Affordable, Easy to Prepare Superfoods to Power Your Meal

Superfoods refer to a special class of foods high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Although all types of superfoods are good for you, they are not created equal. Some superfoods are more nutritious than others. Some are readily accessible, others, not so much! The good news is, there are so many affordable, accessible, and delicious superfoods you can incorporate into every meal! In today’s post, we are listing down superfoods that are budget friendly and easy to prepare:

String Beans

At a measly 15 cents per cup, string beans are one of the most affordable superfoods available on the market. String beans are high in polyphenolic antioxidants or flavonoids. These antioxidants keep the heart healthy. This type of beans is also packed with anti-inflammatory properties that reduce blood clots and internal inflammation that lead to strokes and heart attack. The same antioxidants that keep the heart healthy also protect from colon cancer and bone disease!

String beans are so accessible too! They are readily available in your local grocery. You can add them to your favorite stews, serve them blanched as a side dish, or add them to salads.

Oats

Oats are good for the brain and gastrointestinal tract. This superfood is packed with soluble fiber that protects and strengthens the heart. A serving of oats yields about 3 grams of soluble fiber. Consuming 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber every day reduces bad cholesterol in the blood by up to 5%. At 10 cents per serving, you won’t have any problems increasing your consumption of oats because this grain is affordable.

Oats are also packed with vitamin E, phytic acid phenolic compounds, and avenanthramide. Avenanthramides are antioxidants that neutralize oxidative stress in the tissues. Just like string beans, oats are very easy to prepare and even easier to incorporate into your everyday meals. You can add it to your favorite smoothies or take a bowl topped with fresh berries for breakfast.

Kale

Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables known to man. This vegetable is part of a special class of cruciferous vegetables that are high in antioxidants. Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables that belong in the family Brassicaceae. If you think kale is expensive, think again! A cup serving of kale costs just 60 cents or less!

Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, protein, folate, and niacin. It is also high in vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, vitamin K, and omega-3 fatty acids. Just a single serving of kale satisfies your RDA of vitamin K 10 times! This vegetable is also packed with vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin for better vision. You can make your own kale chips, add shredded kale to your favorite salads, or make your everyday smoothies even healthier.

Almonds

Almonds make the perfect snack. It is packed with proteins, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids. This type of nut is also low in calories, high in calcium, fiber, and folate. Even better, almonds contain the same amount of flavonoids as a cup of green tea! All these nutrients protect the cells from free radical damage!

Apart from being very nutritious, almonds are also affordable and easy to prepare. A cup serving of almonds cost about 63 cents.  You can eat it on its own, add it to your fave desserts, or on salads for added crunch.

Green Tea

Green tea is low in calories, high in antioxidants, and works great as an appetite suppressant. A bag of green tea will set you back 10 cents. Green tea is easy to prepare too. Just add hot water to a cup, chuck the green tea and let it steep for at least 10 minutes and you are done! Drinking green tea regularly strengthens the immune system, reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, as well as trigger faster fat burning!