Thrifty 13

Think you can’t afford to eat healthier? Actually, you can’t afford not to.

When it comes to avoiding the hefty health-care costs of obesity, cancer, heart disease, etc, your best investment is a diet with plenty fruit and vegetables. To help you make the most of your  grocery budget, we’ve identified our Thrifty Thirteen —nine from the produce aisle, plus four cheap-but-healthy protein sources.

Our picks are based on both price per pound and nutrient density. The whole myth of pricey produce comes from a misreading of a Washington state study that compared produce with junk food priced per calorie. When you look at price per nutrient, fruit and vegetables offer by far the better bargain.

Cheap calories don’t satisfy your appetite or nutrition needs. By cheating the body of nutrients and fiber, junk food sets you up to crave snacks that will empty your wallet and bankrupt your health.

Below we run through our shopping list of best priced nutrition basics, then serve up a few easy recipes you can try at home.  Meals made at home cost about 86 percent less than restaurant meals. Home-cooked meals also have 50 percent fewer calories — and far less sodium and fat. By shopping from our Thrifty Thirteen, you’ll economize while maximizing health benefits.

So read up. Stock up. Chow down. Save big.

Bananas 59-cents/pound:
Americans eat more bananas than any other fruit. At four times cheaper than a candy bar, bananas offer the best rebuttal to the “pricey produce” myth.  Storage tip: NEVER put apples next to bananas, which emit a natural gas that ripens other fruit! Cook this now: Budget Banana Pancakes with Sugared Peanuts.

Watermelon 34-cents/pound:
Hands down, watermelon is the cheapest buy in produce — yet serves up a generous supply of vitamins A and C. Heard of lycopene — the heart-healthy carotenoid found in tomatoes? Watermelon provides an even more concentrated dose. For an easy, decorative summer crowd pleaser, try our Watermelon, Feta, Mint Skewers.

Cabbage 62-cents/pound:
A  dieter’s stand-by, this dirt-cheap cruciferous veggie may help explain some of the low breast cancer rates in countries where commonly consumed — like Poland.  At 25 calories a cup, cabbage works well raw and shredded, like in our Confetti Coleslaw, or cooked in Old World standards like Russian borscht or Irish corned beef and cabbage.

Apples $1.44/pound:
Unsung superfoods, all-American apples rival more bragged about berries when it comes to disease-fighting polyphenols. Indeed, Red Delicious, Granny Smith and Gala varieties rank in the top 20 on the USDA’s list of highest polyphenol levels, which actually rise as apples ripen. But put down that peeler! A medium Red Delicious apple with skin contains twice as much fiber — and 45 percent more polyphenols — than a naked one. We spice things up with our Cinnamon Apple Crisp.

Carrots $1.25/pound:
Forget “raw” diets. Carrots and tomatoes become more nutritious when cooked. A cup of carrots contain 430 percent daily vitamin A — a nutrient especially healthy for moms-to-be as it supports reproductive health and embryonic development. With all that healthy heavy lifting, carrots deserve a little fun, which we serve up with our Classic Carrot Cake.

Spinach $2.99/ 10-ounce bag:
Sure it costs a few pennies more than some cheaper produce staples — but as a top source of 13 nutrients (including 540 percent of vitamin K) no produce item delivers more concentrated nutrition. Vitamin K is key for blood clotting, which is why low levels can lead to heavy periods, nose bleeds and easy bruising. For a refreshing, yet satisfying, summer side, try this Leafy Green Pasta.

Onions $1.20/ 3-pound bag:
This veggie is a team player — always happy to take a supporting role, raw or cooked. We like onions caramelized as a topping for burgers or flatbread. Far from a nutrition zero, onion’s secret superfood ingredient is quercetin, under study for bone-building, immunity-enhancing benefits. Anti-tearing tip: Use a sharp knife when chopping onions — minimizing damage to the cell walls allows fewer irritants to be released.

Sweet Potatoes $1.64/pound:
Russet potatoes priced by weight were the cheapest veggies. Sweet potatoes, while a bit more expensive, provide a whopping 770 percent vitamin A per cup cooked. Try substituting them for regular potatoes as Sweet Potato Fries, with our simple directions.

Canned Tomatoes 99-cents/ 14 ounces (one can):
Once again, cooked trumps raw in terms of nutrition — not to mention convenience — concentrating nutrients and releasing carotenoids. Tomato products are tops in lycopene, a carotenoid under study for a bevy of benefits, ranging from reduced cancer risk, to enhanced male fertility — even sunburn protection! You’ll need the latter as you enjoy our recipe for Simple Salsa with a cold beer under the hot summer sun.

Canned Beans $1.49/pound:
Pinto, black, garbanzo, navy, kidney, white — with so many varieties who could get bored by beans? Sure, it may be a bit cheaper to buy dried varieties and do the whole soaking thing — but given that time is money, we say opt for the canned version, and invest time savings accordingly (just rinse before using to rid yourself of unwanted sodium). Black beans are the top bean source of bone-building magnesium, so we’ve give them star billing in our Southwestern Salad.

Canned Salmon $2.49/ 12-ounce can:
True, a can of salmon costs roughly 25 percent more than a can of tuna, but salmon is lower in mercury and higher in two important omega-3s — DHA and EPA. Salmon’s also off-the-charts in brain-boosting vitamin B-12. Nutrition bone-us: Canned salmon contains fish bones, edible, like sardines, and as such a top source of vitamin D. Super-simple, Salmon Patties make an impressive meal for any frugal gourmet.

Chicken Thighs $1.59/pound:
If you’re like us, you’ve tried to be health-conscious by paying premium dollar for chicken breasts — or tried to save money by buying a whole chicken. Well we’re here to tell you that the whole is not always greater than the sum of its parts. Chicken thighs cost 30 percent less by weight than the whole bird.  Sure, dark meat contains more fat than white — but it also contains more iron, which women and children often need more than men.

Eggs $1.98/ dozen large:
Long dubbed high in cholesterol, eggs are vindicated. Not only do we now know that saturated fat intake (and genetics) count far more  in terms of cholesterol, new research has shed light on the benefits of choline. Eggs provide a top source of choline, a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. So go ahead, be an egg-head. No yolk? Boxed egg whites are surprisingly competitively priced compared to whole eggs. Our classic Israeli Shakshouka is comfort food you can eat with a clear conscience.

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