Food is an essential part of human existent. And there is a saying that goes like this ” you are what you eat” and this is true. To live a healthy life we must adopt a healthy lifestyle. These choices include a balanced diet (food), exercise and rest. However, it seems to eat healthily you might have to spend a lot. That’s not entirely true because there are cheap food with a lot of vitamins, low calories, a good amount of protein and will give you a healthy diet.
There are a lot of cheap food out there that could keep us healthy. The problem is we don’t just know them. This post is designed to help you out. I would be giving you a list of 20 cheap food( snacks and meals) that will help you eat healthily and live healthily. The amazing thing about these foods is this, they are cheap and found everywhere.
Not only will I be listing this cheap food but I have amazing and tasty recipes on how you can enjoy them.
Without wasting much time let’s begin and I am starting with my favourites.
Cheap snacks you would enjoy and are very healthy
If you love snacking, raise your hands up. Mine is already up like since yesterday. I love to snack and it made me add some weight. This lead me to research on foods I could snack with that are healthy and as a matter of fact, can help with weight loss.
The best part of this is that I discovered food I already love to eat. This snack list comprises of every food species but what qualifies them to be a snack is that you can enjoy them alone or with a little something to compliment it.
Hence, the cheap food you can snack with are:
1. Groundnuts: Nuts are my favourite snacks and groundnut is top of the chat. Groundnuts are rich in protein, healthy fats and various healthy nutrients. It is a plant-based protein, very low carb, various vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Despite having fats studies show it helps with weight loss. The common way of enjoying groundnuts is when toasted or fried. However, there are many other ways to enjoy it which I will tell you soon. Groundnuts also know as peanuts are cheap food and found everywhere.
2. Almonds: Is a world most popular tree nuts. Rich in healthy fats, antioxidants, protein, vitamins and minerals. Almonds could be enjoyed alone or can be a garnish to a simple meal or salad.
3. Cashew nuts: Contains protein, carbs, good fats, vitamins and calcium. It reduces blood pressure and can fight diabetes and cancer. They are tasty and could be enjoyed alone. A matter of fact it is filling just as groundnuts.
4. Tiger nuts: Also known as Yellow nutsedges are good for digestion. They a filled with lots of nutrients such as vitamin E, iron and vitamins C. It’s a rich source of antioxidants which protect against ageing and diseases like cancer and heart disease. Fresh tiger nuts have this crunchiness and a sweet milk-like taste. You can enjoy it fresh or dry.
5. Dates: If you got a sweet tooth, then dates are for you because of its natural sweetness. Dates are high in antioxidants, several vitamins and minerals, high in fibre and may promote brain health. You can enjoy dates alone, however, if you want a blast in your mouth to try a combo of dried dates and fresh coconuts. Chew them together and come tell me all about it.
6. Coconuts: Coconuts have lots of nutrients, fibre, healthy fats which absorbs quickly into our bodies. The MCTs in this fats helps you lose body fats. It is a powerful antioxidant. I’ve told you one way to enjoy coconuts above which is with dates. However, there are many ways to enjoy coconut and I will be sharing the recipes with you.
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How to enjoy Dates, Coconuts and Tiger nuts
Above I’ve mentioned some few nice ways to enjoy dates, coconuts and tiger nuts. There is another sweet and juicy way I would like you to try.
Get a cup of fresh tiger nuts, not the dried ones. With 10 fresh dates, if you can’t get fresh ones then you will have to soak the dried ones for a whole day. Get a medium coconut. Juice them all together, and enjoy your drink.
7. Eggs: In a single boiled egg, you get over 12 vitamins, 77 calories, 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of healthy fats. They are linked to reducing heart disease. Eggs are very cheap food and we should take advantage of that. Boiled eggs taste really good on its own hence, snacking with it should be enjoyable.
