Superfoods for Super Cheap!!

but Nicole, eating healthy is just so expensive!!

If I had a dollar for every time I heard that I could buy all the fancy produce I wanted and still have enough do-re-me left over to invenst in a gym membership. In this post I'm setting out to prove you wrong. Eating healthy doesn't have to cost you and arm and a leg...after all the whole point of maintaining health and wellness is to keep all extremities in working order for as long as possible, right!?

No doubt about it, you can find some pretty expensive health food products. But you don't need to be buying organic, grass-fed, pesticide and gluten-free groceries at specialty food shops. I'm not saying to avoid those things or places, if you can afford them or have special dietary needs, do buy them, but if you're just looking to eat healthier, start with something green. baby steps.

The following food items have all been shown to have amazing health benefits (hence, the 'superfood' title) and are all under $1 per serving!! You can't even buy a bag of crips or a candy bar for that price. Eating Well magazine has just made your next supermarket shopping experience a whole lot easier, check it out.

1. Lentils.
cost per serving (1 cup): 15¢
benefits: high in protein and fiber (9g and 8g per half cup)

2. Oats.
cost per serving (1/3 cup, uncooked): 10¢
benefits: a great source of soluble fiber (3g per serving).  Research suggests that increasing soluble fiber intake by 5 to 10 grams/day could result in a 5% drop in LDL cholesterol.
** note: those sugary packets of flavored oatmeal don't exactly count.

3. Kale.
cost per serving (1 cup): 60¢
benefits: a serving (1 cup cooked) has 10 times the daily value of bone-healthy vitamin K. It also has 3 times the daily value of vitamin A and is high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which all help your vision.

4. Almonds.
cost per serving (1oz): 63¢
benefits: 1oz (23 nuts, 162 calories) has 37% of your daily value for vitamin E. Almonds also deliver calcium, fiber and folate.

5. Tea.
cost per serving (1 tea bag): 10¢
benefits: green and black tea are loaded with antioxidants, which may boost your immune system and promote heart health.

6. Oranges.
cost per serving (1 orange): 34¢
benefits: one orange delivers an entire days worth of vitamin C and 3g of fiber. plus, the orange color means it delivers vision-boosting beta carotene. for only 70 calories!!

7. Tuna.
cost per serving (3oz): 48-77¢
benefits: tuna canned in oil delivers heart-healthy omega-3s and is a great substitution to use when cutting back on red meat. Look for chunk light tuna, which comes from smaller tuna fish and is lower in mercury than white albacore tuna.

8. Peanut Butter.
cost per serving (2 tbsp.): 21¢
benefits: peanut butter delivers heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, vitamin E and zinc. Look for natural peanut butter (ingredients: peanuts and salt) to avoid partially hydrogenated oils and sugar.

9. Apples.
cost per serving (1 apple): 21¢
benefits: apples don't have a super high amount of any one vitamin, but they do produce tangible heart benefits. Researchers think it’s a combination of the pectin (fiber) and polyphenols that makes apples so good for you.

10. Eggs.
cost per serving (1 egg): 17¢
benefits: egg whites are brimming with protein (4g per egg), while the yolks deliver vitamin D, lutein and xeanthanin, which lowers the risk of age-related macular degeneration. all for 80 calories!!

11. Carrots.
cost per serving (1 cup): 32¢
benefits: carrots deliver 4 times the daily value of vitamin A, which helps build bone and contributes to immune function.

12. Cabbage.
cost per serving (1 cup): 27¢
benefits: cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable - linked to lower rates of cancer. It’s also is an excellent source of vitamins C and K, and delivers fiber and detoxifying sulfur compounds. 22 calories per cup!!


You can buy all those yummy, healthy things for under $1 per serving. Whether you're buying for a household of small people or just for one, that's a great deal. There's no way around it - food is fuel. Give your body the proper nutrients to operate at your very best.

