9 Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget

Healthy Foods For A Tight Budget — Yes! Eating well can be done on a budget without sacrificing flavor. Try out these cheap, healthy meals that are 100-percent tasty. Some Links are affiliate, meaning I may earn a commission

Nutritious food can be expensive. And it can be difficult to eat a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables when you’re on a tight budget. Here are 9 Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget.

The good news is, there are many ways you can save money and still eat whole foods. In fact, here are 10 tips that can help you eat healthier when you’re on a budget.

When we eat healthy foods, we feel good, have lots of energy, and we’re generally happier people. It’s possible to eat healthy, filling meals on a budget.

Eating healthy on a budget is quite easy when you have the right items in the kitchen. Though Eating healthy on a tight budget can be challenging.

Vitamix Blender

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Favorite Healthy Budget Cookbooks: On 10 Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget

Budget Bytes: 100 Easy, Delicious Recipes

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Plant-Based On A Budget: Vegan Recipes Under $30 A Week (highly recommend!)

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Alright! Let’s get started! Here are the best tips to help you save money on healthy foods at Home.

9 Best Healthy Foods For A Tight Budget

1. Fruits

Bananas
Oranges
Frozen Berries
Apples
Cantaloupe
Kiwi

10 Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget — Different Types Of FRUITS

As one of the cheapest fruits around, bananas are generally sold for about $0.60 a pound, and they have a variety of health benefits.

Oranges are very healthy and cheap, typically sold for about $1 a pound.

Berries are nutrition superstars and reasonably priced when you purchase them frozen. A pound of frozen, mixed berries costs about $3.50.

2. Fish, Meat and Eggs: Some of Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget

Canned Fish
Pork
Eggs
Chicken Breast

Canned fish has many health benefits and is significantly cheaper than fresh seafood. In general, a 6-ounce (170-gram) can of tuna or salmon costs between $2–3.

Pork is quite cheap compared to other types of meat, generally costing $3–4 a pound, and it’s one of the best sources of dietary protein.

Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet, and they are very affordable at an average price of $2 a dozen.

At $3–4 a pound, chicken breast is an excellent healthy and protein-rich food to eat when you’re on a budget.

3. Dairy: Common Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget

Cottage Cheese
Yogurt
Milk

A 16-ounce container of cottage cheese typically costs less than $2, so it’s affordable and a very healthy food to include in your diet.

Yogurt is nutritious, budget friendly and found in most stores for $2–3 for a 32-ounce (1 kg) container.

Milk is very healthy and affordable, costing a little over $2 per gallon.

4. In Season Produce (Fruits and Vegetables)

The In season produce will be a lot cheaper since farmers are mass producing these foods. In season produce is also fresher, sweeter, and generally more nutritious.

Benefits of Eating Vegetables & Fruits:

Zero cholesterol
May lower blood pressure
Low in sodium, fat, calories
May reduce heart disease and stroke
High in essential nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, fiber, folate
May lower the risk of developing kidney stones and help to decrease bone loss

Months Where Fruit Is In-Season: Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget

January:

Broccoli	Brussels sprouts	Cabbage	Kale	Lemons	Parsnips	Leeks	Oranges	Tangerines	Rutabagas (my fav!)
Cauliflower	Grapefruit

February:

Broccoli	Brussels sprouts	Cauliflower	Grapefruit	Kale	Cabbage	Leeks	Lemons	Oranges	Parsnips
Rutabagas	Turnips

March:

Artichokes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, parsnips, pineapples, radishes, rutabagas, and turnips.

April:

Artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, honeydew, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, pineapples, radishes, and spring peas.

May:

Apricots, artichokes, asparagus, cherries, green beans, honeydew, lettuce, mangoes, okra, pineapples, radishes, spring peas, strawberries, swiss chard, and zucchini.

June:

Apricots, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, corn, kiwi, lettuce, mangoes, peaches, strawberries, swiss chard, watermelon, and zucchini.

July:

Apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, green beans, kiwi, lettuce, mangoes, peaches, peppers, plums, raspberries, strawberries, summer squash, tomatoes, watermelon, and zucchini.

5. Whole Grains: One of Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget

Whole grains are a satisfying, filling, and cheap way to eat healthy foods and stay on a budget.

Benefits Of Eating Whole Grains:

Supports healthy digestion
Reduces chronic inflammation and cancer
Contains high amounts of nutrients and fiber
Lowers risks of heart disease, stroke, obesity, type 2 diabetes

The Most Affordable Whole Grains Are:

Rice
Oats
Bulgar
Wheat
Quinoa
Wild rice
Buckwheat

Tips To Cook With Whole Grains:

opt for whole grain pasta and bread instead of white
Look for cereals made with whole grains and low or no sugar added
Add cooked wheat to soups
Made a recipe out of this handy Whole Grain Recipe Book
Replace 1/3 of flour for quick oats
Make big batches of food when cooking whole grains (ex. cooking enough quinoa or rice for a few days)

6. Potatoes

Potatoes are often overlooked in the health and nutrition world when they are in fact one of the healthiest foods in the world.

They’re also in-season all year long.

Benefits of Eating Potatoes:

low in sodium, fat-free
numerous vitamins and minerals
high in vitamin C and potassium
a ton of fiber to keep you full and satisfied
may help reduce constipation and inflammation

The Most Affordable Potatoes Are:

potatoes are all affordable. sweet potatoes and

Tips For Eating Potatoes

Use spiralizer to make fries (no oil necessary!)
Make a potato salad recipe
many other tips here

7. Beans: Common Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget

Beans are cheap in the can, but even cheaper when they’re dry in a bag.

Dried beans are 1/2 cheaper than canned beans but take longer to prepare.

beans as healthy food — Different Types of Beans

Benefits of Eating Beans:

Helps keep full and satisfied
Packed with fiber and protein
High in potassium and other vitamins
May reduce cancer and other diseases

The Most Affordable Beans Are:

Soybeans
Black beans
Garbanzo beans
Red kidney beans
All beans are affordable and delicious ☺️

Tips for eating beans:

Always buy No-Salt-added Canned Beans
Prepare in tacos, soups, pasta
Cook this bean recipe

8. Pasta

You can get 1 pound of veggie pasta for under $1.50, tomato sauce for under $3, and add mushrooms, spinach, and other vegetables to create a cheap meal that is both fillings and has a lot of nutrients.

Making pasta is one of my favorite meals to make because it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, and only a handful of ingredients.