Cheap And Healthy Snacks To Buy

In fact, some of the very best foods for your figure cost less than a dollar per serving. We've done the math and studied the nutritionals for you so you can enjoy each and every one of the cheap healthy snacks below without a second thought.

cheap and healthy snacks to buy

One medium banana has just 105 calories, 14 grams of naturally occurring sugar and provides 3 grams of satiating fiber, making it one of the healthiest cheap snacks on the market. Bananas also a great source of belly-flattening nutrients like potassium and prebiotic fiber, which helps to feed good gut bacteria and improve digestion.

Sick of yogurt? Pick up some cottage cheese. The cheap healthy snack is a good addition to your diet because it's high in protein and light in the calorie department. It's also considered a complete protein, which means it contains all nine essential amino acids your body needs to function properly and build metabolism-revving muscle.

If you keep just one snack in your bag at all times, make it almonds. The small but mighty nut is filled with a winning combination of satiating fiber, protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that keep you feeling full.

"We keep pistachios in ample supply at the ranch," says The Biggest Loser dietitian Cheryl Forberg. "Not only are they satisfying, heart-healthy snacks, they also aid weight loss. Studies suggest having to manually remove the shell helps people eat more mindfully and slows the rate at which they nosh, helping to reduce portion size and calorie intake."

Like watermelon, red grapes add fuel to your flat-belly fire because they contain anthocyanin. Pop a cup of 'em in the freezer so you have healthy snacks on hand whenever a craving for something sweet and refreshing strikes.

Banana bread is a comfort food that is great to have at any time. Unlike traditional banana bread recipes, you can give this dish a healthy spin by substituting refined flour and processed sugar with ingredients like 100 percent whole wheat flour and using natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup.

The average American already consumes more sodium than recommended and high blood pressure is one of the top killers. I would recommend unsalted versions of these snacks to be healthier as almost everything here is sea salt.

In my quest for healthy bites, I built a long list of go-to frugal snacks that I can prepare ahead of time. Even the cheapest snacks help to keep me satiated when my mid-day hunger rears its ugly head.

Not only are roasted chickpeas packed with protein, fiber and healthy carbs, but they are a cheap snack to make, too. All you need is a can of chickpeas, some olive oil and your preferred blend of spices.

Nutritious, filling and convenient, granola bars have long hailed King of Cheap Snacks for Kids. In recent years, however, you may have noticed that granola bars are not the cheapest snacks to buy; store-bought bars are actually outrageously pricey.

I have always loved granola bars as inexpensive snacks (even as an adult), but never considered making them myself until my mother-in-law shared her super simple recipe with me. I was shocked at how easy, healthy and affordable it is to whip up a batch of basic granola bars.

To make sure you stay on budget with grapes as cheap snacks to buy, my best advice is to purchase grapes when they are at rock-bottom prices. At my grocery store, grapes usually go on sale for less than $1 per pound at some point in the summer.

Just toss canned (and rinsed) black beans into your food processor along with sauteed onion, garlic and peppers. Stir in some salt, cumin and cilantro to turn up the flavor and pair with fresh veggies for phenomenal frugal snacks.

Other cheap snack foods you can make for a fun frugal appetizer are homemade guacamole (when avocados are on sale) and fresh pico de gallo (which is even better when you can use ingredients from your own garden!).

Another one of the cheap, healthy snack ideas with yogurt is to make ice cream. Essentially, use the same simple ingredients as you would to make the popsicles, but skip the stick. Instead, freeze it in a tub and dish it out in bowls.

Unlike the majority of cheese, cottage cheese is one of the cheeses that falls into the Frugal Fare category. Better yet, it is an extremely easy and cheap snack. All you have to do is swing into the grocery store and pick up an inexpensive tub.

For frugal snacking, I prefer steaming unshelled edamame and then adding a dash of salt to the shell before popping the beans out of the shell and into my mouth. Garlic, parmesan, lime and sugar are other popular options for flavor enhancers for the budget-friendly snacks.

For specific help with food budgeting, use my Budget Meal Planning Printables, a printable packet which includes a weekly meal calendar, a grocery list organizer and recipe cards to record your favorite cheap meals and snacks.

