Can Less Money Equal Better Eating?

June 19, 2008— -- The less money you have, the better you can eat.

That sounds odd, but it can be true. So often people think that only when you're in the chips (cash, not the potato kind) can you have a good diet. Raspberries in February, organic baby veggies from Spain, 89-grain organic bread that was made at the hand of Bolivian monks who never watch television, meat from cows that spent time in a spa -- you name it.

It's easy to think there's no way a family with a modest budget -- even more modest, nowadays -- can have a healthy and decent diet without hawking the house.

It's a huge mistake to think that good healthy food has to cost a bundle. Sure, some of it does, but junk food is even more expensive in the long run. It's not so healthy, and it's loaded with calories, fat, salt and sugar. Even if it's free, it's not a bargain.

A lot of "luxury food" isn't all that healthy, either -- for instance, pricey Kobe beef that's been massaged by hand for extra marbling, to the tune of up to $125 per pound. Great, but it's still loaded with fat, and your arteries don't care how the meat spent its days. Not-so-lean hamburger will have just as much fat and set you back considerably less, but don't eat too much of that, either.

The point is that big budget or small, your diet can be great or terrible. Since most people feel the financial pinch these days, let's examine how to eat well for less.

First, let's take on protein. It's one of the most expensive parts of the diet because we tend to favor animal protein, and animals take a long time and effort to grow, increasing their cost.

Ironically, the most economical sources of animal protein also have the highest protein quality: eggs and milk. No kidding. The protein in these foods most closely matches the protein of human tissue, so the body uses it very efficiently.

Even with recent price increases, eggs and milk beat beef, hands down. Two eggs are only about 40 cents -- that's $1.60 for a family of four. A glass of milk is about 25 cents -- cheaper than even a bargain can of soda. Milk and eggs also provide at least a dozen important nutrients each, so they're rock-solid nutrition sources.