Healthy Economy: Nutrition and Shopping Strategies

Meat and Alternatives

• Stretch your dollar by making stir-fries, casseroles, noodle dishes and soups – recipes that make the most of small amounts of meat. Use two chicken breasts for a family of four; cut them into strips for a stir-fry and add lots of antioxidant-rich vegetables, such as green peppers, broccoli and carrots.

• Stock up on frozen and canned fish. Choose fatty fish that have heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel, trout and sardines. Leaner fish, such as cod, tuna, haddock and sole, are lower in omega-3 fatty acids but are still healthy choices.

• Plan more meals that use dried or canned beans, lentils and peas. Versatile, low in fat and high in satiety, they contain vegetable proteins, lots of fibre and vitamin B6, riboflavin, iron, folate, selenium, phosphorus and magnesium. And you can't beat the price.