Posted Sept 30, 2010
Hospital dietitian Rachel Hobbins says it is possible to eat healthy and stay on a budget. Shopping local, looking for what’s in season and buying in bulk are just three ways to achieve this.
Hobbins is a clinical dietitian at Valdese Hospital for Blue Ridge HealthCare and the food services company Aramark.
She offers and explains these 12 tips on how to eat right and keep your spending in check.
1 Shop local
Hobbins estimates that most fruits and vegetables at local farmers markets cost $1.25 a pound.
“That’s cheaper than in the grocery stores,” she said.
The closer you are to the food source, the less cost for shipping is passed on to you.
However, Hobbins also advises people to check stores’ weekly circulars for deals.
If a fruit or vegetable is not in season and you choose to buy canned or frozen, read the labels, Hobbins said. It’s best if the label says the item is packed in its own juice and no sugar or salt is added.
The other added benefit to buying canned or frozen food is longer shelf life.
“They’re not as likely to go to waste,” Hobbins said.
2 Skip convenience foods
Buying anything whole, such as a pineapple, a head of lettuce, a block of cheese or chicken, and cutting it yourself is cheaper than buying precut, prewashed, preshredded and prepackaged foods, Hobbins said.
When it comes to lettuce, the greener the leaf, the more nutrients it has, so Hobbins also advises you to splurge a little, skip the iceberg lettuce and buy a darker-green variety.
3 Buy in bulk
Buy larger quantities and you’ll pay less per ounce for packaging. The caveat here is, if you have storage space.
“You don’t want to end up tossing it,” Hobbins said.
She suggests getting a membership in a food club store. Items at such clubs, including frozen fish, often come in large bags, but are individually packaged.
Bottled water is another steal in bulk. If you can’t buy water in bulk, though, Hobbins recommends sticking to tap water or using a purifier to save money.
Choosing water over alcohol or sugary soft drinks saves money and is healthy, too, Hobbins said.
Food clubs or discount stores don’t always stock the same items, and some don’t offer lower-fat choices.
“Sam’s doesn’t carry fat-free sour cream or margarine with omega 3 added,” Hobbins noted.
4 Skip the brand names
You’ll save money if you buy generic items or choose store brands, Hobbins said. A good example is milk.
Store coupons and discount cards also are ways to save.
5 Make a list for the middle
Most grocery stores are laid out so that fresher, healthier items are on the store’s perimeter. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy.
“The aisles contain more processed foods,” Hobbins said, “so make a list of items you need and don’t go down aisles that have items not on your list.”
Some items on your list will be in the middle aisles; for example, rice, oatmeal, salsa and cooking oil.
When it comes to oil, Hobbins said the best nutritional bang for your buck is canola oil. Olive oil may be healthier, but it costs more, she said.
One-serving cereal packs may seem convenient, but you pay a lot for packaging. “Instant” oatmeal costs more, and old-fashioned oats need less than two additional minutes in a microwave.
6 Don’t shop on an empty stomach
Hobbins suggests having a small meal or snack before a trip to the grocery store. She said you’ll less likely give into cravings and overshop for items you don’t need.
7 Be picky about protein
Of all the food groups, protein can be the most expensive. Hobbins says to look for it in beans, nuts and eggs.
“Beans and lentils are going to be cheaper than chicken or steak,” she explained.
Check store circulars and buy meats on sale.
Ground chicken is a lower-fat substitute for ground beef and a grilled portabella mushroom is a good substitute for a burger.
8 Grains worth the green
Hobbins said it’s OK to spend a little more money on whole grains because of their fiber and its health benefits.
“It makes them worth the money,” Hobbins said.
Good grains will have more than 3 grams of fiber per serving, Hobbins said.
“Brown doesn’t mean it’s whole grain,” she warned. How do you know if it’s a whole grain? It should say so in the list of ingredients.
If the label says the item is enriched or fortified, Hobbins said, ingredients were taken out while being processed but later put it back in.
Healthy alternatives to try include rye and pumpernickel breads.
9 Eat out less
A couple can easily spend $30 a meal on entrees alone at their favorite restaurant. Add drinks and dessert and you’re closer to $50.
Hobbins says you can get a lot of homecooked meals out of $30.
If you are looking for a healthy place to eat out, she suggests trying the Grace or Valdese hospital cafeterias. They offer a good-for-you meal each day that costs less than less-healthy options.
10 Grow your own
Seeds and plants are inexpensive and Hobbins advises putting in a garden for fruits, vegetables and even herbs.
“If you have time to maintain a garden,” she added.
11 Go fish
Fresh tuna, salmon and halibut are great sources of omega 3. Hobbins recommends eating fish at least twice a week.
Fresh fish, unless you catch it yourself, can seem expensive. Tilapia, cod and mahi mahi cost less and though they don’t contain the recommended omega 3s, they are very low in fat when baked or grilled.
If you buy packaged, preseasoned fish, Hobbins said to be aware of their sodium levels.
12 Meals from the frozen section
Low-fat or lean frozen dinners are a healthy option if they contain 300 to 500 calories and are eaten alone as a meal.
Again, Hobbins cautions you to watch the sodium levels. She said 300 milligrams (about an eighth of a teaspoon) or less in a meal is OK. A food item is considered a low-sodium if it has 140 mg. sodium or less per serving.
Get to know the food pyramid
If you haven’t taken a look at the food pyramid in the last few years, you may not know it has changed. It still breaks food groups into grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, fats and proteins, but it’s more vertical and less horizontal.
The pyramid looks the same for adults and children, but portions are smaller for kids.
Hospital dietitian Rachel Hobbins said it’s easy to follow if you limit your sweets and fats and get the majority of your food in the form of whole grains and fresh vegetables and fruits.
“Fruits and veggies are packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, so eat as much as you can,” Hobbins said.
There are saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats come from animals, both as meat and as butter, cream and other dairy products.
Unsaturated fats come from vegetables oils, and foods such as olives, avocado, nuts and peanut butter.
Hobbins was hesitant about throwing out numbers, but said your total daily fat intake should be 20 to 35 percent of your calorie intake. Less than 7 percent of that should come from saturated fats. Ten percent should come from monounsaturated fat and 10 from polyunsaturated fats.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides “My Pyramid Menu” at www.mypyramidtracker.gov/planner. You can use it to track your daily intake of grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy, protein and fats. It even counts fat and calories for you.
Dietitian Rachel Hobbins came up with this list of fruits and vegetables available at local farmers markets and the vitamin and minerals in them, as well as those with high fiber content:
–corn: vitamin C, potassium, fiber
— tomatoes: vitamins A and C, and lycopene
— squash: vitamin C, potassium
— zucchini: vitamins A and C, folic acid and potassium
— eggplant: potassium, manganese, copper, fiber, folic acid, niacin
— peaches: fiber, vitamins A and C, manganese and potassium
— nectarines: vitamins A and C, potassium, niacin
— apples: vitamin C and fiber
— blueberries: vitamins A and C, potassium, fiber, antioxidants, pectin
— cucumbers: (mostly water but some vitamin A and C
— pumpkins: protein, fiver, beta carotene, potassium, vitamins A and C
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