While it’s tempting to try to pinch pennies at the grocery store so you can save up for a sweet new leather skirt, that’s not actually the best idea. “There are definitely times when buying more expensive food is better for your overall health,” says Lisa Young, R.D., Ph.D., author of The Portion Teller Plan. Here, she lists nine foods that are worth shelling out extra cash to buy.
Organic lettuce, grapes, apples, spinach, and milk. Let’s face it: Some organic foods are a scam, like cookies and chips. “There’s really no need to buy organic sweets because a cookie is still a cookie,” says Young. But it does help to step up to organic level when it comes to foods higher in pesticides to begin with, like lettuce, grapes, apples, and spinach. And organic milk doesn’t contain as many hormones, which helps keep your skin clear. “Going organic with these foods means you’ll take in fewer pesticides and hormones overall, which is definitely worth paying for,” says Young. Check out the foods on the latest dirty dozen list to find out when it really pays to go organic.
Local anything. Sure, local stuff can be more expensive than regular foods. “But it’s so much better for the environment because it means that it didn’t travel miles and miles to get to you,” says Young. Plus, local grub is always ripe and in-season because it was just grown and/or picked nearby—which means it’s extra-delicious.
Wild salmon. Farm-raised salmon is manufactured, meaning the farmers put chemicals in the water to make it grow. “Wild salmon has far fewer chemicals, meaning it’s much healthier,” says Young. Bonus: It’s totally delicious, as evidenced in this seared wild salmon and mango salsa recipe.
Skinless chicken breasts. Breasts are more expensive than thighs or wings, but that’s because the meat is better for you. “Skinless chicken breasts are leaner than thighs, and they’re also healthier because they’re made of white meat, not darker meat, which has more calories than the lighter kind,” says Young. They’re delicious, too—try them in this chicken, plum and walnut relish dish.
Raw nuts. Packaged, salted nuts do taste very good and are generally cheaper than the raw kind. But go for the raw deal anyway: “They have so much less sodium than the packaged kind,” says Young.
Fancy oils, like truffle oil. Not all oils are created equal. Flavored dunking oils and truffle oils are much more expensive than a big bottle of regular EVOO, but here’s the secret: Since they’re so packed with flavor, you don’t need to use much, meaning you'll likely end up using less overall, says Young. That’ll save your wallet and your waistline.
Brown-rice sushi and whole-wheat pizza. Isn’t it funny how sushi places charge more for brown rice than white? It’s worth it, though. Unlike white rice and dough, which are refined carbs and therefore pretty empty in terms of nutrients, brown rice and whole-wheat pizza contain more fiber, so they’ll fill you up for longer.
A good cut of sirloin steak. The pricier sirloin steak is much leaner than other kinds, and it’s worth it to splurge—or else you could end up taking in far too much fat, says Young. Try this warm steak salad for an extra-lean protein boost.
MORE: 7 Fall Fruits and Veggies That Are PACKED with Nutrients
Powered by WPeMatico
No comments:
Post a Comment