Life Desk :
Planning nutritious meals on a budget is a challenge for most families. But it is not always impossible. All you need is a bit of planning that won’t stretch your budget, take efforts to cook home meals and you can ensure healthy meals for you and your family.
Top 10 budget-friendly foods are:
Banana, the inexpensive fruit is an excellent source of many vital nutrients such as magnesium, sodium, potassium, selenium, calcium, folate, B vitamins and protein. Banana can be used to make many healthy breakfast and dessert recipes. It is also quite stomach filling and when consumed can keep hunger pangs at bay.
Egg is a versatile food is budget-friendly and packed with essential nutrients. Eggs are excellent source of protein, sodium, potassium, vitamin D, calcium, easy to cook and can be used to make meals for anytime of the day.
Peanuts are a good source of iron, vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and protein. This healthy legume can be used in recipes and can also be consumed as a healthy snack. You can steam or roast them or use them in other forms.
Pumpkin is an inexpensive vegetable and an excellent source of vitamin A. It also provides vitamins C and B6, magnesium, calcium and iron in healthy amounts. Pumpkin can be used to make soups, salads, pancakes and several baked dishes.
Cucumber doesn’t cost a lot and can be used to make cool soups, salads and healthy yogurt dips. Also, it is a good source of vitamins K, C and B1, potassium, copper, biotin, magnesium, phosphorous and manganese.
Corn, the super-grain is a good source of sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron and vitamin B6. Corn can be used in many ways to prepare budget-friendly meals. You can use corn kernels to make salads, soups and baked dishes. Guava is a healthy source of fiber, vitamins A, C and B6 and also provides iron, magnesium, sodium and calcium in moderate amounts. Guava can be used as a healthy snack for those evening hunger pangs.
Sweet Potato the budget-friendly food source, is packed with important nutrients like vitamins A, C and B6, iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium and fiber. You can roast them as a side dish for dinner or use them in many recipes.
Spinach is not only inexpensive but also a good source of vitamins A, C, B6, calcium, iron, sodium and many more essential nutrients. Spinach fills you up well and gives good nutrition with few calories.
Carrot is packed with beta carotene and is also a good source of fiber and other nutrients. Carrots can be used to make salads, soups, low-fat dips and baked dishes.
Puffed corn is also one of the best budget-friendly healthy foods.
Cheap healthy meals can be prepared with oatmeal, rice and whole grains.
For the protein in the meal lentils, beans and legumes can be used to make budget-friendly meals. Most citrus fruits, watermelon and papaya are also healthy inexpensive foods. Potatoes can be used in a variety of ways to make budget-friendly family meals.
Chicken meat is inexpensive than red meat and most meat products. You can also buy salmon, cod or tuna on a budget. Low-fat dairy products can also be consumed quite often, as these are not very expensive.
-Medindia
