The five best cheap & healthy eats

News flash: we’re in a recession. And as we mentioned last week, eating healthy can be expensive. Can is the operative word here. If you know how to navigate the supermarket, it’s surprisingly easy to choose items that are great for your waistline and your wallet. Here are five of my top cheap-but-healthy picks:

1. Beans. Packed with protein and fiber, beans keep hunger in check for hours at a time. A can of black or red beans will set you back about $1; dried are even cheaper. (And while they’re not technically beans, don’t forget lentils–they’re as inexpensive as beans but because they don’t require rinsing or soaking, they’re much easier to make).

2. Eggs. At less than $3 a dozen, eggs are just about the cheapest form of animal protein on the market–and they’re a weight watcher’s best friend. One study from Wayne State University in Detroit found that overweight women who had an egg-based breakfast lost twice as much weight as women who started their day with a bagel.

3. Apples. With four to five grams of fiber a pop, apples are super-filling–which may explain why researchers at Penn State University found that people who ate an apple before a meal consumed 15 percent fewer calories than those who had a different snack. Buy a bag of apples (instead of loose ones priced per pound) and you’ll shell out about as much as you would for a skinny latte at the coffee shop.

4. Oatmeal. Studies show that these complex carbs are more satisfying than any other food, yet one cup contains a mere 160 calories. A canister of oatmeal costs a few bucks, but buy oats in bulk and you’ll be pay less than 25 cents a bowl.

5. Sweet potatoes. At just a buck a pound, it doesn’t get cheaper than this–or healthier. In fact, the Center for Science in the Public Interest ranks sweet potatoes as the single healthiest vegetable. That’s because although one large potato only contains 160 calories, it’s packed with nutrients (including fiber, potassium, calcium and vitamins A and C).

–Camille