in a plethora of baked goods.
Mustard:Few condiments beatmustard, in my opinion.
Use it to top sandwiches and burgers, or to make salad dressing, aioli, and marinades.
Plus,popcornis a super source of fiber for better digestive health.
Dried Italian Seasoning:My favorite all-in-one dried seasoning isitalian seasoning.
This blend is a great value, as it combines many dried herbs that you may otherwise buy separately.
Canned Tuna:Canned goodsare a great way to save some cash, and canned tuna is no exception.
This omega-3 fatty acid, protein, and B vitamin-rich choice boosts immune, heart, and metabolic health.
Canned tuna is great in salads, sandwiches, casseroles, and even pastas, too!
Pasta recipes can range from mac and cheese to pasta bakes, or even soup.
Unsweetened Dried Cranberries:Dried fruitis a great value thanks to its long shelf life.
These are perfect on their own as a snack, or added to baked goods and homemade trail mix.
Almonds:Among all the nut options,almondsare top-tier when it comes to both price and nutrition.
Full of fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C, peaches help to support gut and immune health.
These are so yummy as a snack, added to baked goods, or stirred into warm oatmeal.
Brown rice is delicious in stir fries, grain bowls, casseroles, soups, and stews.
Olive Oil:A staple pantry item,olive oilis both healthy and affordable.
Anchovies:Anchoviesoften dont receive the spotlight they deserve as an inexpensive and super nutritious option.
I love to use anchovies in homemade Caesar salad dressing, pasta puttanesca, and a Nicoise salad.
Peanut Butter:And finally, we havepeanut butter.
