Do you want to have a shopping cart full of healthy groceries and still save money? Anyone who shops for groceries will tell you that buying the ingredients for a healthy diet like vegetables, nuts, fruits, and fish is more expensive than buying refined grains, processed ready meals, and meats from an unhealthy diet. Is there a way to shop healthily and keep costs down?
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, professor of nutrition at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, emphasizes that it pays to invest the time to spend your groceries wisely. “We have found time and time again that people who eat more fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases.”
His colleague Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg notes that planning can make a huge difference in the grocery budget. He says decide what meals you need for a week and only buy those things. Try to incorporate healthy meals that benefit from what the stores have to offer. Gather meals around items you already have in your pantry and plan out menus suitable for cooking extra servings that can easily be reheated for another meal.
Blumberg adds, look in the refrigerator to make good use of the things you already have. Buy in bulk for items that have a long shelf life. Remember, when buying perishable foods, think carefully about what to use right away and freeze the rest.
Avoid buying ready-made meals. They are invariably more expensive than buying the ingredients.
There is also a myth that organic selections are more nutritious than their conventional counterparts. Dr. Alice H. Lichtenstein, Professor of Nutrition and Science Policy, also at Tufts, says that all types of fruit and vegetables (whether fresh, frozen, cooked or raw, organic or conventional) are beneficial from a nutritional point of view.
Another misconception is that gluten-free foods are better for health than those that contain gluten. Dr. However, Mozaffarian says that replacing refined wheat products with refined rice and corn products can have some health benefits, but also potential harm. Gluten-free diets were significantly less protein, magnesium, vitamin E, fiber, and more calories that most people don’t need, according to Tufts studies.
The point is, unless you are part of the 1 percent of the population who have celiac disease or the 6 percent who are believed to have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, there is no need for gluten-free foods. Save your money.
A few years ago, researchers showed that it cost an average of $ 1.50 more per day to choose healthy foods when shopping at the supermarket. They also wisely suggested that you could save this much by saying “no” to coffee, dessert, or other goodies. These savings translate into better individual health and huge savings for families and governments in terms of future healthcare expenditures.
Finally, consider the impact of smarter shopping on food waste and environmental concerns. It is estimated that 30 to 40 percent of North American food supplies are not consumed each year. It is a question of shameful waste and economic inefficiency. But the amount of food and food packaging that goes unused in landfills is also an environmental problem shared by industry, governments and consumers. As a consumer, when shopping, you refuse to buy products in excessive or non-recyclable packaging.
While easy and equal access to nutritious and affordable food still poses major challenges, steps can be taken towards smarter shopping. In this uncertain world, remember this wise advice: a dollar saved is a dollar earned.
Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, aka Ken Walker, is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Harvard Medical School. You can contact him online at his website docgiff.com or by email at info@docgiff.com.
source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/the-doctor-game-eat-healthy-without-breaking-the-bank-guest-columns/
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