09-13 48 Nutrious foods for under $1 a pound

I figure its time for another helpful list. This is Jeff Yaeger's list of inexpensive yet healthy foods. Some would need to be in season and on sale to fit in under a dollar a pound, but its a helpful list regardless. I took exception to the liver and the wine, so I reduced his list from 50 to 48.

* Apples — One a day keeps the cheapskate away.
* Asparagus — HUGE store special at 99 cents a pound during Easter week. I bought 10 pounds, blanched it, and then froze it.
* Bananas — Potassium for pennies.
* Barley — A tasty alternative to rice and potatoes.
* Beans — Canned or dried: kidney, pinto, navy, black, red, and many more.
* Bok choy — Steam and serve with a little soy sauce.
* Broccoli — Yes, a store special. Usually closer to $2 per pound.
* Bulgur wheat — Try it in pilaf or a tabbouleh salad.
* Cabbage — Green and red. I like mine fried.
* Cantaloupe — No, sorry, I can't; I'm already married.
* Carrots — Raw or steamed; rich in carotenes, a healthy antioxidant.
* Celery — Stir-fry it for a change.
* Chicken — Whole or various parts, on sale.
* Chickpeas — Also called garbanzo beans. Mash 'em up as a healthy sandwich spread.
* Cornmeal — "Polenta" is all the rage these days, but I loved it 40 years ago when Mom called it "cornmeal mush."
* Cucumbers — Try peeling, seeding, and steaming with a little butter and salt.
* Daikon radish — My new favorite raw veggie.
* Eggs — Don't overdo them, but eggs provide high-quality protein and still cost about $1 per pound. (Plus, there are many eggscellent things you can do with the shells.)
* Green beans — Frozen, but fresh are sometimes on sale for under $1 a pound in season.
* Greens — Kale, mustard, turnip, and collard greens are rich in vitamins and a good source of fiber.
* Grapes — Store special @ .99 a pound.
* Grapefruit — Bake with a little brown sugar on top for a healthy dessert.
* Lentils — Perhaps the perfect food: healthy, cheap, and versatile (think soups, salads, sandwich spreads — and those are only some of the "s" possibilities).
* Mangoes — High in fiber and vitamins A, B6, and C.
* Milk — Yep, on a per-pound basis, milk still costs well under $1 a pound.
* Napa cabbage — Delicious steamed or raw in a salad.
* Oatmeal — The good old-fashioned "slow-cooking" kind...that takes all of five minutes.
* Onions — Try baking them whole in a cream sauce.
* Oranges — Frequent sale price when in season.
* Pasta — Store special @ .89 a pound — I nearly bought them out!
* Peanut butter — Special sale price, but stock up because it usually has a long shelf life.
* Pork — Inexpensive cuts of pork frequently go on sale for 99 cents per pound or less; sometimes even ham during the holidays.
* Potatoes — White and red — baked, mashed, boiled, broiled, steamed.
* Pumpkin — Yes, you can eat the same ones you buy as holiday decorations, and they usually cost under 50 cents a pound.
* Rice — White for under $1 a pound; brown, a little more expensive but better for you.
* Rutabagas — Hated them as a kid; can't get enough of them now.
* Sour cream — 99 cents on sale, but long shelf life, so stock up. My cucumber awaits.
* Spinach — Frozen (but Popeye doesn't care).
* Split peas — Add a hambone and make the ultimate comfort soup. Try it in the slow cooker!
* Squash — Try baking acorn squash with a little brown sugar.
* Sweet corn — Canned, or fresh on the cob, in season. (Try this recipe for summer corn fritters.)
* Tomatoes (canned) — Canned are often better than fresh to use in cooking, and occasionally you can find fresh on sale for under a buck, in season.
* Turkey — A popular bargain-priced loss leader around the holidays. Buy an extra bird and freeze it for later.
* Turnips — Make me think of my grandparents, who always grew them.
* Watermelon — Whole, in-season melons can sometime cost less than 20 cents a pound if they're on sale and you find a big one.
* Yams/sweet potatoes — One of the healthiest foods you can eat, and usually available year around for under $1 a pound.
* Yogurt — 8-ounce containers on sale two for $1.
* Zucchini — Okay, they're a type of squash (above). But I love them so much they deserve their own place on the list.

Jeff Yeager is the author of The Cheapskate Next Door and The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches. His website is ultimatecheapskate.com. Connect with Jeff Yeager on Twitter and Facebook.