Healthy Inexpensive Food

Researchers at the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) analyzed more than 4,000 retail foods and found that when measured in price per edible pound, fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy were cheaper than most proteins and foods high in saturated fat, added sugars and sodium.

These findings are positive for people trying to meet the national dietary guidelines, which call for an increase in consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low fat milk.

$2 and under healthy food:

100% Whole-Wheat Bread

Whole-Wheat or Multigrain Pasta

Brown Rice

Nonfat Greek Yogurt

Old-Fashioned Oats

Frozen Vegetables

Frozen Edamame (Soybeans)

Looking for more inexpensive foods? Go to http://www.prevention.com/food/smart-shopping/10-common-inexpensive-health-foods

Still think unhealthy meals are more inexpensive?

That may be true in some cases but...

When you look at price per calorie, a 240-calorie donut is going to be cheaper than a 105-calorie banana. However, the calories from a donut are empty and will leave you wanting more, whereas a banana will fill you up.

Also, the smart people at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have crunched the numbers and it’s official: the healthiest diets cost just $1.50 more than unhealthy diets.