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Eat This, Not That! to Save Money on Produce

Flatten your belly, boost your metabolism, and strip away unwanted pounds with the most effective, least expensive, most scientifically proven weight-loss plan ever created!

Would you rather have a trim bod and a kitchen fully stocked with fruits and veggies or live off fattening, health-harming junk food and have extra cash to spend on fun and entertainment?

With the average family of four spending over $1,000 a month on groceries, it may seem like this is a decision you have to make every time you go to the grocery store. But in reality, it's not necessary to choose between extra cash and smaller clothes. With some careful planning it's possible to fill your shopping cart with nutritious fare that will help keep your middle trim and your wallet fat. To help you out, we sorted through the most recent United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service data and identified the most affordable—and the most expensive—produce out there. Then, we used this information to devise a list of budget-friendly swaps that don't sacrifice health. This way, instead of saving money by buying junk food, you can save money buying slimming produce. Now, that's a win-win! Scroll down to get in the know and start saving.

Salad Base

Eat This

Fresh Iceberg $1.21/pound, Serving: 1 cup

Calories

8

Fat

0.08 g

Carbs

1.69 g

Fiber

0.7 g

Not That!

Raw Spinach $3.83/pound, Serving: 1 cup

Calories

7

Fat

0.12 g

Carbs

1.09 g

Fiber

0.7 g

Sure, it's a great source of muscle-building iron, but spinach is pricey. In fact, it costs over 200 percent more than iceberg lettuce! While word on the street is that iceberg is a nutritionally-bankrupt salad green, that's not the case. In fact, it serves up a hefty dose of alpha-carotene, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant, and carries a fair share of iron, too. Not a fan of the oft-overlooked veggie? Opt for romaine lettuce instead. At $1.84 per pound it's more budget-friendly than spinach and is loaded with folic acid, immune-boosting vitamin A and iron.

Potato

Eat This

Russet "White" Potato $0.56/pound, Serving: 1, small

Calories

134

Fat

0.14 g

Carbs

30.72 g

Fiber

2.2 g

Not That!

Sweet Potato, $0.92/pound, Serving: 1, small

Calories

112

Fat

0.06 g

Carbs

26.16 g

Fiber

3.9 g

There's no denying that orange spuds are healthy: They're great sources of fiber and even satiety-boosting protein. But so are white potatoes. Yes, that's right! Although these spuds have a bad rap, just one small white tater packs over 50 percent of the day's vitamin C, more protein than an orange spud and nearly four grams of hunger-crushing fiber—which is exactly how much is in a sweet potato of the same size. Ditch traditional high-cal potato toppings like sour cream and bacon bits, and enjoy your russets with olive oil, rosemary and fresh pepper instead.

Summer Vegetable

Eat This

Sweet Corn $1.80/pound, Serving: 1 medium ear

Calories

88

Fat

1.38 g

Carbs

19.07 g

Fiber

2 g

Not That!

Green Beans $3.23/pound, Serving: 1 cup

Calories

31

Fat

0.22 g

Carbs

6.97 g

Fiber

2.7 g

Green beans and sweet corn are both nutritious summer farm stand staples. But when shopping on the budget, the winner is clear. Green beans are more than twice the cost—and no more wholesome—than more budget-friendly corn. Besides being a good source of carotenoids, a nutrient that helps keep eyes healthy, the golden-hued veggie also contains something called resistant starch, a type of carb that dodges digestion. In turn, the body isn't able to absorb as many of the corn's calories or glucose—a nutrient that's stored as fat if it's not burned off—which can aid weight loss efforts.

Grab-and-Go Fruit

Eat This

Banana $0.57 per pound, Serving: 1 medium

Calories

105

Fat

0.39 g

Carbs

26.95 g

Fiber

3.1 g

Not That

Apple $1.57 per pound, Serving: 1 medium

Calories

95

Fat

0.31 g

Carbs

25.13 g

Fiber

4.4 g

If you bring your lunch to work every day (or pack one for your kid), it's smart to throw an easy-to-eat fruit in with your sandwich to round out the meal. But which one's most worthy of your hard-earned cash? While an apple provides 14 percent of the day's vitamin C and four grams of cholesterol-lowering fiber, bananas offer more vitamin C and just one gram less of fiber at less than half the price per pound.

Grab-and-Go Veggie

Eat This

Raw Baby Carrots $1.45/pound, Serving: 1 cup

Calories

86

Fat

0.32 g

Carbs

20.27 g

Fiber

7.1 g

Not That!

Celery Sticks $2.20/pound, Serving: 1 cup

Calories

16

Fat

0.17 g

Carbs

3 g

Fiber

1.6 g

While packing up your lunch, it's a good idea to throw in a healthy afternoon snack, too. One of our go-to favorite combos? Raw veggies with an ounce of nuts. The pairing provides energy-boosting nutrients like complex carbs and magnesium that can help you power through to the end of the day. If you're not careful, however, you could wind up spending more than you bargained for. Opt for nuts sold in bulk to save cash there, and pick baby carrots over celery sticks. The crunchy orange veggies provide more than 37 times the amount of vitamin A as their green counterpart—a nutrient essential for immune function and vision—and seven times the amount of satiating fiber.

Melon

Eat This

Fresh Watermelon $0.33/pound, Serving: 1 cup

Calories

46

Fat

0.23 g

Carbs

11.48 g

Fiber

0.6 g

Not That!

Fresh Honeydew Melon $0.80/pound, Serving: 1 cup

Calories

61

Fat

0.24 g

Carbs

15.45 g

Fiber

1.4 g

It's a head-to-head battle in the melon aisle: While watermelon has more vitamin A, honeydew has more vitamin C. But if you're looking to save cash, watermelon is the clear winner. It's much cheaper than honeydew and still packs a refreshing, juicy flavor and a health-boosting nutritional punch.

Snack Time Citrus Fruit

Eat This

Fresh Grapefruit $0.90/pound, Serving: 1/2 cup, sections with juice

Calories

48

Fat

0.16 g

Carbs

12.26 g

Fiber

1.8 g

Not That!

Fresh Tangerine $1.38/pound, Serving: 1 large

Calories

64

Fat

0.37 g

Carbs

16 g

Fiber

2.2 g

In the summer there's nothing better than munching on a refreshing piece of citrus fruit. Besides saving you some of your hard-earned cash, munching on grapefruits instead of tangerines can help you shed unwanted pounds—especially if you eat it as an appetizer. The fruit contains compounds that stabilize blood sugar and help fry flab. In one study, those who ate half of a grapefruit before each meal lost an average of three and a half pounds over 12 weeks—without making any other changes to their diet. Sounds like a great reason to go for grapefruit to us!

Tropical Fruit

Eat This

Fresh Pineapple- $0.63 per pound, Serving: 1 cup, chunks

Calories

82

Fat

0.2 g

Carbs

21.65 g

Fiber

2.3 g

Not That!

Fresh Kiwi- $2.04 per pound, Serving: 2 fruits, sliced

Calories

84

Fat

0.72 g

Carbs

20.23 g

Fiber

4.1 g

Need a mental vacation? Munching on a tropical fruit salad can make you feel as though you're a million miles away on a secluded beach, almost instantly. If you're looking to pinch some pennies, nix the kiwis and just stick with the pineapple. Both fruits offer the same exotic flavor and a similar nutritional profile, but the yellow-hued option is a fraction of the cost.

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Dana Leigh Smith
Dana has written for Women's Health, Prevention, Reader's Digest, and countless other publications. Read more about Dana Leigh