5 Ways to Be Heart Healthy On a Budget

Cost-Saving Tip 4: Eat Healthfully for Less

In terms of calories for the money, you can't beat fast food. But it's about the worst thing you can do for your heart and waistline. To eat healthfully on the cheap, you need to plan in advance and be creative.

If fresh fruits and vegetables are too expensive, stock up on store-brand frozen vegetables. They are usually cheaper than fresh, have few or no additives or salt, and sometimes have a higher nutritional value and better taste compared to the fresh fruits that were picked many days ago and shipped from thousands of miles away.

Canned food items also can save you money and are shelf-stable, so you can stock up when they're on sale. Be sure to look for low-sodium and no-salt-added varieties as much as possible. Get our canned product recommendations.

Consider signing up with a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. In a CSA, people agree to help support a small farm operation, and in return, they get fruits and vegetables during the growing season.

Instead of costly meat, buy cheap dried beans, lentils, legumes, and quick-cooking whole grains such as couscous, kashi, and quinoa. Dried legumes take a while to cook, so cook a big batch on the weekend and freeze single-meal portions. You'll have your own heart-healthy "fast food" next time.

Cut your grocery bill in half!