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How to shop for groceries…on the Cheap

December 2007

Can’t afford fancy health food? Can’t find it? Wheather you’re on a budget or live in the middle of nowhere, here’a s healthy shopping list that’s accessible to everyone.

It sucks, we know, but you can’t get every meal chef-made and home-delivered like Jennifer Aniston on The Zone. Heck, sometimes it’s hard too find flour-less bread, and when you do, the markup is almost 400 percent! Not to worry. Her’s the lowdown on easy-to-find substitutions that are every bit as healthy and won’t put your in the poorhouse. Even if the corner of Winslow, Arizona is home sweet home.

Good Stuff

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Serve It

Almond Butter

$8.99/750g

A trio of bone-building minerals: manganese, magnesium and phosphorous.

Peanut Butter

$3.50/750g

Packed with cholesterol-reducing unsaturated fat that also stabilizes your blood sugars. Plus, PB’s got a high satiety rate. With less sugar and hydrogenated badness, go natural if possible.

Forgo the vending machine and snack on sliced apples dipped into peanut butter.

Edamame

$3.20/16oz

Eda-what? A green soybean that’s a wealth of protein, fiber and vitamin C. 

Tofu

$2.19/454g

Brimming with plant proteins and soy isoflavones that reduce total and LDL “bad” cholesterol in the blood.

Blend together soft tofu, olive oil, cayenne, garlic and lemon juice for a nutritious veggie dip.

Egg Beaters

$3.59/16oz

Fat-free, loaded with protein and just 30 figure-friendly calories per serving.

Whole Eggs

$2.50/12 large

The yolk contains vitamin D and lutein, which is an antioxidant crucial for eye health. Not to mention choline – a nutrient that boosts brain health.

Egg salad: mix chopped hard-boiled eggs with plain yogurt, lemon juice, curry powder and green onion.

Ezekiel Bread

$3.49/24oz

(in our opinon this is worth the splurge)

A high-fiber, high-protein bread made with sprouted whole grains and legumes, without the preservatives.

100% Whole Wheat Bread

$2.60/675g loaf

Any way you slice it, whole wheat bread gives your muscles the carbohydrates it needs to train hard. Eat more than 2 servings of whole grains daily to lower your risk for heart disease.

A no-fuss pre-workout snack: a slice of whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter and half a banana.

Flaxseed Oil

$7.99/120z

Best source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) – an omega-3 fat that fights inflammation.

Walnuts

$6.99/lb

Walnuts have several times more ALA than any other nut. Plus, ellagic acid and vitamin E – two anti-oxidants that mop up harmful free-radicals.

Use in salads, or supercharge oatmeal with  berries and a dollop of peanut butter.

Grass-fed Beef

$9.99/lb

Less saturated fat, stronger flavor and more conjugated linoleic acid which may boost lean body mass. 

Beef – Round Cut

$5.00/lb

The best protein-to-fat ratio of all the bovine cuts. Loin is also a lean choice. 

Top up your iron stores by tossing 3 oz chopped sautéed round steak onto a garden salad.

Hemp Seeds

$9.99/10oz

A far-out supply of essential fatty acids that improve mood and cholesterol levels.

Sunflower Seeds

$1.99/lb

With 40% of your daily vitamin E needs in just 2 tablespoons, sunflower seeds are the go-to, on-the-go snack.

Like other seeds or nuts, sunflower seeds are high-cal so lightly sprinkle on salads, yogurt or cereal.

Pomegranate Juice

$3.99/15oz

Packed with disease-fighting, anti-aging antioxidants

Grapefruit Juice

$2.99/1.89L

Pink grapefruit juice provides more nutrients per calorie than six other commonly consumed juices such as apple and orange reports a recent study at the University of Florida.

Whisk 1 tablespoon of grapefruit juice with 2 tablespoons of olive oil for a tangy salad dressing.

Quinoa

$3.29/lb

Th highest protein content among the whole grains.

Brown Rice

.99/lb

Like quinoa, brown rice maintains manganese, magnesium and the potent anti-oxidant selenium lost in the milling of white rice.

Jazz up your rice by adding cinnamon, sliced pears and raisins to the pot.

Wild Salmon Fillet/Steak

$10-$20/lb

You reel in omega-3 fats with fewer contaminants than the farmed kind.

Pink Canned Salmon

$2.39/213g can

Most canned salmon is wild. Gobble up the soft bones for a hefty dose of bone-building calcium.

Make protein-packed burgers by mixing canned salmon with one egg, breadcrumbs, and chopped onion.

Grocery Shop the Healthy Way

Sure, shopping for Manolo’s is much more fun, but we can help make your next trip to the grocery store hassle-free, with advice from from Phil Lempert, the man behind supermarketguru.com and food editor for the NBC Today.

Fill Up: Have a nutritious snack or meal before you shop. Being hungry may tempt you to buy more than you need or scarf down a Mr. Big in the check-out line, he says.

Stay Focused: Shop with a list. “When forced to make decisions on the fly, shoppers buy more indulgent items and spend up to 40 percent more,” says Lempert.

Think big: Fll the big part of your grocery cart with healthful foods such as vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy and whole grains. You can then reserve the small section at the top for the occasional treat.

Read the box: Compare the nutrition facts and ingredient lists of similar products and choose the most nutritious, advises Lempert. “Store brands can be healthier and cheaper than name brands.”  

 
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© 2006 - Matt Kadey