While we can all agree that eating healthy foods is beneficial, shopping for these foods can have the potential of sending a tight budget into cardiac arrest! Without addressing the obvious budget buster (organic will ALWAYS cost more than non-organic), let’s talk about some of the most nutritionally dense foods you can purchase, and still say on a budget.

Berries are anti-oxidant powerhouses, full of cancer-fighting and age-enhancing goodness. However, if you’ve bought some fresh ones recently, you know that they are quite pricey—especially in the wintertime. If cost is an issue, put down those fresh berries and head directly to the frozen food aisle. There you will find a whole host of berries or berry medleys. Defrost them and use them in your cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, cottage cheese, and muffins. Puree them and pour them over grain and nut pancakes or into smoothies…YUM!

Looking for lean protein but meat prices are sky high? Take a stroll down your bean (legume) aisle. There you will find numerous cans and bags of tiny health “nuggets” packed with lean protein, lots of fiber, complex carbohydrates, and anti-oxidants to boot—all for under a dollar!

A third, inexpensive nutritionally powerful produce item is sweet potatoes or, as they are sometimes referred to—yams.  Bake, mash, slice, or dice them. Throw them into soups or potato salad, cube ‘em and eat ‘em cold, or bake them in a pie; there’s no end to what you can do with this cheap, sweet, beta-carotene-packed treat!

Great nutrition at door-busting prices; now that’s something everyone can sink their teeth into!