The overall price of food has continued to rise, and in 2008, the cost of food went up as much as 5 percent, according to "USA Today." These increases in food costs make it hard to continue to prepare healthy menu items for your family, but by carefully choosing your foods, you can make low-cost healthy decisions. Creating a low-cost menu of food is easy, especially if you choose foods that are versatile.
Include Grains
Grains can be bought in bulk, which can make them even more inexpensive. When choosing grains, choose whole grains. Despite the slightly higher cost of whole grain products, they contain many more nutrients than refined grain products, which are stripped of most of their nutrients. Also, using whole grains as a base in your menu will provide a filling meal, which will mean that you have to eat less.
Possible whole grain products include brown rice, whole grain pasta and whole grain breads. These menu items are packed with fiber and even some protein.
Incorporate Beans
Beans are a naturally inexpensive food loaded with nutritional value such as half a day's worth of fiber and high amounts of protein. You can buy beans that are uncooked or canned. Buying uncooked beans is the most inexpensive option, but canned beans can also be fairly inexpensive. According to Johns Hopkins, adding a half cup of beans to your diet on a daily basis can lower your low-density lipoprotein, or bad, cholesterol levels, which will contribute to a lower risk of heart disease, and regularly eating beans can reduce the recurrence of precancerous polyps, which will help reduce your risk of colon cancer.
In addition to their health benefits and low cost, beans are versatile. Beans can be used in pasta dishes, rice dishes, bean burger patties and burritos and can be eaten as a side dish.
Use Peanut Buttter
Peanut butter is a healthy menu item. Peanut butter contains high amounts of protein and heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Also, peanut butter provides you with folate, niacin and resveratrol, which is a cancer-fighting nutrient. Peanut butter can easily be stored and kept on hand to create healthy and inexpensive menu items. Serve peanut butter on bread, roll it in a whole grain tortilla with slices of bananas, mix it with whole grain cereal or serve it on slices of apples.
Stick to more natural forms of peanut butter when possible and read the ingredient list to ensure that the peanut butter you choose does not contain partially hydrogenated oils; this will help you avoid unhealthy trans fats.
Mix in Frozen Foods
Mixing in frozen foods to your menu can be a healthy and less expensive option. Frozen fruits and vegetables can be bought and stored in the freezer for later use in your menu. Adding fruits and vegetables will increase the nutritional contents of your meals and help you reach your daily five servings. Choose frozen fruits and vegetables that do not contain added flavoring, sugar or sauces.
Other healthy frozen food options include edamame and soy beans. These are packed with protein and can be served as a side dish on your menu or mixed into a variety of dishes.
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