For many of you, it’s spring break. For all of you, gas prices are high. The last thing you want us to tell you is to eat healthier and spend more money. So, we won’t! We turned to the experts at Consumer Reports to help you eat healthier AND save money at the same time.
Healthy breakfast options
Consumer Reports says breakfast doesn’t have to be elaborate to be healthy. Two power-packed staples are right in the dairy aisle: cottage cheese and yogurt!
Yogurt is packed with nutrients—protein, bone-building calcium, and blood-pressure-balancing potassium. Avoid added sugars by buying plain yogurt, which has no added sugars, and top it with fruit.
Cottage cheese is low in calories and high in proteins that help make you feel full. Add cottage cheese to smoothies or scramble it into eggs to fill out your breakfast.
Your cereal choice doesn’t need to be between overprocessed with lots of sugar, or bland and boring. Consumer Reports taste testers found some good-for-you cereals that are tasty, too. Here are some top picks:
- Nature’s Path Organic Heritage Flakes
- Post Great Grains Raisins, Dates & Pecans
- General Mills Cheerios
“All of Consumer Reports’ top-rated cereals contain whole grains, which are linked to lower rates of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. They also add fiber to your diet, which most people don’t get enough of. And now you can find added sugars on the label and keep that number under 6 grams per serving,” said Consumer Reports Nutritionist
And what about eggs? One study showed that overweight participants felt fuller and more satisfied after eating an egg breakfast compared with eating cereal. Add some fiber with leafy dark greens, tomatoes, peppers, or sweet potatoes to make a breakfast that’s healthy and delicious.
Also, instead of drinking fruit juice, opt for whole fruit, fresh or frozen, which contains more beneficial fiber, with less sugar and fewer calories.
Bread can be good for you
If you are a fan of bread, yes, there are bread options that are good for you. Consumer Reports says to check the labels and look for whole grains listed first on the ingredient list. A whole grain has all three parts it was grown with -- the bran, the germ, and the endosperm -- and is more nutritious than a refined grain which doesn’t include the two outer layers. And, whole grains are high in fiber, which generally makes you feel fuller.
In addition to a high proportion of whole grains, Consumer Reports experts say the best healthy breads have minimal additives, two or three grams of fiber per slice, less than 150 milligrams of sodium -and 2 or less grams of added sugars. For example:
- 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Ancient Grains
- Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat
- Dave’s Killer Bread Organic Powerseed
Shake your salt habit
Everyone knows that too much sodium isn’t good for you. The problem is that salt makes so many foods taste better and we actually crave it.
“Salt, or sodium chloride, is a flavor enhancer that can boost the intensity of a dish; it can not only enhance sweetness but also can mask tastes, like bitterness,” said Keating.
But with so many varieties of salt on the market today, are they all the same when it comes to sodium levels? Not exactly.
The density of the crystals makes a difference. For example, a quarter teaspoon of fine table salt has more sodium than a quarter teaspoon of coarse salt or flaked salt. So cut back on sodium by using the same amount of coarse salt when your recipe calls for fine.
And what about the many alternatives that can add flavor with less sodium?
“We wanted to determine how the products worked as a salt-swap to see if we could tell the difference, and if they were better or worse compared to regular salt,” Keating explained.
Consumer Reports’ taste-testing team tried six different products on plain foods like rice, scrambled eggs, and popcorn so the difference would stand out. Here are the tastiest of the bunch:
- Morton lite Salt 50% Less Sodium -- The tasters said Morton Lite Salt 50% Less Sodium (1160 mg per teaspoon) tasted most like the real thing. In rice and eggs, it was hard to tell the difference, but it gave popcorn a slightly bitter taste. Because low-sodium salts contain added potassium, people with kidney disease should talk with their doctor before trying them.
- Ac’cent seasoning -- As an alternative to Monosodium glutamate (MSG) products – which add a savory flavor to foods, Consumer Reports tasters said Ac’cent seasoning (480 mg of sodium per teaspoon) tasted more brothy than salty and liked it on popcorn. But it gave a slightly metallic flavor to rice and eggs.
- Bob’s Red Mill Large Flake Nutritional Yeast -- Nutritional yeast can be used as a sodium swap with veggies, soups, and salads. Tasters tried Bob’s Red Mill Large Flake Nutritional Yeast (2 mg of sodium per teaspoon) and found it had a cheesy umami flavor. On eggs, tasters preferred it to MSG.
Bottom line, when it comes to sodium, less is always more. Consumer Reports suggests checking labels when you shop and going for low-sodium versions of the foods you like. Or control your salt intake by adding just a little at a time.
WATCH DEMO: Make healthy oatmeal, chicken strips, mac & cheese
Shopping tricks to save you money
You could really be missing out on big savings – from the way you buy vegetables to relying a little too much on expiration dates. Consumer Reports’ Health Editor Trisha Calvo has the following advice:
Fruits and vegetables:
When you’re buying fruits and vegetables that are priced by the package—such as a bag of apples or potatoes—rather than by the pound, it’s worth taking the time to weigh a few packages. Consumer Reports found that the amount in the package may exceed the weight listed, so you can get a little more for your money. Similarly, the same could be said if something is priced by the unit -- such as a bunch of celery or head of lettuce.
Also, consider frozen fruits and vegetables. Consumer Reports says you can save on buying them frozen and they still have the same nutritional value.
Meat and poultry:
Calvo says price hikes on meat and poultry have been higher than those on most other foods, so stretch the amounts. Think about making a stir-fry heavy on the veggies and grains with thinly sliced strips of chicken rather than a big chicken breast with a spear of broccoli. Also, swap in chopped mushrooms or tofu for half of the ground meat that you’d normally use in meatloaf, tacos, chili, or pasta sauce. Going meatless a few meals a week can help too.
Expiration dates:
For foods you already have in your cupboards, don’t be so quick to toss them if they’re past their best-by date, sell-by date, or use-by date. Those dates don’t have anything to do with food safety. It’s the manufacturer’s estimate of how long its food will taste its freshest.
So, things like cereal, crackers, canned beans, even milk, yogurt, and eggs can be perfectly fine past those dates. Of course, if something looks or smells spoiled don’t use it, but many people toss perfectly good food just because the date on the container has passed.
Store brands:
Calvo says don’t miss out on the extra savings you can get from buying store brand. With store-brand foods and beverages, they can cost 20 to 25 percent less than name brands of the same product. Consumer Reports offers more tricks to save money at the grocery store here.