Guides

Eating on a Budget

March 28, 2023

With the rising food costs, it is important to look for affordable and nutritious foods. Where possible look for sales and seasonal foods (you can try to freeze those when possible). Here are some other tips:

1. Eat frozen leafy greens: Leafy greens such as kale, collards, spinach or mixed greens are therapeutic for cardiovascular disease and obesity. Aim for two frozen bags per week, which will last much longer than fresh greens and taste better than canned vegetables. Frozen greens require little prep time — no washing is usually required — and can be added in the final stage of cooking for meals you already regularly prepare, such as a can of soup, to boost nutritional value.

2. Eat frozen berries: Frozen berries can fluctuate in price depending on the time of year, but are usually cheaper than fresh berries (if they are in season you can buy and freeze fresh ones too). Mixed berries often provide dark purple and blue vital nutrients that promote good cognitive health (particularly important during times of stress). Add frozen berries to yogurt, overnight oats or hot cereal twice a week or try to stretch each bag to three servings per week.

3. Eat nuts or seeds five days a week. Nuts and seeds, which are great sources of protein and healthy fats, tend to be a bit more of an economic investment. But a supply of unsalted sunflower seed kernels or sliced almonds (a good option for people with chewing difficulties) can be reasonable options. Nuts and seeds have the added benefit of making you feel fuller for longer and make snacking less frequent. Nut butters can sometimes be found on sale as well.

4. Eat beans and legumes (see more details below). Dried beans/legumes cooked from scratch is the cheapest way to buy and prepare beans/legumes, but canned beans/legumes are also affordable and commonly available at food pantries. Each can usually contains three servings and may cost as little as 70 cents. Start with one can a week and add one serving to meals every other day. ACLM offers a comprehensive free resource guide with creative ideas for incorporating beans into meals. As you grow more comfortable cooking beans, consider transitioning to two cups a week. If you prefer dried beans, lentils and green split peas are among the most affordable and easy to prepare.

5. Introduce intact, whole grains to your diet. People often associate more expensive quinoa and wild rice with whole grains but barley is affordable and a terrific source of soluble fiber, which can help lower cholesterol levels. Start with a pound of pearled barley, which limits cooking time, and add to meals.

More about legumes

Common examples include:

· Chickpeas

· Lentils

· Alfalfa

· Peas

· Beans

· Soybeans

· Peanuts

Benefits of legumes:

· Fibre

· Protein

· Vitamin B

· Minerals such as iron, copper, and magnesium

· Low in fat/cholesterol

· Plant based

Potential Concerns and limitations

· Bloating (especially if not cooked well)

· Long prep time (there are tips to help with this but lentils tend to cook faster than other legumes)

· May contain phytic acid that can impact absorption of nutrients; soaking legumes, fermenting or sprouting may help reduce this along with eating a healthy and balanced diet

· They contain lectin that can irritate the bowel; again soaking legumes and cooking them completely can help reduce lectin

Preparing legumes

You can buy canned legumes (be sure to check the sodium content)

You can buy (or freeze) legumes

You may soak some legumes like chickpeas for 24 hours in cold water

You can cook some from dry (e.g. lentils) by boiling

Make a snack? Try placing lentils in the oven to make a crispy snack

Add to Salads

Soups

Red Lentil Soup (Diabetes Canada): https://www.diabetes.ca/managing-my-diabetes/recipes/red-lentil-soup

Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry (Diabetes Canada): https://www.diabetes.ca/managing-my-diabetes/recipes/chickpea-and-cauliflower-curry

Various recipes (American Heart Association): https://recipes.heart.org/en/collections/ingredients/beans---legumes