Superfoods < $5 For When You're Feeling Virtuous But Pov

No shit. Tackling all your weekly meals with the equivalent of $AUD39 is seriously hard. Not just for Gywnny, for everyone, though still more attainable than most of the stuff on GOOP.

But let’s not perpetuate the myth that healthy food is unaffordable. In fact, you can get pretty thrifty with it if you give a few fives. These superfoods under $5 will exceed ROI in vitamins and minerals every time. Ok, your move.

Tumeric is ginger’s ironically even more ginger cousin. This powerful anti-inflammatory spice tackles everything from menstrual cramps to flatulence to hardcore diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease. No longer just reserved for soups and curries, turmeric’s peppery flavour and mild heat works well in stir-frys, roasted vegetable dishes, smoothies, soups, teas and sprinkled on top of your breakfast eggs.

OATS B HUMBLED – wheat germ contains the double the fiber and triple the amount of iron and protein than your typical rolled bran. It’s a low GI carb so its sugars are metabolized and delivered over a few hours rather than all at once. And because it’s sold in large packs; doesn’t take long to prep, and filling enough to curb the 10am forage for snacks, it continues to save you money after you’ve paid for it.

CAULIFLOWER

Albino broccoli has gone from fringe vegetable to the clean-eating staple. Despite its pastiness, cauliflower has its fair share of nutrients and is excellent for detoxification and digestion. In terms of cost per meal (CPM), cauliflower is cheap as chips; it’s used as a sub for potato mash, in vegetarian lasagna, on pizza, in soups, salads and roasts.

ROOIBOS TEA

This South African herbal tea blend boasts benefits like relieving eczema, headaches, cramps, insomnia, allergies and hypertension. It’s completely caffeine-free (but tastes like black tea with exotic spices), and is rich in minerals for good skin and teeth. With fewer tannins compared to caffeinated teas, it also won’t stain your teeth as much.

KALE

BECAUSE KALE IS GOD’S GIFT TO FARMERS AND HIPSTERS AND THE MOST INFLUENTIAL VEGETABLE IN THE MODERN WORLD. Steam it for five minutes before you eat it to maximise Kale’s nutritional benefits, which include anti-inflammatory vitamin K and fiber for healthy bowel movement. One cup of this blessed leafy green gives you 133% of your recommended vitamin A daily intake, and 134% of your recommended vitamin C daily intake.

NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER
Cost: $3.74

As far as spreads go, peanut butter hits nutritious, tasty and thrifty 1:1:1. Though, it’s very possible to OD on PB, so stick to the recommended 2 TBSP daily standard serving. It’s low GI, which means you’ll feel full for longer, and is roughly 28% protein, making it the body sculptor’s favourite. It’s also rich in omega-6 good fats and rivals blueberries in anti-ageing resveratrol.

LEMONS

Squeeze the bejesus out of your lemons – add it to your water, herbal teas, salads, and marinades for red meat and fish. The vitamin C assists the body’s absorption of iron, and when metabolized, citric acids actually has an alkaline effect, countering stomach acids and maintaining overall gut health.

TUNA

Tuna in a can/pack = the ultimate in healthy living on the cheap. Experts recommend capping it at two cans a week because (don’t freak) of low amounts of mercury found in ALL fish because our population has found its way into our marine life.

Canned light tuna, though, is one of the sources with the least amount of mercury, and ultimately Tuna is still one of the healthiest fishes to eat. It’s a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which the body can’t produce naturally, iodine, and B vitamins for healthy nerves, cells, heart and brain function.