Fruits and Vegetables on a Budget

According to a 2007 article in DOC News, a publication of the ADA, increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables lowers your risk of stroke. Eating 3 to 5 cups a day has long been recommended by the USDA's My Pyramid Program to reduce the risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, and development of type 2 diabetes. The health benefits are well documented, and so you may not need to be sold on why you should eat more produce. But the reality is, getting a variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet can sometimes be expensive.

It's a good thing there are ways to add more produce into your diet without breaking the bank:

Most grocery stores feature weekly sale items. Study the sale flyers, and only buy what is on sale that week. Shopping this way automatically gives you variety in your fruits and veggies, as what's on sale tends to change each week.

Sometimes stores offer special "bulk prices" with savings for large quantities. Wholesale "shopper's club" stores also offer bulk produce at inexpensive prices. Split your purchases with a friend, and get twice the variety for half the price.

Keep an eye on seasonal produce. For example, apples and pears are ripe and on sale in the fall, and the tiny tangerines called clementines tend to be cheaper during the Christmas season.

If you are lucky enough to live near a farmer's market, produce is very often fresher than in stores and more reasonably priced. Shopping at the end of market day can yield some added savings, because some vendors would rather sell their wares at a discounted price than take them back home again.

Some farms offer a program called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). People can become "members" of a local farm by paying a yearly fee up front and then receive boxes of produce every week during the growing season.

Frozen produce can sometimes be more nutritious than fresh, especially if fresh fruits and vegetables have been shipped a long way and left to sit on a grocery store shelf once they finally arrive at the store. Frozen options can also go easier on your wallet.

When buying frozen veggies and fruits, keep in mind that store brands are cheaper than name brands and, again, stores run sales all the time. Stock your freezer when your favorite items go on sale.

Adding frozen vegetables to soups, stews, casseroles and pasta dishes is a good way to increase your intake. Vegetables such as frozen spinach can be added to many recipes to give you more heart health benefits. Onions and cabbage are vegetables, too, and they're usually reasonably priced. If you like them, add them to everything.

Reap the Benefits

Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet doesn't have to break the bank, and you will feel better and enjoy better health. If you have diabetes, keep in mind that fruit does have sugar, although it is still a better choice than processed sugary snacks that have little or no nutritional value.

_Sources:

Hendry, Joene. "More Fruits and Vegetables Equal Lower Risk, Less Weight." DOC News Vol. 3, Number 1001 Oct. 2006 p. 8. 07 Nov. 2007.

"Inside the Pyramid." MyPyramid.gov. United States Department of Agriculture. 7 Nov 2007.

"Finding Nutrition Fresh, Frozen, and in Cans." American Institute for Cancer Research. Nov. 2006. AICR. 7 Nov 2007.

"Real Food, Real Farmers, Real Community." Local Harvest, Inc. 2007. Local Harvest, Inc. 9 Nov 2007.