Saving money and keeping on top of your monthly budget can be very difficult in today's economy. A healthy diet and exercise can save you thousands of dollars each year in doctor and medical expenses. Many people complain that eating healthy is too expensive, but here are 10 affordable and healthy food items and ideas that can help lower your medical expenses and your grocery bills.

5 Low Cost Healthy Foods

1 - Beans. In a list of the top ten superfoods for antioxidant value as determined by a recent USDA study, small red beans was number one, red kidney beans and pinto beans were numbers three and four, and black beans came in at number eighteen. Beans can be purchased in bulk at a very low cost and will add a ton of fiber to any dish.

2 - Brown Rice. Unlike white rice, brown rice retains most of it's nutritional value. Brown rice is loaded with fiber, manganese, and Selenium. Eating brown rice can help you lose weight, reduce your chances of getting cancer, and even lower your cholesterol. Rice is very filling and inexpensive, so buy a large bag and make it part of your daily diet.

3 - Oatmeal. Eating a bowl of oatmeal every morning is a wonderful and inexpensive way to start your day. The oatmeal we are referring to is plain Quaker oats (or similar), not flavored, which contains added sugar. Oatmeal is packed with nutrients and will fight bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

4 - Chicken. Buy the chicken whole for a much lower price. One serving of chicken provides 70% of our daily protein needs. Chicken can help prevent Alzheimer's, prevent cancer, and help your cardiovascular system.

5 - Eggs. I can find eggs on sale for $.99/dozen and bulk food stores sometimes have them for as low as $.99/two dozen. Eggs are a good source of protein and have numerous health benefits, such as lowering the risk of breast cancer and preventing mascular degeneration. Contrary to popular belief, researchers have now determined that eggs do not raise dietary cholesterol.

5 Ideas To Eat Healthier And Save Money

1 - Cook foods from scratch. When you prepare your food from scratch, you can save money and eliminate all the unhealthy additives in processed foods. When cooking from scratch, you know exactly what your eating and you control the calories and fat. Preparing meals in bulk will be less costly and you can freeze any extras to use at a later time.

2 - Substitute low fat alternatives. This can be as simple as using ground turkey instead of ground beef, or low fat margarine, instead of butter. One example is using apple sauce or yogurt in cookies instead of butter. They cookies will still taste delicious, but you've eliminated eighty percent of the fat! Another simple alternative is to replace soda with tap water.

3 - Use frozen fruits and veggies. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often priced much less than their fresh counterparts, but still provide the same nutrients. Many fresh vegetables have traveled so far to get to your store that they've lost a lot of nutritional value by the time you eat them anyway.

4 - Shop at a local farmers market, or better yet, pick up your fresh produce directly at the farm. Buying food locally not only saves money, it's better for the environment. I go to the strawberry farm and pick my own berries for $5.00 a flat. That is about one-tenth of the price in stores and it only takes about ten minutes to pick them. Many farms allow you to pick up your produce directly at a reduced price.

5 - Share meals when eating out. Most restaurants serve way more food than one person should eat anyway, so save money and share or take half home for later.

Nick writes articles specializing in how you can save your home from foreclosure while there is still time left. Learn to defend against the bank's lawsuit, delay a sheriff sale or eviction, and put together a realistic solution that will let you keep your property from being auctioned off. Visit his site to read more about your options to prevent the loss of a house and understand more about how foreclosure works, how to prosper during the financial collapse, and how to reduce your expenses to keep on top of your monthly budget: http://www.yousaveforeclosure.com/

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