Cheatsheet for healthier living while you study
Many university students are working on a rather tight budget. At the same time, we are often too busy to prepare nutritious meals. Often, students sacrifice the quality of their meals, and opt instead to eat fast food or junk food. However, eating healthy can be cheap, as well as quick and easy. Here are some of the best healthy foods to buy on a budget to help get you started.
1. Oats
Price: $3 to 4 per kilogram
Check the nutrition information on most breakfast cereals and you’ll find a massive list of ingredients that will often include sugar. There’s a reason why even rather plain cereals taste sweet and that is because the sugar is added rather than naturally occurring. In contrast, look at the ingredients list on a bag of rolled oats. I’ll save you the trouble, it reads: 100 per cent rolled oats. Oats also have more protein than most breakfast cereals. But wait, there’s more! Oatmeal is very quick and easy to make in the mornings. Add some fruit (such as raisins or blueberries) to add flavor (and natural sugar). Just make sure to avoid the instant oatmeals that add extra sugar and artificial flavours, and you’ll have a healthy start to the day.
2. Bagged spinach
Price: $2 to 3 per 227-gram bag
Spinach may rank as one of the most underrated foods of all time. Spinach can be added to avocado and cooked in the microwave for a side dish with meals or a dip for your veggies. Avocado-spinach blend has a creamy texture. Baby spinach can be eaten in a salad (use balsamic vinegar and olive oil to dress your salad rather than store-bought dressings). You can also throw some spinach into the blender when making your favourite smoothie to make a green version.
3. Baby carrots
Price: $2 to 3 per 340-gram bag
A bag of baby carrots is both cheap, and works as either a great snack or a side dish. Low in calories, and high in vitamin A, carrots are slightly sweet, so they taste great and make a great replacement to potato chips or other junk foods.
4. Eggs
Price: $2 to 4 for a dozen eggs or $4 for a one-kilogram carton of egg whites
Probably one of the cheapest sources of protein you can get. You can boil the eggs to avoid having to fry them, and cut back on oil. When making scrambled eggs, add some vegetables, such as mushrooms, spinach, and broccoli.
5. Frozen vegetables
Price: $2 to 4 per 500-gram bag
It’s a fact that most Canadians don’t get enough vegetables in their diets. Frozen vegetables are a good option because they’re just as nutritional as fresh vegetables, very cheap, and will last a long time in the freezer. Chicken breast with a side of vegetables makes for a healthy dinner at an affordable price. In addition to being a source of nutrients, vegetables are typically low in calories. Calorie-dense foods such as candy or chocolate will give you a large amount of calories, but won’t satisfy your hunger. Think about how many calories are in a piece of milk chocolate versus a bowl of carrots and then think about how much space each takes up.
6. Fresh fruit
Price: Varies, buy whatever is on sale
Fruit is sweet and works great as a snack. Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. It’s a far better snack than candy, chocolate, or fast food. Just think of it as nature’s candy. Whenever you feel the urge to eat candy, grab some fruit instead.
7. Potatoes
Price: $5 per 10-pound sack
King of boring foods, and often overlooked for that very reason, the potato is one of the cheapest types of produce money can buy; and in moderation potatoes are pretty healthy. If stored somewhere dry and cool then a sack of potatoes will keep for a long time. There’s a lot of ways to cook and eat potatoes, so just remember that the health factor comes down to how you cook your spud. Avoid deep frying and excessive seasoning with salt and opt for baking, if possible.
8. Tofu
Price: $2.50 per 350-gram package
Tofu is derived from soy beans and is a good protein source that costs less than most meat products at the grocery store. Tofu itself is bland and flavourless, but when cooked properly, it works well with sauces, soups, chili, and stews. It’s a mistake to assume that tofu is only for vegetarians and vegans, since it can easily be added along with meat in recipes.
Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons