3 of 14

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

(again free if you use your own compost) and some time can give you pounds and pounds of the product.

If you don't have your own garden space (like me), then check out community gardens where you can rent a plot, or go to pick-your-own farms. If you do have your own space, your kids (or you) can even make a bit of money by selling whatever produce you don't have room for to neighbours.

Fish is super-food - full of brain-boosting fatty acids, good cholesterol and lean protein. And you may never need to pay for it again if you get yourself a rod and a license. My boyfriend is an avid fisherman, and keeps our freezer stocked with salmon, trout and pickerel for $15 a year.

5. Prioritize your organic purchases. Organic is healthier, for sure, but it doesn't always make a significant enough impact on the end food product to warrant the added price. If you're not growing your own produce, then by all means opt for the organic versions in the supermarket, but make wise decisions.

At the top of the Must be organic' list should be vegetables where pesticides are applied directly to the part of the plant that you eat. In other words, leaf veggies.

Second on the list, are the foods that come from parts of the plant not directly treated. For instance, most potatoes crops have to be treated for late blight (the fungus that caused the potato famine, which is still prevalent). But the pesticide is applied to the leaves, not the tubers. This isn't to say there won't be residue in the soil, it just means it's likely to be less.

Lastly, there are some things that just don't need to be organic for health purposes. Pasta, for instance. The leaves and stalks of the wheat plant, not the grain, are the target for pesticides and the expression of any foreign genes if it's a GM plant. Add to that the milling and processing of the grain into a noodle and you end up with a product that's unlikely to have pesticide residues, and certainly does NOT carry the product of genetic modification.

6. Changing the way you cook can make your food cheaper too. I can't tell you how much I love my slow cooker. I chuck the ingredients in, then leave the house and there's a meal waiting when I come home. And the meal is healthy and cheap!

Slow cookers allow you to use cheaper products, like a tougher cut of meat, which is just as nutritious. They allow you to use up odds and ends form the fridge so you don't waste food, which means you don't waste money. And it uses less energy than your oven, so you save on utilities.

7. Finally, we all know you can save money if you buy in bulk. Cheese (can be frozen), coffee, cereal and rice (has to be white though, as brown can spoil) are my favourites. But surprisingly, there are some things that are also better for you in bulk.

From this day forward, you should ALWAYS buy your olive oil in the big can instead of a bottle. Why? Because vitamin E breaks down when exposed to light, which means there may be none left if you buy a bottle that's sat on a store shelf for ages.

Another goodie is honey. It has a lot more nutritional value than cane sugar (which has none), if unpasteurized it can help with allergies, and it never goes bad, so it can be bought in huge quantities for a cheaper price.

So if all of this isn't enough, then look at it this way: eating healthy keeps your figure, and keeping your figure means fewer wardrobe expenditures. That is, unless you want new clothes to show off your healthy figure!

Learn more about this author, Krista White.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about Healthy foods don't have to cost more?
We want to hear your view. Write now!