Eggs are very nutritious and CHEAP. Take advantage of it and make it a healthy snack. Click To Tweet8. Avocado: Delicious! That’s all I can think of when it comes to an avocado pear. With its soft buttery taste, I can’t say no to it. Avocado is definitely one of my favourite healthy snacks. Avocado is one among the anti-ageing food and has 20 different vitamins. In 100 grams it contains 160 calories, 2 grams of protein and 15 grams healthy fats. It’s a low carb friendly plant food.
9. Garden eggs: Are counted among the healthiest of plants. It fights cancer, it helps during pregnancy, helps with weight reduction, helps control sugar level and improves vision. Garden eggs come in different types depends on which region of the world you are. However, they are everywhere and they are cheap food. Apart from putting it in a dish, I enjoy garden eggs with peanuts. Give it a try.
10. Cucumber: Cucumbers are fruits, now you know something new. They have no fats, low calories, lots of vitamins and minerals, some carbs and protein and high water content. Cucumbers are antioxidants, because of their water content, they help with hydration. Good for weight loss and easy to add to a diet. Cucumbers are best enjoyed in a salad, however, if you want to snack with just it a peanut will help you enjoy it.
11. Sesame seeds: Sesame seeds are a good source of plant protein. It has a good amount of fibre, may lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure too and gives a healthy bone. Sesame seeds have zinc, calcium, magnesium and vitamins. It is an antioxidant. It could be a garnish for a salad or any side dish. However, I have a recipe on a sesame seed snack you could enjoy.
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A simple Sesame Seeds snack
There are white and black sesame seeds but for this snack, we will be using the white ones.
- wash your seed and dry them. But if purchased already packaged from a store no need to wash them.
- toast the seeds a little bit or you can fry it on a dry pan. until it becomes a little bit dark. Don’t burn it or else you get a bitter taste.
- Make a sugar syrup until it is brown and sticky. Preferably use brown sugar together with honey.
- Mix your sugar together with the seeds. In a baking pan. Put it in an oven for a short while to crust together. Not for too long or it becomes strong.
- Allow it to cool down. Break it into pieces and enjoy the crunchiness.
12. Popcorn: is a whole grain food making it high in several important nutrients. Microwaved popcorns are usually not healthy. Hence, buy healthy popcorn or make them yourself because when taken well it helps with weight loss.
13. Carrots: Carrots has lots of water, very little fats with protein, good fibre, carbs, vitamins and minerals. They are good for the skin and hair. Because of its sweetness carrots can be eaten alone. Just select the smaller ones or baby ones, they are sweeter and soft.
14. Bananas: Aside from being very nutritious, they are also a highly convenient snack. They are the world most popular food hence, you can find them everywhere and they are cheap too. You could hold a banana in your purse and no one will notice.
Cheap easy to make meals you can find and prepare
The food we are going to list is not only extremely cheap and found everywhere but has so many ways you can prepare them and enjoy them.
Beans family or Legumes
15. Soya beans: Soya beans is the best source of plant-based protein. Hence, it is high in protein, some carbs, a little bit of sugar, fibre and fats. Soya beans are also one of my favourites and in a bit, I will be sharing a very healthy protein drink recipe with you. If you love tofu I will show you a simple way to make it.
A Soya Bean protein shake that is extremely tasty and easy to make.
- Measure 4 cups of soya beans, 2 cups of dried groundnut, 2 cups of any millet(preferably hungry rice), 2 cups of dried tiger nuts.
- Toast your soya beans, groundnuts and tiger nuts separately. peel the back of the soya beans and groundnut, it mustn’t be perfectly out but get the majority.
- If you have a very strong blender that can blend dried stuff into a smooth powder go ahead and use it. However, a good option is to take it to the miller.
- Sieve the powder to get the shaft out. Store it in a dry container that has an airtight lid.
- To prepare it hot, put some of the powder into a bowl, mix it with a little cold water then pour boiling water into it.
- You can serve it cold or hot, It is sweet already but if you want it sweeter add a little bit of honey or brown sugar.
How to Make a Cheap Food called Tofu
I promised to teach you how to make tofu as it is a healthy snack made with soya beans. Here are the steps:
- Take 4 cups of soya beans, soak it in water for 15-20 minutes.
