Eating Healthy on a Budget: 3 Kitchen Staples Revised

Eating healthy on a budget doesn't mean bringing home half-empty bags from the grocery store. By making smart decisions, eating healthy without going broke can become second nature.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Here are three kitchen staples you can easily replace with healthier, inexpensive options on your next shopping trip.

 

1. Rice

If you love stir fries, casseroles and soups, you probably have rice in your pantry. Did you know there are many types of rice available?

The everyday white sticky rice you enjoy in your Chinese takeout isn't the only option out there. Try buying whole grain brown rice. Unlike refined white rice, whole grain brown rice is packed with energy-boosting B vitamins and antioxidants manganese and selenium.

Whole grains help stabilize blood sugars, encourage weight loss and prevent cancer, according to registered dietician Keri Glassman, a contributor to CBS. To save even more pennies, buy rice in bulk. The individual boil-in-bag pouches cost more and produce more waste for landfills.

 

2. Bread

From sandwiches to a morning plate of French toast, bread is a staple in many homes. Eating healthy on a budget doesn't mean you have to give up bread.

The carbohydrate-filled food is a great way to add even more cholesterol-lowering whole grains to your diet. Instead of grabbing the loaf of white bread made with processed bleached flour, opt for something darker. Look for breads made with oatmeal, quinoa, whole grain wheat or brown rice.

These breads not only add fiber to your diet, they also add more flavor to your meal so you won't grab for extra slices just to fill up. Eating less means your cost per serving goes down -- saving you money.

3. Beans

Consider going meatless for one meal a day. To get enough proteins and fiber in your diet, try making a meal based on beans, recommends the United States Department of Agriculture. When purchased dried, you can easily walk away paying a dollar or less for a pound of dried lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans or chickpeas. You know that's less than what you pay for a pound of ground beef. Now that's eating healthy on a budget!

In addition to chili, soups and vegetarian bean burritos, beans can be mashed and made into hamburger-like patties, bean loafs and seasoned for taco filling. As a bonus, beans are extremely low in saturated fat -- unlike most meat-based proteins.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Note: This article was originally published on Yahoo! Voices on February 10, 2012. 

13 Ways to Love Black Beans

Photo Credit: SXC

As I sit at my desk working on a Thanksgiving-theme magazine article, rain gently taps at the window. The comforting aroma of a pot of bubbling black beans fills the house.

This morning I made the lofty decision to soak and prepare 3 pounds of the protein-packed little buggers. Yes, 3 pounds!

As a vegetarian, beans are a whole foods staple. They fill me up, keep me healthy and are fat-free. If you don't add beans to your menu very often, what are you waiting for? They're incredibly versatile and inexpensive. I purchase a 1 lb bag of dried black beans at the grocery store for a dollar. So, are you ready to indulge?

13 Ways to Love Black Beans

1. Make a three bean salad topped with a sour vinegar dressing.
2. Whip up a batch of black bean brownies.
3. Toss black beans into your favorite pasta salad recipes.
4. Simmer a pot of spicy black bean soup on a rainy day.
5. Make chili!
6. Mash cooked black beans, add cumin, garlic and fresh lime juice for delicious refried beans.
7. Create an enchilada casserole with a layer of spiced black beans.
8. Blend chilled corn, chopped tomatoes and black beans for a simple Mexican side salad.
9. Mix black beans into seasoned rice for a classic beans n' rice vegetarian meal.
10. Use black beans in lieu of ground beef next time you make tacos or burritos.
11. Puree black beans with a splash of olive oil and chopped garlic for a creamy bean dip.
12. Add black beans to your favorite tomato salsa recipe.
13. Sprinkle black beans atop a green salad for extra protein.

So, how do you like to eat black beans? Make me hungry in the comments below!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

5 Reasons to Eat Kidney Beans

Kidney beans! Photo: Morguefile

They're a staple in chili, the colorful part of a three-bean salad and loved by vegetarians everywhere. Kidney beans!

But, why should you starting eating more of them? Well, here's five good reasons!

1. Kidney beans are high in fiber, which  means they can prevent blood sugar levels from spiking too quickly after a meal. This is important for diabetics and those with hypoglycemia.
2. Mix kidney beans with rice to create a complete protein. This is important if you're a vegetarian or eating a meatless meal.
3. Kidney beans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. This means they keep you regular and help clear cholesterol out of your system. Kidney beans can lessen the symptoms of irritable bowl syndrome.
4. Kidney beans are rich in magnesium and folate, which are important for heart health.
5. Kidney beans are fat-free and low in calories. So, eat up!

Source: The World's Healthiest Foods

I enjoy using seasoned kidney beans in lieu of ground beef when making tacos or chili! When do you eat kidney beans?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Beyond Tofu: 6 Vegetarian Sources of Protein

Almonds. Photo Credit: SXC.HU

I talk about food and nutrition with my friends and family quite often. The most popular question I'm asked is "How in the heck do you get enough protein in your diet since you're vegetarian?"

Well, since I don't eat meat or seafood, I look to natural plant-based sources of protein. I also consume dairy products since I'm not a vegan.

Why is it important?
Protein is essential for skin, bone, muscle and organ health according to the Mayo Clinic, so I try to make sure I get enough in my diet each day.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends women ages 19-70 consume 46 grams of protein each day. (For other age groups, click HERE and scroll down.)

