Reasonable Health Food For Your Body & Soul

I love the concept of “soul food,” though I find food categorized as such a bit too rich for me. But the idea of “soul food” is a very important one - it reminds us that food, health, and our very well being & soul are interconnected. As such, what we eat matters. There is no big surprise there. Even on a family budget we try and pay attention to what we are eating. A lot of research suggests that the cheapest foods in the grocery store are usually the ones that are worse for you. In the last few weeks of trying to only spend $20 a day, I believe this claim. I have been shocked to see what is on sale for $1 or less - mostly cheap, sweet condiments & relishes, candy products, and what can only be described as “junk food.” But there are many foods out there that are reasonable & healthy. Some of these foods recently have had attention brought to them in a great article from the NY Times, “The 11 Healthy Foods You Aren’t Eating.” This list was originally put together by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D. at Men’s Health Magazine, and has received wide circulation recently. The eleven with Mom’s Favorite twist & tips for preparation include:

1. Beets: Buy fresh whole beets and roast them in foil with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Price: $2.99 for a bunch.
2. Cabbage: Buy a head of cabbage and grate it with vinegar, oil, sugar, sunflower seeds, and shredded carrots for a healthy version of slaw. Price: $0.69/lb.
3. Swiss Chard. This is a largely ignored vegetable in the West, but it is cheap, and easily prepared. The NY Times suggests simply sauteing it with a bit of olive oil. Price: $2-3 a bunch.
4. Cinnamon. Once you buy it, it lasts forever! Put it in hot chocolate (not kidding), in bread recipes, on top of toast or cereal, and even sprinkle a bit onto ice cream or yogurt for a special kick. Price: $3-5 for a bottle of ground cinnamon.
5. Pomegranate juice: This comes in the pure juice form, which I find to be quite expensive. Instead buy a few pomegranates in season, pluck out the seeds, and simply pop them on top of a salad (or in your mouth). Price: $4-5 for 6-10 fluid ounces (but a little goes a long way!).
6. Dried plums: Buy prunes in bulk and store them properly, and they will last a long time. You can puree them and add them as a replacement for sugar and/or butter in most recipes. Price: $2-3 for a bag.
7. Pumpkin seeds: These are pretty reasonable in bulk or already packaged. Roast them in a dry skillet or baking sheet to bring out their natural “nuttiness” and them simply snack on them or add them to a salad. Price: $2.00 a bag.
8. Sardines: These are not my favorite. But the NY Times suggests that you “choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with Dijon mustard and onions as a spread.” Price: $3.50
9. Turmeric: A reasonable spice, simply add to eggs, baked vegetables, or rice for color, flavor, and nutrients. Price: $4-5 a bottle.
10. Blueberries: My personal favorite. Buy them frozen or fresh. Eat them plain, throw them into cereal, bake a cobbler or some bread, and these will make any dish “pow” with both nutrients & flavor. A cost saving tip from Mom’s Favorite is to buy blueberries now when stores are doing “2 for 1″ deals, rinse them, and store them in the freezer (in their own container). They freeze well, last a long time, and you don’t have to buy them out of season. Price: $2-4 a large container.
11. Pumpkin. I love pumpkin and canned pumpkin is reasonable (at our Whole Foods it sold for 99 cents last Winter) and we make desserts, breads, and side dishes out of it. I have roasted pumpkin as you would a squash (flesh side down with olive oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg) and though messy, this tastes amazing (buy the small “pie pumpkins” - not the large jack-o-lantern pumpkins). Price: $1-2 a can.

This is Mom’s Favorite adapted and shared list, and I think it is easy to see that many of these foods are not only good for the soul, but that they can be good for the pocket-book too.