- Wash off the back.
- Blend the beans into a smooth paste.
- Put it inside water, add some salt spices and seasoning if you want. Then allow it to cook for an hour.
- When it’s cooked, squeeze some lemon into it and make sure it all comes together.
- Pour it into cloth to drain the water out. Tie the cloth very tight and leave it to seat for at least 3 hours so all the water could come out.
- Slice your tofu into the sizes you want and fry them.
- You can serve it like that or with some sauce.
I created a free meal plan with all the cheap food found everywhere. Click here to get it.
16. Red beans or Kidney beans: Any time I cook some red beans I find it difficult to stop eating them. They are tasty enough with just a little bit of salt when cooking them. In a 100 grams serving of red beans, you have 67% water, 8.7 grams of protein, 22.8 grams of carbs and lots of fibre.
17. Green beans: Is a low calories food, with many key ingredients. Green beans are good for healthy bones, skin and hair. You can enjoy it as a side dish sauteed with garlic, a little olive oil, topped with toasted walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds.
18. Black-eyed pea (cowpeas or black beans): In one cup of black beans you get 194 calories, 13 grams protein, 0.9 grams fats, 35 grams carbs. Hence, it’s high in protein and fibre cheap food. The best part about this beans for me is there are so many ways to cook it and enjoy it. Here are some ways:
- Simply boil it to become soft and make porridge. Add some spice, seasoning, spinach, carrots, green beans and a little bit of oil. It could be a side dish for your rice or a meal on its own.
- Get about 2 to 3 cups of the beans, soak it for like 10 minutes in water and wash off the back of the beans. Making sure the black eyes are gone. Once done washing, add fresh pepper, onions and ginger to the beans. I hope you have a good blender because you need to blend the beans into a nice smooth paste. Now that you have your paste, add some seasoning and salt, two different meals can be made out of it. 1 is you could fry the past in oil and eat it or 2 you could add some water tie the past in small nylon bags and steam till it’s cooked.
Carbs are Cheap Food but here are the good ones
19. Oatmeal: Good source of fibre, many health benefits and have gained recognition as a health food. Oatmeal is low in cholesterol and is gluten-free. You could make cookies with oatmeal or just cook them and enjoy it with honey and milk.
20. Hungry rice: Is a variety of millet. It has nine essential amino acids and a low glycaemic index than comparable grains. Serves as an important protein source in developing countries. This simply tells you it is nutritious. Hence, you can make couscous with it or cook it till it’s soft, add some milk and sugar and eat it as a pudding.
Cheap diet and weight loss plans/ideas
Healthy Choices – The Secrets to Eating a Truly Healthy Diet – $10 only
Healthy Eating Secrets – $3 only
How I Lost 30 lbs In 8 Weeks Without Exercising – $6 only
Some Fruits too
21. Oranges and: In a normal size orange, you get 47 calories, 87% water, carbs, sugar, and fibre. Oranges are a good source of vitamins and minerals. The citric acid init might prevent kidney stone. Oranges are found everywhere and it is cheap food( fruit). However, taking a whole orange is more healthy than drinking orange juice.
22. Watermelon: As the name implies, is 92% water. It has lots of vitamins and minerals. It is good for heart health, it could prevent cancer, and lower inflammation. You can enjoy watermelon by juicing it or making a smoothie with other fruits.
A meal rich in fibre that stands alone
23. Mushroom: Listen! Mushrooms are fat-free, low sodium, low calories and cholesterol-free. It also has copper which helps our body make red blood cells. Hence, give me one good reason why mushrooms shouldn’t be in your meal plan?
An ultimate Cheap Food which stands alone
24. WATER: The only reason water is not number on my list is because it’s not a food or snack. But it’s one of the greatest things that ever happened to mankind. To save me the stress of telling you all its benefits as I can’t do enough justice to it. Read all about the benefits of water HERE
Hence, water is everywhere and it is cheap so far.
