Ask America’s Ultimate Experts
From wallet-friendly strategies for fitting healthier foods into your diet to no-gym-needed ways to exercise, our experts share the best ways to boost your health without busting your budget!
1 Eat healthy on the cheap! Tap “triple-taskers”!
A great way to stretch your grocery budget is to focus on “flexible” foods that you can use several ways. One that fits the bill perfectly is hummus. “Use it as a healthy dip or a condiment instead of fattier mayo, or stir it into pasta sauce to make it creamier,” says dietitian Keri Gans. Another flexible food: Eggs! “Everyone shopping on a budget should have eggs in their fridge. They’re very nutrientdense and low in calories.” And talk about versatile! Scramble an egg with leftovers for a healthy breakfast; drop a hardboiled egg in a salad for a filling lunch; or serve them poached atop stir-fried vegetables, suggests nutrition expert Leanne Brown. And go for yogurt: “Buy plain yogurt in bulk, which is the best value for your money,” says Brown. “Stir in your favorite flavors like honey or fruit or use it to make smoothies. And when you consider there are also savory options like tzatziki—yogurt mixed with shredded cucumbers and spices—the possibilities expand even more!”
Reach for three B’s!
Three B’s that’ll boost your health and trim your grocery budget? Berries, beans and bulk, says Gans. “Frozen berries (as well as other fruits and veggies) aren’t just less expensive than fresh produce— they also have just as much, if not more, nutritional value because they’re harvested at peek ripeness,” she explains. “Just sprinkle them over yogurt and cereal. Beans, another healthy B, are also inexpensive and are strongly linked to longevity. Toss beans into your salads, or add them to stews and casseroles . . . which brings us to the third budget-boosting B, bulk, as in bulking up recipes with healthy beans and veggies! “Bulking up meatloaf or pasta sauce with chopped veggies helps cut costs by stretching your meals and making them more satisfying!”
2 Easy exercises! Lift weights while you wait!
“Try putting one- to five-pound weights in a spot where you’re often waiting to do something else,” says fitness expert Charlene Torkelson. “For example, place weights by your washing machine so you can do a few bicep curls while you wait for a load to finish. Or keep them near the TV so you can exercise during commercials.”
Exercise !
less “The biggest misconception people have is that the harder and longer the workout, the better,” declares Torkelson. “Research shows that shorter, lower-impact exercises do more good!” Why?
“Because people tend to do them more consistently. I recommend doing a few five- or ten-minute workouts a day—such as taking a quick walk or stretching at your desk! Whatever time you can put in will work!”