Buying the Healthiest Foods For Around $1.00/Serving

Here are 10 great, nutrient-packed food choices that you can still find for around $1 per serving!

1. Two Cage Free Organic Eggs: $0.84

Eggs can be one of the most healthful foods in the world. But, not all eggs are equal. There is more and more evidence of a huge nutritional difference between true free-ranging chicken eggs and commercially farmed eggs. This is a result of the diets eaten by the two groups of chickens, those that are fed mostly corn, soy and cottonseed; or those that are free range that forage in a pasture for seeds, green plants, insects and worms. Garbage in/garbage out for animals and people.

Don’t be fooled by the egg industry’s double-speak definitions of what free-range really means. The UDSA defines “free-range” as chickens that have “access to the outside”. This does not specify whether the “outside” is a field for foraging or a cement courtyard and does not define their diets. If you must get your eggs from the grocery store, your best bet is to look for free-range organic.

***Avoid all omega-3 eggs since they are actually less healthful for you. Typically, these hens are fed poor quality omega-3 fat sources that are already oxidized.

Raw Organic Milk, 8 oz: $0.62

Despite the bad press that raw milk has received, it is one of the best foods out there for nutrient value. The bad thing is that it is a bit difficult to come by, depending on where you live. Not only does raw milk taste better than pasteurized milk, it contains more nutrients that are beneficial because they haven’t been destroyed by heat.

Raw milk is neither unappealing nor dangerous and is far better for you than pasteurized milk. Its popularity is growing all the time. To find a site near you, go to the RealMilk.com website. It gives you links to raw milk farmers but also provides excellent information on the nutritional benefits of raw milk.

3. Raw Nuts and Seeds:

Sunflower seeds, raw, 1 oz. = $0.82

Mixed raw nuts, 1/2 oz. = $1.00

Nuts are a good substitute protein for meat, for those of you preferring a vegetarian diet, as long as they aren’t eaten in excess. The reason for moderation is that, except for walnuts, almost all nuts are top heavy in omega-6 fats and can upset the omega 6/omega 3 ratio. The average American has an omega 6:3 ratio of 15:1. It should be 1:1. Therefore, any amount of omega-6 fat is not a good thing for most Americans.

***You need to be cautious with the quantity of nuts you eat, especially if you have high levels of insulin. Nuts are not your best choice if you suffer from high blood pressure, excess weight, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

Seeds are similar to nuts in that they are relatively high in omega-6 fats. They have fewer carbohydrates than nuts, so they are a little less problematic. Two exceptions are flax seeds and chia seeds, which are higher in the desirable omega-3 fats.

The best way to obtain flax is not from the oil but to grind fresh flax seeds or buy organic ground flax seeds.

4. Berries: 1 cup fresh organic blueberries = $0.95

Berries are among the best fruits on the planet. They are densely packed with a variety of potent phytochemicals that can do wonders to normalize and improve your health. They are high in fiber and low in sugar, so they won’t cause drastic insulin swings if eaten in moderation. Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries and Blackberries should be eaten as organic if you are able to, due to the pesticide residues on them. If that is not possible, you can create your own veggie/fruit wash by soaking them all together (and produce veggies too), by mixing 1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt and 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice into a large bowl of water and letting it set for 5-10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and the salt will not stick to the food. You may notice all the debris from the food floating to the top of the water in the bowl, showing you how much this simple mixture can actually remove.

Cranberries are also loaded with antioxidants and are famous for treating and preventing urinary tract infections. In addition, they offer protection against cancer, stroke and heart disease. Cranberries are rich in polyphenols, which might inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells and reduce the risk of gum disease and stomach ulcers. The best way to eat cranberries is to eat them raw and whole. Commercially prepared cranberry juice is loaded with sugar, which undoes any health benefits of the fruit. Whole, fresh cranberries are especially good when added to vegetable juice.

