We all keep seeing articles about “superfoods”…so what exactly are they and why are they all so seemingly expensive? SuperFoods are foods that pack a nutritional punch (most health benefits per calorie) and are recommended in our daily diet. Most people think good for you foods cost more, especially since companies target the consumer with fancy bottles and colorful advertisements for products with blueberries or acai that cost a ton! But your SuperFoods don’t have to be expensive… if you take a look at the list of the SuperFoods below, you’ll see most of them are inexpensive, and you can buy non-perishable versions to ensure your healthy investments don’t go bad and can be used anytime you want! Don’t sacrifice nutrition for price during this recession-just learn to buy wisely!
Here is the list of some of my personal favorite SuperFoods and how you can use them in everyday cooking.
Beans
When it comes to nutrition and value for money, beans get an A-plus. They’re high in B vitamins and fiber, and all for just pennies a serving. They’re also easy to add to everyday dishes. Plus, with so much variety, you’ll never get bored. Try adding them to soups and stews and using less meat. Also, you can make bean burritos, tacos and even bean dips. Mix beans with canned or frozen cord and some feta cheese, lemon and olive oil for a delicious side salad or topper for your fish!
Blueberries
With all the positive press about blueberries, it’s hard to overlook that these little berries contain more disease-fighting antioxidants than most other foods. And they’re not hard to like. You can freeze them and eat them frozen as a snack, add them to your morning cereal or oatmeal, blend them into a smoothie, or even add them to your muffins, pancakes and waffles. My personal favorite is straight from the container: rinse, dry and munch!
Oats
Oats are low in fat and an excellent source of fiber. A bowl of oatmeal in the morning will fill you up until your mid-morning snack or even until lunch! If a bowl of oatmeal doesn’t appeal to you, try adding oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs next time you make a meatloaf, or use it as a topping along with nuts for fruit desserts. I usually buy mine in either the bulk bins or opt for the store brand canisters to save some extra cash. Oatmeal can also make a great mid-afternoon snack. Keep some organic, low-sugar instant oatmeal packets in your desk and simply add hot water, stir and enjoy (for only 160 calories or less!) You will definitely make it to dinner without feeling ravenous.
Oranges
We all know oranges are packed with vitamin C that helps boost our immune system. Buy a can of mandarin oranges (in its own juice) and add them to your salad or as an afternoon snack. One of my favorite salads is made with organic baby spinach, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and mandarin oranges. Toss with a light basalmic dressing and voila!
Pumpkin
Although it is all the rage this time of year, this SuperFood is not just for Thanksgiving. Pumpkin is known to lower our risk of lung, colon and breast cancer. And apart from the usual pumpkin pie, you can add pumpkin to soups, brownies, or eat it straight from the can. Canned pumpkin (not to be confused with canned pumpkin pie mix which is much higher in sugar!) is only 40 calories per serving and I like to mix my pumkin with some non fat or soy yogurt, add cinnamon and top with some chopped walnuts and/or raisins. Tastes like a yummy pumpkin mousse and it is high nutrients for low calories!
Salmon
This SuperFood is the most expensive of the most well-known SuperFoods, but it doesn’t have to be. If your budget can’t stretch to fresh salmon, maybe eat it just once a month and for the rest of the time, try the canned variety. Canned wild salmon can be used in place of tuna or added to sandwiches, you can make salmon burgers with it (check out http://www.welovefish.com/canned.htm for some great canned salmon recipe ideas!)
Spinach
I admit, I used to turn my nose up at canned spinach (even with all the great Popeye cartoons in the back of my mind), but canned spinach is a great option to the fresh option. You can add it to dishes with lots of other ingredients and you’ll hardly notice it’s there, but you can get the health benefits from it. Spinach is full of iron, calcium, folic acid and Vitamin K. You can add spinach to soups (such as minestrone), make pesto with spinach or add it to pasta salads, omelettes and frittatas.
Tomatoes
I probably don’t have to give you any suggestions on how you can add tomatoes to your everyday foods. However, just don’t think tomatoes; there are also tomato-based sauces and soups, too.
Walnuts
I always use toasted walnuts for recipes like fruit cobblers, crumbles, and when I make homemade pesto sauce. You can also add them to muffins or sprinkle toasted ones on your salad. These can also be found in the bulk bin section at the supermarket. Remember that hearty bowl of oatmeal I mentioned earlier? My favorite SuperFood breakfast is a serving of oats (steel cut if I have the time to cook them, rolled oats if not), topped with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup fresh or dried blueberries and a sprinkle of agave syrup to sweeten. De-lish!
Remember, SuperFoods do not have to be expensive! Think outside the box, don’t get caught up in the colorful advertisements for green-tea miracle drinks or acai juice detoxes, just go find some of the awesomely nutritious SuperFoods in forms that fit your budget.
Have a Healthy Day!
Variations of this story previously appeared on Featurewell.com , budgetsmartgirl.com and http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com