16 Healthy Frugal Foods
You don’t have to sacrifice your health to eat frugally. Save money and get healthy with these cheap foods:
- Oats – Buy in bulk. Contain lots of healthy soluble fiber. Get the old-fashioned or steel cut oats – not the quick-cooking or instant.
- Brown Rice – Buy in bulk. High in fiber and vitamin E.
- Lentils – Buy dry in bulk. Excellent source of fiber and vegetable protein. Take less time to cook than other dried beans.
- Split Peas – Buy dry in bulk. Take less time to cook than most other beans/peas.
- Raw Carrots – Buy in large bags. Forget the baby carrots. Not really “baby” carrots and not worth the extra cost.
- Canned Salmon – Great source of omega-3 essential fatty acids and protein. Also a great source source of calcium if you eat the bones. Wild red salmon is the healthiest.
- Sweet Potatoes – Great source of vitamin A and high in fiber.
- Water – It’s free and very healthy. Drink lots of it.
- Eggs – Cheap source of protein and can be eaten lots of different ways. Boiled eggs make a great high-protein portable snack.
- Whole-grain Pasta – Contains lots of fiber, protein and iron.
- Apples and Oranges – Cheaper to buy in large bags. Store in refrigerator to make them last longer.
- Popcorn – Inexpensive whole-grain snack. Buy in bulk. Put 1/3 cup in a brown lunch bag with a little non-stick cooking spray. Fold over top of bag several times and put a small tear in fold. Cook in microwave for around 3 minutes or until popping slows down to several seconds between pops.
- Bananas – Great source of potassium. Eat them whole or freeze them and make smoothies.
- Frozen Broccoli or Spinach - Loaded with vitamins and minerals and frozen at the height of freshness.
- Canned 100% Pure Pumpkin – Excellent source of vitamin A and fiber. Low in calories and fat. Don’t confuse with canned pumpkin pie mix – this is very unhealthy.
- Sprouts – Sprouts are rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements, enzymes, and fiber. Grow your own in 3 – 7 days for pennies a serving.