Editor’s Note: “Feel Rich” is our partnership with QD3, the talented son of music legend Quincy Jones. “Feel Rich” is all about creating a healthy lifestyle for Hip-Hop culture – both the artists and the fans. Enjoy!
We’re all busy, and Crystal Wall, wife of rapper Paul Wall and mother of two, gets that! Check out her tips for quick and healthy snacks to keep you and your kids happy!
Eating well doesn’t have to cost a lot (or take a lot of time). Check out this list of 10 cheap, healthy, easy-to-fix foods you can keep around the house:
Frozen vegetables
If you can’t get fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables are the next best choice. They last for months in the freezer, and still have a lot of vitamins and minerals. All vegetables are good for you, but spinach is one of the best. Just make sure you choose the kind that comes without any added cheese or sauce. If you can’t find frozen vegetables, freeze-dried vegetables are pretty good, too.
Brown rice
Brown rice is actually white rice, with all the really good-for-you parts still attached. Going brown gets you more B vitamins, iron, fiber, and minerals like manganese and phosphorus. Brown rice also has essential fatty acids. Those are good fats that you can only get by eating certain foods.
Beans
Beans have lots of minerals, including iron, and a ton of fiber and protein. They fill you up and give you energy. There are lots of different kinds of beans, so just try different types until you find a kind you like. Always get dried beans if you can. They’re cheaper than canned beans, and they have less salt.
Whole-Wheat bread
Most bread is white because it’s made with refined flour. In other words, all the really good-for-you parts are missing. Those parts are what turn whole wheat bread brown. Switching from white bread to whole wheat bread gives you more than twice as many vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Spaghetti
“Normal” spaghetti is like white bread: All the good-for-you parts have been refined away. But if you can find whole wheat spaghetti, you get back that missing fiber and minerals.
Spaghetti Sauce
You need some sauce for those whole-wheat noodles, don’t you? Some canned spaghetti sauces have lots of added salt. But if you choose a jarred, low-sodium sauce, you’ll get lots of vitamins C and A, fiber, some B vitamins, and minerals like copper, folate, manganese, and potassium.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal may not be street, but it’s still the type of breakfast that keeps you shuffling all day long. Oats have tons of trace minerals, plus a lot of fiber, magnesium, and zinc. You can add extra stuff like yogurt and dried or fresh fruit, so your oatmeal never gets boring.
Yogurt
A serving of yogurt has lots of calcium in it. Yogurt also contains iodine, phosphorus, vitamins B2 and B12, potassium, and a lot of protein. Some kinds of yogurt also come with something called friendly bacteria. That may sound nasty, but it’s actually good. Your intestines need that kind of bacteria to work right.
Eggs
Eggs last a long time in the refrigerator. They’re easy to get, and have plenty of B vitamins and minerals. Eggs are also a cheap, super-healthy way to get your protein in.
Oranges
Oranges keep for a long time, and are one of the cheapest fruits to buy fresh. They have a lot of vitamin C, fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamin B1. Look for oranges that are firm and feel heavy for their size. If you can’t find good fresh fruit, frozen fruit and dried fruit are also good for you.
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