April 21, 2010

Healthy eating on a budget

By Jennifer Burke

ROCHESTER, N.Y.(CNS)—Plenty of people resort to buying fast-food meals because they think they don’t have time or money to make nutritious meals, but that’s not necessarily so, according to a dietician.

“A lot of times there’s the perception (that families) can’t afford to buy the healthy foods, but they keep pulling through the drive-through at McDonald’s or all the fast-food restaurants,” said registered dietician Tami Best, coordinator of diabetes education and outpatient nutrition therapy at Thompson Health in Canandaigua, N.Y.

Fast food often is appealing because it’s quick, cheap and convenient when you’re hungry and either don’t have food with you or don’t want to wait to prepare a meal. In the long run, however, eating fast food on a regular basis ends up costing more for both your wallet and your waistline, Best said.

To counter this approach, Best suggests planning ahead and packing a turkey sandwich or healthy snacks. “Carry things with you. It’s going to be much less expensive if you just plan ahead,” she said.

A budget-conscious lunch at a fast-food restaurant might only cost $3 or $4 a day, but that quickly adds up to $15 to $20 per work week. On the other hand, a loaf of wheat bread, a container of sliced deli turkey and a package of sliced American cheese runs less than $10.

For those who have turned away from the fast-food restaurant and pulled into a grocery store, there are still plenty of decisions to make.

Best said consumers should decide what to buy based on price tags and nutritional value.

“There’s no doubt that some of the produce and things like that can make your grocery bill go up. However, it certainly isn’t the case across the board,” she said.

Buying produce from a local farmers’ market or roadside stand is the best way to get fresh produce at a good price, Best said. If you must buy your produce from a grocery store, however, choose wisely.

“Choose produce that is in season for your area or you’re going to increase your costs,” she advised.

Of course, one’s eating habits are just as important as the foods one eats, she noted.

Establishing a baseline—usually by recording or journaling your food intake—is one of the first steps toward establishing healthier eating habits, Best said.

“Make yourself aware of your current eating habits. Look at these and make reasonable, measurable goals for the family,” she said. “Make the first goal for the family to get the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables (per day).”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Web site, www.MyPyramid.gov, is another good place to start, Best said. This site offers a number of free resources, including dietary guidelines, personalized eating plans and menu planners. Anyone interested in learning about and changing their eating habits also may obtain from a primary-care physician a referral to see a registered dietician.

“It’s a great way to get started down the path (to healthy eating),” Best said.

But eating also has a spiritual component, noted Joanne Burke, director of the University of New Hampshire’s dietetic internship. In an “Eating Well” entry for the Web site of the Diocese of Manchester, N.H., Burke offered “10 commandments of eating well” covering basic guidelines such as eating more fruits, vegetable and whole grains and limiting sodas, dessert and highly-processed foods.

She suggested that people eat locally-grown foods and also “choose foods that are close to how nature designed them” noting for example, that a potato is far healthier than a potato chip.

Looking at the spiritual element, she stressed the importance of making meal times a chance to nourish the soul—in spending time with family and friends. She also urged families to consider setting up a fund where they could contribute money they could have spent on snacks and fast food to support local food pantries.

To put modern hunger in spiritual perspective, Burke quoted words of Blessed Mother Teresa who once said “there is more hunger in this world for love and appreciation than for bread.”