5. Watermelon: One-pound slice = $0.59

As it turns out, this universally loved melon has health benefits as well, and it won’t break the bank. Like berries, watermelon is loaded with phytochemicals, including lycopene, beta-carotene, and citrulline. When citrulline is consumed, it is converted to arginine. Arginine is an amino acid that has beneficial effects on the heart and circulatory system, as well as the immune system. Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, leading to another beneficial side benefit of watermelon … a Viagra-like effect without the hazards of a toxic drug!

Arginine also helps the urea cycle by removing ammonia and other toxic compounds from your body.

6. Coconut Milk: 7 ounces = $0.98

Coconut is quite nutritious (unless your primary source is macaroons). The oil in coconut is one of the best oils for your body because of its medium chain fatty acids, or triglycerides (MCT’s). MCT’s have many health benefits, including raising your body’s metabolism and fighting off pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Coconut milk is quite versatile — ask anyone who has been doing vegetarian cooking for a while. It can be used as a milk substitute and is delicious in sauces and dressings, as well as baked goods. Coconut milk has been a staple in the Thai diet for centuries.

Coconut is nature’s richest source of MCT outside of human breast milk. Coconut oil is very stable and does not oxidize and break down quickly like other oils, and it has a shelf life of more than two years. It is absolutely the best oil for cooking.

Fresh coconut is delicious although a little difficult to find sometimes, but there are now some good canned coconut varieties available. More and more research is emerging all the time about the health benefits of coconut and coconut oil.

7. Spinach: 5 oz. fresh organic spinach = $0.95

Spinach is extremely good for you! Regardless of your nutritional type, its recommended for everyone. Spinach is high in antioxidants and has a very high ORAC score. ORAC is Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, which is a measurement of a food’s ability to destroy the free radicals that cause your body damage. The higher the ORAC score, the better a food is for you.

Spinach’s ORAC score is surpassed only by prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and kale.

Spinach is also rich in folic acid, which can help lower blood pressure. In addition, it is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which can lower the risk for age-related macular degeneration.

8. Garlic: 2 cloves = $0.05

Garlic should be on your menu daily. Garlic boosts your body’s natural abilities to protect you from hypertension and osteoporosis, and research is mounting that it decreases your risk for various forms of cancer. It is a potent antimicrobial as well, working as a natural antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic agent.

Garlic’s main active ingredient is allicin, but this agent vanishes about an hour after you cut into it. This is why you must eat garlic fresh! You can’t swallow cloves whole — they must be crushed first. Taking a garlic pill is a waste of time.

9. Wild Rice: One serving = $0.99

Contrary to its name, wild rice is not a rice at all but a grass. Wild rice towers over other grains when it comes to nutritional content. It is higher in protein, fiber, minerals, B vitamins, folic acid, and complex carbohydrates. It is particularly rich in niacin, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. This is your best choice when choosing a grain, you just can’t do better than this.

10. Krill Oil: Two capsules = $0.84

There was a time when I would have placed fish on this list as one of the top ten foods, but unfortunately, today, the dangers of eating fish outweigh the benefits due to the toxic mercury levels they now contain, with very few exceptions. Doctors have discovered a cost effective way for you to receive all of the benefits of fish without the danger of heavy metal contamination.

Antarctic krill oil is a pure marine oil loaded with powerful antioxidants and essential omega-3 oils, with NO heavy metal contamination. Krill are small shrimp or prawn-like creatures that feed the world’s most mammoth animals—the great whales. Toothless great whales gulp down huge quantities of krill to provide the energy they need to fuel their massive bulk. A blue whale eats up to 8,000 pounds of krill each day!

There are many ways krill oil can help you. These are just a few:

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A healthy heart
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Healthy joints
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Fighting aging
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Supporting your brain and nervous system
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Stabilizing your cholesterol levels
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Optimizing your mood
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Keeping your skin healthy

This unusual oil boasts a very comprehensive set of necessary antioxidants not seen in fish or cod liver oil, and it is stable and well absorbed with a good deal of research to back it up.