Saffron Road makes incredible crunchy chickpeas, but this falafel flavor takes it up a notch. Made with organic ingredients, this variety incorporates exotic spices and is the perfect healthy snack to munch on.

If you're gluten-free, snacks can be limiting. ALDI's line of liveGfree offers incredible gluten-free items at an affordable price-point. Their rosemary and olive-oil multiseed snack crackers are delicious and pair well with just about anything.

"(Bananas) get a bad rap for being high in sugar, but natural sugar in fruit is not a major concern for health," says Jenn LaVardera, a registered dietitian and wellness specialist in Southampton, New York. "Bananas contain vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6 and potassium as well as antioxidants that support health. They also pack heart-healthy fiber. Typically under a dollar per pound, they are the best deal in the produce department," LaVardera says.

"Legumes are one of the foods that we really should be eating every day. They provide protein, fiber, and help to enhance the microbiome, which means it helps keep our gut healthy, and this helps build the immune system," VanBeber says. "Right now, a can of black beans is 78 cents at Walmart and 79 cents at Kroger."

"Chuck roast tends to be pretty cheap and since it's fatty and filling, you only need a little to feel full and satiated," says Vered DeLeeuw, author of HealthyRecipesBlogs.com. Currently, at Kroger, you'll find a boneless beef chuck roast for $6.99 a pound.

Oats are healthy, "hearty and with added spices can be delicious," Novotny says. "They're a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Whole oats have been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels, which helps to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Plus, the fiber helps to slow glucose absorption, which is helpful for diabetics," she adds.

How cheap are oats? Prices vary depending on where you shop and the type of oats you buy: steel-cut, rolled or instant oats. A 42-ounce container of old fashioned whole grain oats currently goes for $3.98 at Walmart.

Versatile and inexpensive, pasta is a pantry staple of many cost-conscious shoppers. "Pasta is the ultimate cheap food. College students immediately think of ramen, but most pasta is inexpensive," Mantilla says.

Don't ignore the center of the store. "I know everyone thinks you have to shop the perimeter of the grocery store for the best foods, but there are plenty of healthy and budget-friendly foods in the center aisles," White says.

Maxine Yeung, MS, RD, owner of The Wellness Whisk, loves that these guacamole snack packs are full of heart-healthy fats, potassium, and iron. But her favorite thing about them? No need to worry about your leftover guacamole turning brown. She recommends eating them with veggies and crackers, or you can serve them atop a grain bowl or wrap for an extra boost of omega-3s.

Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, of Amy Gorin Nutrition, loves to stash these yogurt drinks in the fridge for emergency snacks. Each 10-ounce bottle is filled with at least 14 grams of protein, so it can actually tide you over till lunch.

These almond flour crackers are made of a satisfying combo of protein and fiber and are an excellent vessel for all kinds of dips and spreads, says May Zhu, RD, founder of Nutrition Happens. Plus: The extremely long shelf life makes theses the perfect healthy snack to buy in bulk.

Nuts are great healthy snacks for long-lasting satiety because they move through the digestive system slowly and make us feel fuller for longer, Edwina Clark, MS, RD, board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, explains. These single-serving packets contain just the right amount of nutrients to provide an energy boost, and the raisins add a welcome bit of sweetness.

If your kiddo heading off to preschool this year and you need preschool snacks, this list of easy ideas has you covered. I aimed to include affordable and easy to eat options that are nut-free and kid-approved!

These are such great after school snack ideas! I am going to try some of these for my kids. They have a pediatric dentist appointment coming up I want to get them in a good routine of having less sugary snacks. Thanks so much!

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Anisha Jhaveri is freelance film writer, but her enthusiasm for health and wellness was triggered several years ago thanks to a discovery of healthy food blogs and a spontaneous personal training session. A mild curiosity turned into a full-blown passion over time; her idea of satisfaction quickly equated to heart-pumping workouts, experimenting with new dishes in the kitchen, or adding to her ever-growing collection of recipes on Pinterest. Her mission is to make the world a healthier and happier place, one green smoothie at a time.

Whoever started the trend of putting veggies into baked goods is a genius. It can be tough to get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in a day, so adding them to snacks certainly makes it easier. 041b061a72