Healthy food is food that ensures growth, normal development and normal functioning of a person. A normal, rational, healthy diet can be organized even with a minimal budget. Below are the Top 20 cheapest and healthiest foods.
The crisis, constantly rising prices, lack of confidence in the future evokes in us a genetic memory, which says clearly and clearly: we need to stockpile. The presence of such a memory has long been scientifically confirmed - memories and experiences are transmitted from the brain to the genome, which allows them to be passed on to future generations. The experience of our ancestors over the past 100 years speaks in us, and if we can realize that there is no need to stock up boxes of stewed meat and pasta, our body still tries to protect itself in case of hunger.
Many people equate a healthy diet with a low-calorie diet. A huge number of pictures and websites dedicated to healthy lifestyles on the Internet give us a clear idea of what healthy food is:
A healthy meal is a plate with three lettuce leaves cut into quarters with a cherry tomato and a small piece of steamed salmon; the whole dish is sprinkled with some kind of seeds, next to it lies a green apple wrapped in a centimeter tape.
This picture is so firmly stuck in our subconscious that when the question of switching to a healthy diet comes up, it pops up before our eyes, and our entire body begins to protest against going on a starvation diet.
The crisis, constantly rising prices, lack of confidence in the future evokes in us a genetic memory, which says clearly and clearly: we need to stockpile. The presence of such a memory has long been scientifically confirmed - memories and experiences are transmitted from the brain to the genome, which allows them to be passed on to future generations.
The experience of our ancestors over the past 100 years speaks in us, and if we can realize that there is no need to stock up boxes of stewed meat and pasta, our body still tries to protect itself in case of hunger.
Healthy food is food that ensures growth, normal development and normal functioning of a person. Such nutrition helps to improve health, prevent many diseases, including maintaining a normal weight.
There is an opinion that healthy food is expensive. And yes, if you go to the health food section of the supermarket, then the prices for it can actually lose your appetite.
But the truth is that normal, healthy eating can be organized with a minimal budget. By eliminating expensive sausages, juices, carbonated drinks, a large number of confectionery products, it will also be possible to save on it.
Below are the Top 20 cheapest and healthiest foods.
1. Yogurt and kefir
Here you should choose not expensive advertised brands of sweet yoghurts, which promise to bring you back lightness in your stomach, but the products of local dairies.
We carefully read the label where we are looking for the word "yogurt". According to GOST R 51331-99, a thermized product cannot be called "yoghurt". One gram of yogurt should contain at least 10 million "live" cells of lactic bacteria, for which we value this very yogurt. If the packaging says "yoghurt product", "yoghurt-based", "yoghurt" or, in addition to the name "Sun", the name of the product itself is generally modestly hushed up - this is not our option. In general, the fewer ingredients in yogurt and kefir, the better. Ideal is milk and sourdough.
We remember that inexpensive yogurt and kefir in nondescript packaging are no less useful than the most expensive product in a stylish small glass jar costing a box of plain kefir.
2. Apples
There is an English saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” (doctors do not have an apple a day). Indeed, apples help to maintain health, as well as some additional trifle in the wallet. Apples are rich in vitamin C and contain both insoluble and soluble fiber. They can be added to a wide variety of dishes, if you do not like to just nibble on them. And of course, it is better to buy local apples, even if they are not as beautiful and shiny as imported ones.
3. Bananas
The cheapest exotic fruit is valued primarily for its high potassium content, which supports heart function. In addition, bananas contain quite a lot of vitamin C. Eating bananas in food will help get rid of heartburn, depression, regulate bowel function, and reduce the risk of diabetes, osteoporosis, and kidney cancer. And banana has a fairly high calorie content and can be a hearty snack.
4. Carrots
This inexpensive vegetable is high in pectin, which stimulates digestion and the growth of beneficial microflora, and is also known as the main source of beta-carotene. It is good to know that beta-carotene from carrots (and other vegetables) is better absorbed when cooked and is also eaten at the same time as any fat.
5. Beets
Betaine (Latin beta - beet) gives the red color to beets. Betaine lowers levels of a toxic amino acid (homocysteine) that causes heart disease. Beets retain their beneficial properties both raw and boiled. During storage, all the beneficial properties of beets are preserved for a long time. Beets contain a lot of iron, of all plant foods in terms of iron content, beets are in second place after garlic. And in terms of iodine content, only seaweed is ahead of beets.
6. Chicken
We're talking about chicken breasts now, not fried fatty chicken legs.
Chicken fillet is the cheapest source of quality protein, the main part of which is amino acids. It also contains phosphorus, vitamins H, PP, B groups, magnesium, sulfur, chromium, zinc, cobalt.
7. Olive oil
Now many people will be outraged and say that olive oil cannot be attributed to cheap products. But if you compare the benefits of olive oil and its cost, it turns out that its price is quite elevated. And if you give up half-pack of mayonnaise every day in favor of two teaspoons of olive oil, then the health and body benefits will be simply indescribable.
One teaspoon of oil is enough to dress one serving of salad.
8. Bulb onions
Onions contain a significant amount of vitamins C, A, B1, B2, PP and inulin, which stimulates the growth of beneficial microflora in the human body. In addition, phytoncides were found in the bulbs, which suppress the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Regular consumption of onions reduces cholesterol synthesis. Many consider onions to be a spicy-aromatic plant that is added to dishes in minimal quantities, but full-fledged onion-based dishes can be tasty and healthy. Only people with acute diseases of the digestive system and kidneys should not abuse onions.
