10 Foods That Are Cheaper and Healthier Than 'Superfoods’

By: Maygrace Taylor
All photos by Getty Images

Walk the health food aisle at your grocery store, and you may think you have to remortgage your home to afford to eat well. “But there are plenty of ‘normal’ foods that are extremely nutrient-rich, like sweet potatoes and eggs,” says Rania Batayneh, author of The One One One Diet. And those everyday items usually cost way less than their trendy counterparts. Here, 10 affordable, surprisingly great-for-you eats.

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1. Greek yogurt per serving: $1.49 for 286 mg calcium, 0 IU vitamin D
Vitamin D-fortified milk per serving: $.43 for 314 mg calcium, 98 IU vitamin D

Trendy Greek yogurt is everywhere these days. But the price tag is steep, so save by reaching for good old-fashioned milk instead. “It’s packed with nutrients that women don’t get enough of, like calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus,” says registered dietitian Tina Ruggiero, author of The Truly Healthy Family Cookbook. Plus, a recent Canadian study suggests that milk’s heart-healthy fatty acids may help stave off metabolic syndrome, which ups your risk for heart disease and diabetes.

2. Red onions per serving: $.50 for 39 mg quercetin
    Cherries per serving: $1.26 for 4.4 mg quercetin

Both brightly hued picks are chock-full of quercetin, an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory powers thought to offer protection against heart disease, stomach ulcers and cancer, Batayneh says. Bonus: Quercetin also appears to help soothe exercise-related aches and pains. So while cherries—even frozen ones—are a splurge, onions are cheap enough to load up on every week.

3. Peanut butter per serving: $.16 for 10.3 mg resveratrol
    Blueberries per serving: $2.49 for .17 mg resveratrol

Like pricey blueberries (and splurge-worthy red wine), peanut butter is packed with resveratrol, a plant compound that boasts anti-aging properties, says registered dietitian Keri Gans, author of The Small Change Diet. What’s more, a recent analysis found that the stuff also appears to lower insulin sensitivity, potentially reducing your risk for diabetes. And all for a cost that’s, well, peanuts!

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4. Sweet potatoes per serving: $.37 for 4 g fiber, 922 mcg vitamin A
    Quinoa per serving: $1 for 2.6 g fiber, 0 mcg vitamin A

Both are fiber-packed, gluten-free sources of complex carbohydrates that give you long-lasting energy and steady blood sugar levels. But unlike quinoa—which costs about $8 per box—sweet potatoes are dirt cheap. That’s not all, though. Their bright orange color means that they have loads of beta-carotene, which can help your skin ward off damage from the sun’s UV rays, Ruggiero says.

5. Anchovies per serving: $2.78 for 1.4 g omega-3s
    Farmed salmon per serving: $5.60 for 1.9 g omega-3s

Salmon might get all the attention for its omega-3s. “But other cold-water fatty fish have high amounts of the healthy fat, too,” Batayneh says. Though the popular pink fish offers slightly more omega-3s per serving, anchovies add a salty, savory bite to homemade salad dressings for about half the price. Just be sure to look for anchovies packaged in jars or pouches; the linings of many cans contain the potentially dangerous chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), which can leach into food.

6. Eggs per serving: $.16 for 6 g protein
    Chia seeds per serving: $.84 for 4.7 g protein

The popular black seeds are high in protein and healthy fats, but a bag will run you close to $14. So skip ‘em in favor of eggs, which pack even more of the muscle builder at a fraction of the cost. Plus, betcha didn’t know that more than half of the fat in egg yolks comes from heart healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The rest comes from saturated fat, but recent research suggests that eating eggs won’t increase your risk for heart disease. “Eating one a day is generally safe,” Ruggiero says.

7. Cinnamon per serving: $.07 for 416 mg polyphenols
    Dark chocolate per serving: $1.09 for 165 mg polyphenols

Dark chocolate is touted for its sky-high levels of antioxidants like phenols, natural plant compounds that have been shown to protect your heart and improve memory. But a bar of the good stuff isn’t cheap. A cost-effective—and considerably more potent—alternative? Ground cinnamon. Its polyphenols are believed also to keep diabetes at bay. Add a pinch to tomato sauce for Moroccan-inspired flavor, or swirl a spoonful into our next superfood…

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8. Coffee per serving: $.06 for 354 mg polyphenols
    Green tea per serving: $.11 for 203 mg polyphenols

Java and green tea both offer a healthy dose of polyphenols, Ruggiero says. But guess what? Your morning joe costs about half as much. To get the most benefits, stick with a simple cup (a splash of milk or a teaspoon of sugar is OK) over coffee drinks with sugary syrups, whipped cream or artificial flavorings.

9. Wheat germ per serving: $.12 for 4.5 mg vitamin E
    Baby spinach per serving: $.59 for 1 mg vitamin E

Leafy greens like baby spinach are a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E, which is important for keeping your immune system strong and skin glowing. But wheat germ, the nutty, nutrient-packed wheat plant product, has even more E—and costs significantly less. Never used it before? Try folding it into pancake batter or swapping it for breadcrumbs as a topping for mac and cheese.

10. Sauerkraut per serving: $.79
      Kombucha per serving: $2.08

Kombucha is a tart, fizzy drink that’s loaded with probiotics, the good bacteria that keeps your digestion humming and helps your immune system fight unwelcome bugs. For considerably less per serving, you can get a huge jar of sauerkraut, another probiotic goldmine. (Exactly how much probiotics either food contains is unknown, but with sauerkraut, you’ll still come out on top since you can eat more of it for less money.) Just look for jars with labels that say raw or unpasteurized, since the heat of pasteurization kills the good bacteria, Gans says.

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