Kara Sample knows without good food, students can’t focus in the classroom. She’s a registered dietician and assistant director for nutrition services at Greeley-Evans School District 6.
No food is the worst option, Sample said, but processed foods made with enriched flour and foods high in sugar cause a blood sugar spike in kids and a crash soon afterward. The same thing happens to adults.
District 6 follows United States Department of Agriculture guidelines, Sample said. That means the school offers a bread grain, a protein portion, a fruit and vegetable and milk.
In Weld County, one in eight people and one in five children struggle with hunger. According to the Weld County Food Bank’s website, that translates to 35,600 people.
Folks often seek out quick, cheap foods to keep themselves going when times get tough.
And yet, there are ways to eat healthy on the cheap, and many times, they’re just as easy to prepare.
Sample and Nora Garza, a registered dietician and nutrition educator with the Monfort Family Clinic, offered up advice on how to eat healthy on a tight budget.
Cheap nutritious foods
Garza used to teach nutrition classes for folks with lower incomes in Larimer County. She remembers facing a lot of resistance when suggesting folks change some of their bad habits. Juice was particularly controversial, she said. People didn’t want to hear it was full of sugar and actually unhealthy.
She advises folks to stay away from processed foods and buy whole foods instead, such as meat, vegetables, and fruits to prepare themselves. They get more for less in the long run, and it may save on health costs later on, she said.
Apples and bananas tend to be the most cost effective fruits year round, according to USDA data. Red and russet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, green bell peppers, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, watermelon and roma tomatoes also generally cost less than a $1 per pound at the grocery store.
Furthermore, folks can get protein from sources beyond expensive meats without sacrificing how much protein they eat everyday. Dried beans, lentils, eggs, tofu and chicken tend to be the cheapest forms of protein and will meet daily needs. One can of tuna, for example, has 40 grams of protein.
Folks can purchase rice, buckwheat or quinoa in bulk for cheap to use as a base for many meals.
Garza also recommends people take advantage of frozen and canned fruits, vegetables and beans.
“Even if you’re eating fast food, you can choose a baked potato or a salad on the side, or get apples instead of fries,” Garza said.
Drinks
Water from the tap is as cheap and healthy as you can get, Garza said. Water is the only drink your body needs. Milk is a healthy supplement too. If you want to be healthier, Garza said, cut out juice and soda – even the diet kind.
Meal prep
Meal prepping saves on time, and it can save on money, as well.
Garza recommends using your days off to make healthy meals for the rest of the week. Spending an hour or two making lunch and dinner for the rest of the week will help folks and their families are get intentional, nutritious meals.
Slow cookers are great time savers for folks who don’t have a lot of time to prepare healthy meals, Garza said. People can throw vegetables, beans, potatoes and meat into a slow cooker with broth and a meal will be ready when they get home from work.
Plan ahead
Before you go to the grocery store, take a look at what foods are in season. These will typically be cheaper. Websites such as www.cuesa.org/eat-seasonally have a list what’s in season now.
Look at weekly advertisements and make a list, Garza said. Going in with a plan will curb unhealthy purchases.
Sample suggested people join loyalty programs at the stores they shop at.
“They kind of keep track of what you purchase,” Sample said. “I get coupons specific to what I buy in the mail.”
Why?
Garza said people often want to know what’s in it for them. It takes more time and planning to seek out cheap, in-season foods and prepare them, and it takes more effort to cook something than to buy the finished product and immediately eat it.
She tells people eating well means being well. A healthy diet can prevent a number of chronic diseases.
“If you are well, you can save later on,” Garza said.
If people change their diets early on, they can prevent problems down the road, Garza said, like diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
Furthermore, it can be affordable to eat healthy, Garza said, though people often think it isn’t.