9. Rice
The benefits of rice mainly depend on how it is processed. Polished white rice - contains very few nutrients. The "average" option is parboiled rice, which has a light brown tint, it retains the bulk of useful substances. Unpolished or brown (brown) rice is considered the most useful. It is cleaned only of the upper husk, leaving all the bran and nutrients. Brown rice contains on average 3-3.5 times more protein than white rice, and 12 times more fiber (1.6 g to 0.37 g), thanks to which it perfectly cleanses the body.
10. Eggs
The egg contains many nutrients and contains a complete set of easily digestible proteins. It is a source of beneficial folate, biotin, and choline. The selenium in this product has powerful antioxidant properties. With just one egg a day, you get up to 15% of the daily protein intake, and the amino acids contained in the egg are actively working to build new tissues in the human body.
11. Dark chocolate
As we already wrote, healthy eating does not mean limited food without the ability to indulge in sweets.
Dark chocolate differs from all other types of chocolate by the absence of milk among the components and by the high content of cocoa beans - at least 70%. Dark chocolate contains a sufficient amount of essential oils that prevent the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels, which prevents the appearance of atherosclerosis. Bitter chocolate improves the tone of the body. The alkaloids caffeine and theobromine have a stimulating effect, so if you are not in a good mood, eat dark chocolate and you will definitely have it.
12. Peas and beans
Crops of the legume family are unique: healthy, tasty, nutritious, rich in fiber, vitamins (A and B), flavonoids, iron, calcium, carbohydrates, folic acid. They are high in protein, fat and starch. In terms of protein content, legumes are close to meat, so they can be substituted for vegetarians. The protein of legumes in its chemical composition is close to the animal, but it is much easier for the human body to assimilate.
13. Offal
By-products are liver, kidneys, heart, etc. - everything that is in the carcass except for muscle tissue (meat). It doesn't sound very appetizing, but it's really cheap. The most expensive and easy-to-cook offal is the liver. Separately, you can highlight chicken offal - hearts, ventricles and liver. You can find millions of recipes on the Internet for how to cook them.
14. Seaweed (kelp)
Quite a cheap product that few people pay attention to. But in vain. The content of a large amount of important minerals, vitamins and trace elements makes kelp an almost invaluable product, especially for regions remote from the sea, where they are deficient. One of the most valuable components is iodine, but it also contains sulfur, zinc, bromine, magnesium salts, and iron.
15. Low fat cottage cheese (up to 5%)
On the forums of bodybuilders, whole branches are devoted to cottage cheese and recipes from it. The ideal product is low in fat, high in protein.
Cottage cheese surpasses all dairy products in terms of protein content and the degree of its assimilation. The proteins in the cottage cheese are easily broken down into amino acids: tryptophan, methionine, choline and others necessary for the human body. Cottage cheese is recommended for children, the elderly and patients recovering from illness, precisely because of its easy assimilation.
16. Whole grains (barley, oats, buckwheat)
Groats are crushed or whole grains of mainly cereal crops. Whole grain cereals (pearl barley, oats, buckwheat, millet) are of particular value. The benefits of each type of cereal can be written in a separate article. But what is important to keep in mind is that whole grains should be your daily source of carbohydrates, not white bread and cakes.
Usually on the shelves of supermarkets at eye level there are bright colorful packages, when you look at the prices of which you lose the desire to buy them. We advise you to look at the lower shelves - this is where the necessary nondescript kilogram packages will lie.
17. Herring
Not a single article about healthy eating is complete without mentioning salmon fish: salmon, trout, as a source of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Red fish is healthy and tasty, but you can't put it in a crisis basket.
And by the way, simple slightly salted herring is in no way inferior to expensive varieties of fish in terms of the content of fatty acids. Here you can also mention fish trivia like capelin and sprat. The main thing about these fish is that they can be eaten with bones. This means: to use calcium and phosphorus in the optimal combination, which is so necessary to maintain the good condition of bones and teeth.
18. Cabbage
In terms of the amount of vitamin C, it overtakes oranges, and it contains more calcium than milk. Cabbage stimulates the production of red blood cells, promotes tissue rejuvenation, activates metabolism, regulates fat metabolism, lowers blood cholesterol levels, increases immunity and strengthens the heart muscle. Cabbage retains its useful vitamins that our body needs when fermented. The nutritional value and benefits of sauerkraut are due to the high content of lactic acid, mineral salts and vitamins.
19. Radish
For some reason, undeservedly forgotten radish can rarely be found on the shelves of expensive supermarkets, but there is an abundance of it in collective farm markets.
Radish contains such essential minerals as potassium, phosphorus, sodium, iron. Therefore, the radish is useful for low immunity, as well as high blood pressure.
Radish is rich in B vitamins and niacin (vitamin PP), so its use is useful for diseases of the nervous system. In addition, it normalizes protein metabolism.
20. Rye bread
The average calorie content of rye bread prepared according to the classic recipe is 174 kcal, which are contained in 100 grams of the product. The benefits of rye bread become obvious, just look at the vitamin and mineral composition of the product. Rye bread contains the vast majority of beneficial compounds from the so-called vitamin alphabet.
Rye bread contains vitamins of groups A, B, E, H, as well as PP. In addition, the benefit of rye bread lies in the content in the product of such natural compounds as choline, zinc, iodine, manganese, fluorine, molybdenum, iron, potassium, sulfur, magnesium, calcium and others. It is interesting that the biological value of the chemical composition of rye bread is much higher than that of the wheat version of the bakery product.
