first a pandemic, now a war. can we catch a break? and sure enough food prices are
on the rise... so during these tough times here are 16 cheap and healthy foods to stock up on
nut butters are a great and delicious source of healthy fats and protein but the best thing is
they can last for months and months even at room temperature. they're the perfect emergency food
most fresh fruits and vegetables are a no-no for durability but apples are an exception, they can
last for a couple months in the fridge and much longer if you freeze them. and even if there's
a power outage they can last a couple weeks in a cool spot. one trick is to wrap them in damp paper
the humidity helps preserve them longer. and avoid storing them next to fruit that spoils faster like
bananas for example, because fruit can actually communicate with each other. i'm not joking. when
fruit ripens it emits a gas called ethylene that speeds up the ripening and rotting of
neighboring fruit. hey, what do you call it when one piece of fruit influences another? pear pressure.
another fruit that keeps pretty well are citrus. the acidity and the thick peel retard the rotting
and you can always buy them unripe for increased shelf life
another wonder of durability are tubers. potatoes, sweet potato and yams can last months in a cool
dark place like a cupboard and the same goes for types of allium like onions and garlic
and also for spices, they all last a long time and can really upgrade a simple meal
at number six we have dry beans and whole grains. total no brainer. cheap, healthy and they
basically last forever. black beans, lentils, chickpeas, oats, barley, brown rice, farro
or quinoa. a few packs of these in the pantry and you're ready to face whatever comes your way
okay what about canned stuff? cans are an obvious choice for storage but is it healthy? is it safe?
with beans specifically, some people avoid canned beans because of the high salt content of most
of the options in the market, but there are no-salt added options available so salt is not an absolute
limitation. another concern is the BPA used to line the cans, which can sometimes leach into the food
according to the FDA, the current level of BPA used in food containers is not a problem, but
if you just want to play safe, look for BPA-free cans. even safer, beans in glass jars. no BPA and
no BPA alternatives either. problem solved. still on the topic of cans, several vegetables come in
cans, pre-cooked, and same precautions, you can get them with no salt added and BPA-free if you prefer
of course you can also get your fruits and vegetables frozen
if you're not anticipating issues with power outages and if you have the extra freezer space
endless options, like edamame, green beans, corn, mango, pineapple, berries and many many others
the other thing that's possible to get canned is meat and fish. i didn't know this but there's
canned chicken breast and even some brands with no salt added, and of course canned fish
the best trade-off between the omega-3s and low mercury being fatty fish like salmon or sardines
and of course you can freeze meat and fish if power outages are not likely. now,
quick side note, every time we mention meat or fish in a video somebody will pop up in
the comments and complain that we shouldn't even bring it up because it's bad for the environment
and bad for animals, but the purpose of these videos is to provide information so
you can make informed decisions, it's not to make the decisions for you. so you take this
information and you make whatever choices you deem best. or ignore the information. all up to you
and on that note, for people who prefer not to eat meat and fish, we've talked about beans but tofu
can last a long time as well. shelf-stable tofu can last for a couple months unopened and seitan can
also last many months unopened. now, let's touch on water real quick, which is technically not a food
but it's something that people like to stock up on in an emergency. and if you're like me and
you hate the sight of all the wasted plastic, there are several eco-friendly options like
recyclable cartons, which can also be BPA-free. and there's also a recyclable aluminum option
when it comes to durability, few things beat dry pasta. nowadays, there's all these different
options on the market, from whole wheat to gluten-free options like lentil pasta
and chickpea pasta, which are higher in protein and fiber and half the
carbohydrate for those who prefer to eat lower carb. the lowest i've ever seen is edamame pasta
at seven grams of net carbs per serving, so it works even for people on very low carb diets
and we can't neglect to mention nuts and dried fruit because they're high energy but they also
last a long time at room temperature and you can combine them in trail mix for a healthy snack
and to wrap things up, i'll throw in popcorn, which is another good snack option that keeps
super well in the pantry. alternatives to the traditional butter and salt include
olive oil, yeast for cheesy flavor and different herbs. did i miss your favorite? let me know below
and complete the list. here's more on how to cook beans, best techniques according to science. and
some more information on how to eat cheap and healthy all at once. take care, see you next week