Top 10 cheap and healthy foods

Meal planning can be frustrating, especially if you're pressed for time. Add a strict budget to the equation and you have a recipe for stress.

Toronto nutritionist Aviva Allen has some tips for navigating the world of recession-minded meal planning. Her list of the top 10 budget-friendly super foods features ingredients that are both nutritious and versatile.
So get ready to prepare a shopping list. It's time to make your next trip to the grocery store fast, easy and affordable.

1. Sweet potato
Sweet potatoes contain more nutrients than regular potatoes and are rich in beta carotene, vitamin C and potassium. Allen suggests stuffed baked potatoes, preparing them like you would a white potato. Once baked, cut down the centre, scoop out the flesh and mix with diced raw or steamed veggies, cooked lentils for protein and salt and pepper. Add the mixture back into the sweet potato and serve with hummus instead of sour cream for an extra hit of protein and flavour.

2. Quinoa
Full of calcium, iron and B vitamins, quinoa is also high in protein. The fluffy texture makes it a fun alternative to rice and it cooks up in a mere 15 minutes (versus about 45 for brown rice). Allen suggests making a main course salad with it. Cook up your quinoa and let cool. Dice up any in-season vegetables of your choice and add to the cooled quinoa. Dress with olive oil, fresh lemon juice and herbs (try dill or basil).

3. Fish
Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids and is a good source of protein. When your budget is tight, Allen suggests going to your local fish counter and picking up whatever is on sale. She suggests trout and tilapia as affordable options but be mindful of Health Canada's recommendations on eating fish. For example, there are some types of fish that, if eaten too often, could result in exposure to unacceptable amounts of mercury.

To save costs, buy fresh fish rather than frozen and freeze it yourself if you don't plan to eat it right away.

When it comes to cooking fish, the possibilities are endless. Grill it, bake it, steam it or roast it and serve with your favourite vegetables (grilled in the summer) for a healthy meal.

4. Lentils
Nutty and delicious, lentils are full of protein, fibre and B vitamins. Allen suggests buying dry lentils in bulk to save money. Add them to soups and stews for a one-two punch of fibre and protein or, for something lighter, make a lentil salad. Add chopped tomatoes, cucumber, onions and feta cheese to cooked, cooled lentils and dress with oil and balsamic vinegar for a quick, Mediterranean-inspired lunch or summer side dish.

8. Carrots
Rabbits might be onto something when it comes to their preference for carrots. Allen likes this popular vegetable for its beta carotene and fibre, and also for its versatility. 

"There are lots of ways to use carrots other than just eating them raw," she says. Grate them into a salad, use them in a soup, or take a pointer from Allen who likes to roast carrots for a sweet and healthy side dish. She tosses them with olive oil and sea salt and roasts them for 30 minutes at 400 F.

9. Broccoli
If broccoli isn't normally on your shopping list, make sure to add it. This green vegetable is full of folic acid, fibre and calcium and can be cooked in many different ways. Allen prefers roasted, and suggests giving it the same treatment as she does the carrots, but roasting for about half the time. They are also delicious steamed and tossed over a green salad for added fibre, or added to a stir fry.

10. Beans
Beans are an affordable, fibre and protein-packed food. They also contain B vitamins, some iron and calcium. A simple three-bean salad using white beans, chick peas and kidney beans is a filling side dish or lunch. To the combination of beans, add sliced red and green bell pepper, chopped onion, cooked frozen corn and diced tomato for a south western-inspired salad. 

Before you hit the grocery store, Allen suggests doing some advance planning. "You'll overbuy if you don't decide what you need in advance," she explains. 

For more great ingredients to add to your shopping cart, visit the Healthy Eating section of Food & Nutrition.

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