Beauty Health for Life

If youve ever tried to eat healthy, and if youre reading this you probably have, then youve noticed the gaping hole in your wallet.  Real food can be expensive; naturally raised meat, fresh organic produce, extra virgin olive oil, nuts... healthy food aint cheap.  The cost has been one of the main obstacles for me in eating a real food, paleo-style diet.  Even though I make food a high priority in my life, Im still a poor college student.  I cant always afford top-quality food.

But luckily, there are healthy, dirt-cheap foods out there that even I can afford.  Sure, youve gotta make some compromises; you just cant eat optimally on a budget.  But you can make a damn good stab at it. Not poor you say?  Just looking to save some money on food to keep fueling your hookers and cocaine habit?  No problem.  Im here to help.  Here are 5 healthy, inexpensive foods that you can base your diet around.

1. Kale
$0.99/lb
$0.25/serving
Kale is everyones darling health food.  Some say its even the most nutrient-dense food on the planet.  I wouldnt go that far, but its a great food nonetheless.  Fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium... Kale covers all of your vegetable needs in one little package, and at a great price.  Its versatile too.  You can steam it and eat it on its own, put it in your eggs, add it to a smoothie, or use it in a stir fry.  It works in everything.  You can even eat it raw in a salad if youre up to it, although I personally dont like the taste unless its cooked.  But maybe thats just me.  Give it a try!  (If you really hate kale, substitute it with another green like swiss chard or collard greens, the difference is negligible.)


White potatoes have been getting a bad rap lately, but its completely unfounded.  Just because theyre white doesnt make them bad; its a case of nutritional racism I say.  In fact, according to Mat Lalondes nutrient density scale, theyre even more nutrient dense than sweet potatoes!  And they come in many varieties...  Russet, Yukon gold, red, theyre all good. You can mash them, roast them, bake them, or just stick one in the microwave for a quick meal.  Throw some butter on it and youre all set.  Theyre full of a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, especially potassium... screw bananas, potatoes are an even better source of potassium.  And if all that isnt enough, research shows that theyre one of the most satiating foods around, meaning theyll fill you up with fewer calories.  Perfect budget weight loss food?  Perhaps.


3. Bananas
$0.69/lb
$0.20/serving
Okay I know I just said screw bananas.  Dont take that literally.  But really, you shouldnt shun them completely, because they too are a cheap source of good calories.  At just $0.20 for the average banana, they make a great snack, or even a simple addition to your breakfast.  Bananas are surprisingly nutrient-dense as well, chock full of vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, and manganese.  You dont even have to worry about buying them organic, since we dont eat the peel. No pesticide concerns there.  Have at it, hoss.



4. Eggs
$1.99/dozen
$0.17/egg
Gotta get your animal foods in on this Poor Man Diet.  Animal foods are typically more expensive, so that leaves our options few and far between.  But eggs provide far and away the most nutritional bang for your buck.  Weve got healthy fats, vitamin A, choline, selenium, and much more. Theyre a little low on B12 and iron for an animal food, but we can get that from the occasional red meat.  Were poor here, remember?  Oh, and remember back when eggs killed you?  Well dont worry about that anymore.  If theres one high cholesterol, high saturated fat food that we can all agree is healthy, its eggs.  Even WebMD agrees, eggs are no longer a nutritional no-no.  Have no fear, the egg is here.  Hard-boil em, scramble em, whatever you want to do.  Just eat them.


5. White Rice
$8.99/20 lb bag
$0.04/serving
Yes, white rice.  I choose white, not brown.  Brown rice may be posh right now, but dont let the hype fool you... brown rice contains higher amounts of arsenic, and it depletes the body of minerals.  Let go of your brown rice bias, just do it.  Is white rice high a nutrient-dense food?  No, of course not.  But therere a few minerals in there, and the white rice of today is fortified with B vitamins.  But thats not why Im recommending it.  Would you look at the price??  Its 4 cents per serving for crying out loud!  This is by far the number one budget food... not even close.  It may not be nutrient-dense, but its a good source of calories for your Poor Man Diet. You do have to eat something after all.  On top of that, its incredibly versatile.  You can eat it on its own as a side dish, incorporate it into a stir fry, use it as a stuffing.  Just use your imagination, you can do it.  Oh wait, we dont use imaginations anymore, we use Google instead.  So Google it.  Or ask your resident Asian.


There you have it.  Five inexpensive foods you can base your healthy diet on.  Now you have no excuse.  

Coming up next week, look out for the next step... 10 cheap supplemental foods for your Poor Man Diet. These will fill in the nutritional holes of the base foods, although I have to say these do a pretty decent job of covering everything considering the circumstances.  Stay tuned!

Top 5 Treats To Add To Your Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids

Children love snacks but can often get choosy when it comes to healthy snacks. Babies usually enjoy greasy snacks like salted chips and chocolates, after which they never eat healthy nourishing foods. Unhealthy eating habits require to be broken, and babies might require assistance in doing so. Healthy kiddy snacks must be readily obtainable to discourage consumption of foods with no nutritional value. Getting healthy snacks on the menu is essential for developing healthy lunch ideas for school.

Some babies often take healthy eating habits from parents and pay attention to their growth and health. Most babies, however, do not care about the nutritional value of foods in the case of snacks. For fast and straightforward treats here are some nourishing ideas that you can add to your babies healthy lunch:

Fresh Fruit

Babies love fruits when properly peeled and sliced for them. You can always have a variety of fresh cut fruit for your small ones, some which they have never tried. Even the pickiest kid will love a variety of fruit when introduced to them tidy and sliced. When going grocery shopping, take the babies along and let them select their favourite fruits. Babies love chocolate treats, chocolate dipped fruits can be a great compromise. Included some fresh fruit in your kids lunch box is a must.

Milk Shakes

Milkshakes and smoothies are the top drinks that are both healthy and widely known amongst babies. Smoothies can be prepared within seconds by blending together yogurt, low overweight milk and fresh fruit of choice. It is always lovely to get babies involved when making milk shakes and smoothies, they love the prospect of preparing their own snacks. Receive a container which will guarantee no spills and let your babies take their smoothies to school.

Veggies

A great idea is to have your babies plant a garden filled with veggies. In fact babies are more likely to eat vegetables in the event that they grow themselves. You also get to spend quality time along with your babies and teach them not only gardening but also the nutritional importance of different vegetables. When picked from the veggie garden, prepare a choice of veggies with hummus or peanut butter as a snack.

Replace Chips

Granola bars, pretzels and whole wheat crackers are a lot healthier than other snacks that babies eat. Cereals can be coupled with nuts, raisins or other dried fruits to generate a new snack for the babies letting them eat chips with harmful content. These are also simple to fit in to a lunch box.

When in doubt... Juice It!

When babies dig their heels in and wont eat fruits and vegetables as snacks, you can use juices to make sure they get the necessary healthy nutrition necessary for growth. Blend fresh fruit and tasteless veggies like broccoli or spinach and come up with a homemade juice, which will certainly get their attention. You can also add a small fruit yogurt and ice to make slush out of it.

Tempting babies to eat healthy can be challenging in the event that they are liable to junk food snacks. By following these healthy lunch ideas and promoting positive eating habits at home, your babies will take lovely habits to school and learn to make healthy decisions on their own.