6 Vegetarian Sources of Protein

1. Greek yogurt: I enjoy eating Chobani Greek Yogurt for breakfast or as a snack. One 6 ounce single-serve container contains 13-18 grams of protein. (Source: Chobani)
2. Nuts: One of my favorite go-to snacks is lightly salted almonds. I also use them to make flourless brownies and thicken smoothies. One-fourth cup of almonds contains 7.62 grams of protein--that's more than an egg, according to The World's Healthiest Foods.  (Source: The World's Healthiest Foods)
3. Beans: 1 cup of dry beans (uncooked) contains approximately 16 grams of protein. Use them to make bean burritos, bean soup or baked beans. (Source: CDC)
4. Lentils: I use lentils to make everything from faux burgers and meatloaf to soup and cold salads. These little powerhouses pack almost 18 grams of protein in each cup of cooked lentils. (Source: The World's Healthiest Foods)
5. Rice: Whole grain brown rice isn't only rich in fiber and minerals, it's also a great source of protein. Each cup of uncooked rice contains 5 grams of protein. Mix the rice with beans and seasoning for a protein-packed entree. (Source: The World's Healthiest Foods)
6. Seeds: I also enjoy snacking on sunflower seeds. Try sprinkling them on a salad or blended into a rich butter to spread on sandwiches. Just 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds adds 7.27 grams of protein to your diet. (Source: The World's Healthiest Foods)

How do you add non-meat protein to your diet?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Bean, Beans The Musical Fruit...Wait, Fruit?

Dry kidney beans. Photo from Morguefile.

OK, sing along with me:

"Beans, beans the musical fruit!
The more you eat, the more you...."

We all know the rest of the rhyme. (And, I'm not interested in blogging about flatulence!)

However, I am curious about the claim that beans are members of the fruit family. Really? So, I put on my investigative reporter hat and found this little nugget of nutrition trivia.

Beans are members of the legume family. Other legumes include lentils, peanuts, peas and soybeans, according to The Bean Institute. The most popular bean consumed in the United States is the pinto bean.

My top five favorites ways to eat beans are:

• Boiling and mashing black beans with the juice of a fresh lime and chopped garlic to use on tacos
• Tossing several beans together and dressing it with a light Italian dressing for a summer salad
• Adding pinto beans to a pot of vegetable soup for extra protein
• Mashing garbanzo beans and using them in lieu of ground beef to make a veggie "meatloaf"
• Combining kidney, pinto and white beans as the base for a vegetarian chili

So, how do you like to eat beans?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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My Gluten-Free Pasta Choice: Mung Bean Noodles

Giving up pasta isn't easy. So, I decided I didn't have to. I just had to get creative.
After realizing my wheat consumption aligned with joint inflammation, I decided to venture into a gluten-free diet. Since I prefer eating whole foods, I was thrilled to find a preservative-free one-ingredient pasta alterative at the grocery store: mung bean noodles.

Mung Bean Noodles
Photo by Wikimedia Commons

After trying rice-based pasta noodles (mushy and flavorless), I was skeptical. But now I have a new favorite go-to noodle.

Mung beans are also known as cellophane noodles, mung bean threads or glass noodles. The gluten-free pasta earned these odd names because it turns from white to clear when boiled. The thin strands remind me of angel hair pasta or a very slender spaghetti. Even after boiling and baking them in pasta sauce, the noodles retain a common chewy noodle texture.

Mung beans don't have much natural flavor, so they absorb the flavor of other ingredients. I've been pairing them with homemade alfredo sauce and sauteed vegetables to create a calorie-heavy indulgence. That is the downside to the noodles; They aren't friendly on the figure.

One cup of dehydrated mung bean noodles contains 491 calories and 121 grams of carbohydrates. The beans don't offer any protein and very little fiber to your diet. However they contain iron, phosphorus and selenium. To boost the nutrition factor, pair the noodles with vitamin-packed veggies, lean proteins and low fat dairy products.

Although the noodles are a splurge, it's nice to have a gluten-free option that withstands boiling, baking and tossing with other ingredients without falling apart (like some gluten-free carbs).

Do you use mung bean noodles? What are you favorite recipes? Please share in the comments section below.
 
Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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What are Lentils?

Dried Red Lentils
Photo by Jules,
Wikimedia Commons

As a vegetarian, I'm often asked, "So, what do you actually eat?"

Usually my response includes a list of what I've eaten recently such as chickpeas, lentils and whole grain pasta. Lentils almost always make the list because I absolutely love them. Not surprisingly, I am usually faced with a blank stare.

When a friend recently told me her only experience with lentils was watching her friend's pet ferret use them as bedding in a playpen, I knew it was time to write a post about my favorite protein-packed food.

Lentil Nutritional Information
I usually start my response with something like, "Well, they look like a tiny flat bean. But, they're a legume." Lentils come in several colorful varieties including brown, green and red.

This whole food provides a great source of protein, B vitamins, magnesium, iron and folate. Lentils can help lower cholesterol and regulate blood-sugar levels. Plus lentils are nearly fat-free and low in calories. One cup of cooked lentils contains just 229 calories, according to the World's Healthiest Foods.



Boil green lentils to soften.
Photo by Alvimann,
Morguefile.com

Cooking with Lentils
I use lentils in everything. They thicken soups and stews, mash into a fabulous meatloaf or burger-like structure and toss well in a salad. I've even found a brownie recipe using lentils that I'm dying to try.

Next time you want to try a meatless meal, use cooked lentils in lieu of ground beef. The tiny little legumes tend to take on the flavor of other foods in the dish, making them a filling way to bulk up any recipe.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!
Angela