25 healthy words to live by:

have you ever had a health question and instead of calling up a reliable source you decided to check the world wide web!? of course. we all have. the internet is a fantastic resource if you're trying to find a healthier way to make your mommas comfort food recipe...but if you're looking for something a little more complex, you might not find THE answer, but twelve different answers. everybody has an opinion. and it just so happens that opinion can become public knowledge given the simplicity of online publishing (take this blog, for example). 

think of any number of controversial health issues and you'll find advocates for both sides of the equation: to drink milk or to avoid dairy? will going gluten-free help me lose weight or put on pounds? are carbohydrates off limits or should I eat whole grains? the list goes on and on. it gets confusing!! 

the Huffington Post recently published an article after asking 25 health professionals the following question: if you could share one piece of health advice, what would it be?

here they are, 25 healthy words to live by:

1. Do More - eat well. live well. move more. love more. 

2. Enjoy Your Breakfast - and make sure protein is a part of that meal. 

3. Take It Easy - ride the waves of gratitude and grace. 

4. Go Vegetarian Once a Week - pick a day and go veggie! it's good for you and the environment. 

5. Eat More Bacteria - like yogurt, pickles and sauerkraut. 

6. Take Charge - be in control of your body. 

7. Eat More Plants - preventing heart disease, obesity, many types of cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

8. Have Fun - healthy people have more fun!!

9. Make Your Own Rules - find what works for you. there is no universal answer to health. 

10. Food Is The Most Important Medicine -Each bite of food sends messages directly to every cell in your body, changing your hormones, your immune system and your brain chemistry, controlling which genes get turned on or off -- health or disease genes.

11. Prioritise Sleep - it's healing.

12. Be Active Every Day - you don't need a gym membership, just get up and move. 

13. Eat Protein -protein should be a vital component to every meal. 

14. Accept Yourself - stress bleeds all life force. 

15. Sleep and Hydrate - these are two of the biggest determinants of health. 

16. Seize the Day - small changes can produce massive results. 

17. Eliminate the White Stuff - flour, sugar, rice and pasta. avoid it. 

18. Get Plenty of Rest - and regulate your sleep pattern. 

19. Believe in Yourself - you are worth it. 

20. Avoid Products with BPA - limit your exposure to toxic chemicals. 

21. Breathe - learn breathing exercises to reduce stress, improve mood and energise. 

22. Exercise Daily - 30 minutes of daily cardio or weight-bearing exercise can reduce your risk for obesity, osteoporosis heart disease and certain kinds of cancer.

23. Get Omega-3's - eat oily fish 2 times a week or take a fish oil supplement. 

24. Sit Less - sedentary lifestyles kill. move like your life depends on it. 

25. Quit Smoking - now. and if you don't smoke, plan to never start. 

spaghetti squash RECIPE:

all of us have enjoyed a delicious bowl of spaghetti. and while not all of us may consume squash on a regular basis, I'm sure you've at least heard of it.

--- remind me to tell you a story about how I once had to inform the cashier at the supermarket what the "yellow thing" in my cart was (squash). oh! and the "ugly brown ball" (avocado). sheesh.

but back to the point, have you ever heard of SPAGHETTI SQUASH!? it's one of my favourite things. not simply because of its taste, but because it is so fun to make. I'm going to be vulnerably honest with you for a second - I am pretty terrible in the kitchen. I can make a bangin' salad, boil eggs and whip together some quinoa...but that's about it. and regardless of what it is I'm making I manage to make a mess equivalent to that you might find on the highchair of a sticky-fingered toddler. I kid you not. ask my mother. so trust me when I tell you that squash is one of the easiest things to make. seriously. here's what you'll need to do:

acquire one spaghetti squash (legally, of course). set oven to 375 degrees. use a pairing knife to poke a few holes in the shell of the squash. place squash on a baking sheet. bake for approximately 60 minutes or until you can slice into the squash without resistance.

the best is yet to come: once you've baked your squash. allow it to cool before slicing it in half and scooping out the seeded middle (the bits that look like the inside of a pumpkin). then grab a fork and start scraping!!! your fork should easily slice through the squash. if it's still firm return it to the oven for 10 minutes. the finish product looks like noodles!!

your squash should have a slight crunch and can be paired with a variety of items. squash itself doesn't have a strong taste, but is great when used as a base or replacement starch. 

here I've listed a few of my favourite ways to use it: 

- use it as a base for tomato sauce (you can even add a meatball or two!) 

- pair it with chilli 

- mix in a homemade avocado and beef broth puree (delicious!!) 

- add parmesan cheese, herbs and a little butter

give it a try and tell me what you think. this is a super fun recipe to try with children (or those of us who just refuse to grow up). Steamy Kitchen has a great recipe and step-by-step instructions for first timers. 

PS. I've heard spaghetti squash can even be made in the microwave. so you have no excuse not to try it! ENJOY!!