When it comes to eating healthy, you don’t need to break the bank. You can manage your food budget by beginning with a healthy eating plan, and using it as your road map to navigating the supermarket.

On your next trip, be aware that a healthy diet plan, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products; includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts; is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars; and stays within your daily calorie needs.

Major barriers to eating healthy include price and convenience. Accessibility to affordable and nutritious food is something that we are all entitled to — however, processed foods high in solid fats and added sugars are cheaper than choices that are more healthy.

Consequently, we often have to consider the trade-off between quality and quantity when looking for local and healthy options at major supermarkets. It is common to feel like eating healthy is a chore. Not only do you have to worry about getting the most bang for your buck, but you also need to know what foods complement each other to savor the flavor of healthy eating. All it takes is a little creativity in the kitchen and planning ahead of time to make clean eating enjoyable. Increase your energy and improve your performance with these budget friendly tips.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends grabbing food from the back. “Stores typically stock shelves from back to front, placing the newest items behind the older ones. Reach in the back for the freshest items especially in the produce, dairy, and meat aisles.”

When purchasing meat, buy the family-sized or value pack meat and freeze what you do not use. Choose lean meats like chicken or turkey. Additionally, buy the larger size of low-fat plain yogurt instead of individual flavored yogurts. Then add your own flavors by mixing in fruits. Mix and match different foods from the grocery list below to make meals possible whether you are living in a dorm or off campus.

Big Nutrients at Low-Cost:

Fruit
Seasonal fruit: Different types of berries, cherries, grapes, mango, peaches, melon, bananas, avocados and oranges. Try adding fruit to oatmeal, use it on the go or eat with peanut butter.

Veggies
Cabbage is a great source of vitamins C, E, K and folate and fiber.
Frozen veggies: Broccoli, chopped spinach and kale
Bell peppers: Slice them up and eat them for an on-the-go snack, stuff them with lean meat quinoa or brown rice or sauté them up for a veggie stir-fry, along with shrimp or any other lean meat of your choice.
Sweet potatoes: With more fiber, antioxidants and vitamins than a regular potato, these are delicious when boiled and mashed, adding in 1 tablespoon of butter and cinnamon. They also taste great baked, roasted, boiled and grilled.

Protein
Deli meats with lean options like turkey or chicken breast. Low-sodium is a bonus.
Eggs
Chicken breasts and/ or drumsticks
Lean beef cuts
Ground turkey
Chunk light canned tuna, packed in water
Nuts, any type, plain or seasoned (try almonds or walnuts)
Veggie burgers
Canned beans: Great for burrito night, either as a side dish or as the main ingredient in a homemade black bean burger. Also tasty when added to soups, stews, salads and rice.
Peanut butter, or any type of nut butter
Seafood: Great source of lean protein and heart healthy fat. You can buy frozen packs of shrimp, sauté them and add them to salads, pasta or vegetable stir-fry. Salmon is packed with heart-healthy fat called omega-3, but it can be pricey. Stick with chunk light tuna, which is significantly cheaper and provides the same health benefits as salmon.

Grains
Whole-grain bread
Lentils
Whole-grain pasta
Brown rice
Quinoa
Triscuits
High-fiber tortillas to make wraps
Nature Valley protein bar or granola bar
Instant oatmeal packets, preferably plain

Dairy
Milk, reduced fat 2 percent or 1 percent
Greek yogurt (preferably plain)

Healthy Fat
Extra virgin olive oil or canola oil

Khija Rockett is a senior nutrition major. Her column appears weekly in Pulp. She can be reached at kmrocket@syr.edu.

Published on February 17, 2016 at 11:14 pm