I frequent livestrong.com for recipes and articles on a regular basis. So when I found an article entitled "The Cheapest and Most Nutritious Foods" advertised on their homepage, I had no choice but to read it.
Below are the four foods listed in the article, and whether or not I agree with the arguments.
1. Oats
Yes, they are cheap and versatile. But are they nutritious? If consumed in the form on plain oatmeal prepared with water, yes. But how often is that the case? While there are ways to add extra flavor to your oatmeal while keeping it healthy (dried fruits and nuts are my favorite examples), it is more common for people to pour on the maple syrup and spoon on the brown sugar.
2. Bananas
Bananas are constantly offered at 69 cents per pound at a large grocery store near me, so it's clear that they're cheap. However, I am torn over whether or not I would consider them nutritious. Yes, they offer tons of vitamins. However, those vitamins also come with tons of carbs, which isn't helpful if you're trying to lose weight. At the same time, it does give you a long-lasting boost of energy, making it perfect for the 4:00 pick-me-up. I used to eat a banana with my lunch every day, but stopped buying them because I was getting fed up with them going bad before I could eat them all.
3. Frozen Vegetables
Those of you who have read my blog thoroughly know that this is something I purchase often. The further I get into The Omnivore's Dilemna, the more I realize that I need to be smarter about the kind of frozen vegetables I purchase. In an attempt to consume fewer preservatives, I'm no longer buying green giant just for ones. I recently bought a bag of frozen veggies at pick 'n save with zero preservatives. So basically, I agree with this addition to the list.
4. Sweet Potatoes
I'll say it-I love sweet potatoes. Especially in burritos. And for pasta sauce. Heck, I'll eat one baked with some fresh dill. According to livestrong.com, one medium sweet potato is only 100 calories and packed with vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, iron, and a moderate amount of fiber. They're pretty low in carbs, too. No reason for these babies not to be on the list, as far as I'm concerned.
Here is the link to the article:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/126693-cheapest-nutritious-foods/
so what do you think? do you agree with me/the article? I want to hear your opinions!
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I just recently joined this blog site, but I was directed to your blog a while ago because I too have a very limited budget for food.
ReplyDeleteI agree, and disagree with you. Oats are good for you, but I agree, people tend to put sugar and non-healthy additives on it to enhance taste. I personally don't like oatmeal, so I occasionally add it to my yogurt. Another down side I have seen to this: My old roommate would go through weeks were literally all he ate was oatmeal for each meal and insisted that he was eating healthy. You're not really eating healthy if oats are all you're eating. You miss all the other nutrition you need in your day.
Bananas I find good (like the article says) after a work out. The carbs and potassium help muscles mend after intense workouts. I run into the same problem as you, though. Bananas go bad really quickly. I reverted to buying two or three at a time because of this.
Frozen Vegetables, as well as many dried fruit and nut mixed (that are advertised to be healthy) have a litany of ingredients used as preservatives that generally turn me off. I've noticed this because my mother tends to buy me Target brand fruit and nut mixes and the ingredients list is almost as long, if not longer than the nutrition information. Best thing to do is check the ingredients before you buy them. Frozen vegetables are excellent if that's what you're getting. Also, people make the mistake of cooking them in the microwave which generally zaps all the nutrients out.
As for sweet potatoes, I agree with you fully =)
Sorry if that response was long =/ I just checked out the book your referenced and I think I definitely want to buy it!