4 Food Principles That Smart People Swear By
Simple, whole, and full of fiber – these are foods that guarantee health and longevity.
While I understand the argument that “healthy food” is sometimes costly, that’s not always entirely true.
Take for example peanuts – in London you can buy a 3 serving bag of peanuts for 50p. A 3 serving bag of Doritos will likely cost you £1.50.
Point being, while you probably can’t get all whole foods at a discount when compared to processed / packaged “junk food”, you could still manage to get by using these principles.
1. Buy whole foods in their raw state.
Some suggestions of foods that you can eat raw that pack a punch nutrition wise and won’t hurt your wallet are:
- Raw fruits and vegetables
- Nuts: peanuts, almonds, walnuts, etc
- Dried fruit: while oftentimes high in sugar, many are high in fiber
- Trail mix: a combo of nuts, granola, dried fruits
- Raw cacao powder that can be used in milk or water for a highly nutritious drink, filled with antioxidants, protein, and fiber
2. When you go to a restaurant, choose simple but high-quality foods.
My rule is never order anything with more than three ingredients that I can’t visibly see.
- Tuna sashimi, salmon nigiri and edamame are all examples of simple and nutritious foods that are high quality yet simple.
- A spring roll on the otherhand, is an example of a low quality food with probably 10 ingredients, most of which are not visible to the eye. Dutch this, and opt for the simpler option if you can.
3. Soups are the holy grail of easy, cheap and nutritious meals
A lot of recipes may call for a handful of ingredients, but these usually are easy on the wallet and can last quite some time if you ration them properly. Here are some sample soups that are easy to make, light on the wallet, easy to store, delicious and filling:
- Lentil soup – I often mix lentils with carrots, celery, or corn. If I make a southwestern flavoured lentil soup, I often put a bit of Greek yogurt on top for added protein.
- Vegetable soup (there are many variations depending on your preference) – use vegetable stock as well as any veggies that you prefer, like celery, carrots, even potato.
If you have root vegetables on hand, lentils, and vegetable or chicken stock (all relatively inexpensive compared to processed food), you can whip up a low cost, balanced and nutrious meal in as little as 20–30 minutes
4. Make getting fiber a top priority each day
Getting enough fiber in your diet has numerous health benefits.
- For one, it helps maintain bowel regularity, preventing constipation.
- Additionally, high-fiber diets have been linked to lower cholesterol levels and reduced risk of heart disease, as well as controlled blood sugar levels.
- Fiber also promotes satiety, helping to reduce overall calorie intake and promote weight loss.
- A diet filled with fiber is associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers, such as colon cancer.
There are many different low-cost foods that are high in fiber, including fruits like apples, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, and pears, and vegetables like broccoli, carrots, spinach, squash, and sweet potatoes.
Legumes like beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas are often ultra low-cost and packed with fiber, as are whole grains like oats, brown rice, quinoa, and nuts and seeds like almonds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and sunflower seeds.
By incorporating more high-fiber foods in your diet, you’ll feel fuller longer and can reap the many benefits of fiber on gut and overall well-being.
Final thoughts
Eating healthfully doesn’t need to be stressful, expensive or overly complicated.
While many of our shelves are filled to the brim with packaged, heavily processed and addictive foods, remember that food consumption comes down to choice.
It’s a conscious choice to enter a grocery store, ignore the tempting aisles, and go straight to the fresh produce section and area where you can buy nuts, legumes and pulses, or even simple food like canned tuna or fish.
With conscious effort and planning, you can buy nutritious food that fits into your budget and makes your life simple.
