4 Ways to Eat Better and Spend Less

Healthy eating doesn't have to break your budget.

By Janis Graham
From Reader's Digest
Advertisement
 
Save Money on Food
Recent European studies suggest organic milk can be healthier than the conventional version.
Image
It's easier than you think to save money at the market while eating better than ever, says nutrition expert Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, coauthor of The Ultimate Diet Log.
The thrifty way to fill your cart:
  • Penny-pinch on organics. Skip organic "junk" foods like cookies and crackers, but do go organic for milk. Most families drink milk every day, and a couple of recent European studies suggest organic can be healthier than the conventional version. In those studies, organic milk contained 75 percent more beta-carotene, 50 percent more vitamin E, and up to 70 percent more omega-3 fatty acids.

  • Hit the deep freeze for produce. Cold protects nutrients along with your wallet. In one study, frozen broccoli's vitamin C dipped just 10 percent in a year's time, while fresh broccoli's plummeted 56 percent in seven days.

  • Don't snub store brands. Generic canned or bottled goods and cereals are often identical in quality to name brands. And picking brand X can make natural or organic items affordable.

  • Do it yourself. You can buy a loaf of whole-grain bread for about $4 -- or make seven or eight loaves from a five-pound bag of flour for about $3. Automatic bread makers do all the work and are available for as little as $25.

Enter the $25,000 Grocery Giveaway!
Five lucky winners will each take home a $5,000 cash prize to slash supermarket spending by getting free groceries for a year!
From Reader's Digest - April 2009
 
Must Read Should Everyone Read This? Yes! I vote for this story
Share Your Comments
Post a Comment
 
Remaining Character Count:
 
No other drinks besides milk were mentioned... I find personally that so much money can be "wasted" on colas or fruit drinks yet water can be so bland so I prefer a sparkling juice of sorts. It tastes great and is inexpensive. I've recently become enamored with Kristian Regále (its healthier than cola and other mixers and comes in varies different fruit flavors) I usually stock up my supply for the summer with a trip to IKEA, who carries all of their flavors. Enjoy!

By inline421, on 03/26/2009

See All Comments

Advertisement
 
Related Links

Advertisement

Digg

Popular stories from the source site rd.com sorted by diggs
Powered by Digg's Users