50 Healthy Foods for Under $1 a Pound

If you are what you eat, then I should weigh-in at under $1 a pound.

That's because, as a general rule of thumb, I try to only buy foodstuff that costs under a buck per pound. Under $1 a pound, year-round — that's my grocery shopping mantra.

It's not just because I'm a world-class penny-pincher and smart shopper; believe it or not, it's also about eating healthier. When you look at the USDA "food pyramid," many of the things we should be eating the most of — grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables — happen to cost the least. It's often the stuff that's bad for us (at least in large quantities) — red meat, fatty dairy products, and processed foods high in trans saturated fats — that cost the most, on a per pound basis.

To prove my point, I've put together this list of 50 healthy foods that I've purchased at least once in the last six months for under $1 a pound. First, a few disclaimers about my list-o-fifty:

• NO, I don't live on another planet or in a part of the country where the cost of living is deflated. In fact, I live and shop in the Washington, DC metro area, which has one of the highest costs of living (and groceries) in the country.
  
• NO, I'm not saying that all of these items are available in every store, at all times. But if you shop carefully, you can always find at least some variety of these foods around which to plan your meals. Many of the items on the list (e.g. most root vegetables, bananas, beans, etc.) can usually be purchased for under $1 pound even when not on sale or in-season. Other items on the list were "store specials," and typically would cost more than $1 a pound, and/or they were in-season so cost less.
  
• NO, none of the items on my under $1 a pound list are organically grown. The pros/cons of that debate aside, for most people with a limited budget, the choice isn't whether or not to buy expensive organic, it's whether or not to eat highly processed crap like fast food or eat inexpensive healthy foods like those on my list.
• NO, I'm not saying that by eating only these foods you'll have a complete, healthy diet. But they certainly can be the backbone around which to plan healthy, inexpensive menus for your family.
  
• NO, I don't burn up a lot of time and gas by running around to a lot of different grocery stores, and I rarely use coupons. I shop only once every week or two, and I usually shop at only one or two stores. I plan my meals around the-best-of-the-best weekly store specials (aka the "loss-leaders"), the sale items that are usually on the front page of the weekly circular most stores publish. If you're not a creative cook like me, try a website like Delish or Epicurious, where you can enter the ingredients you have to work with and get all kinds of recipes.

So rev-up your shopping cart, but be careful: There's a Green Cheapskate loose on aisle five!

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.
Bulgar Wheat - Try it in pilaf or a tabouleh 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 - AKA 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. Here's how I cook 'em.
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).
Liver - Chicken livers usually cost under $1 a pound, and sometimes beef and pork liver can be found in the DMZ ("Dollar Maximum Zone").
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 crock-pot!
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.
Wine - Well, at least the stuff I drink - 5 liter box (approximately 11 pounds) for about ten bucks, on sale. (BTW, the beer I drink is even less expensive per pound.)
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 - OK, they're a type of squash (above). But I love them so much they deserve their own place on the list. Plus they look great in pantyhose.

Now look at all the money you've saved!

DC X Neff Collaboration

DC is proud to announce its collaboration with NEFF Headwear for a limited edition snow collection for the Winter 2011 season. The collection features snowboards, snowboard boots, fleece, t-shirts, gloves, and headwear that will hit stores in September 2010.

A true creative collaboration between DC and NEFF, the collection was inspired by the beaches and 1980’s nightlife of Miami. From the florescent neon colors and art deco signs, to flamingos and palm tree lined streets, the graphics designed for this project are warm, sunny and bright – everything that winter is traditionally not.

“NEFF is a great up-and-coming brand with a lot of energy,” said Nate Morley, DC’s VP of Creative. “These two brands came together in a creative way and developed a line that really stands out.”

The DC x NEFF graphics are featured on DC’s PBJ 153 and 157 snowboard as well the popular Park boot. Apparel and accessories include graphic T-shirts and fleece, pipe gloves, and a beanie. The collection is being supported exclusively by DC Pro Torstein Horgmo, whose unique riding style fits the products perfectly. Torstein rode a DC x NEFF snowboard this past season while filming and competing, including the 2010 Winter Dew Tour and Winter X Games 14, where he took home a silver medal in Big Air.

“It was really great working with the DC crew,” said Shaun Neff, creator of NEFF Headwear. “They were very open to a collaboration that was fun and unique – something that would compliment both brands in an unexpected way. And to have a rider as talented as Torstein supporting the project is just awesome.”

NEFF Headwear was started by Shaun Neff in 2002 as a headwear and t-shirt company. Since then the company has become wildly popular and gained the respect and following of the action sports world, especially with snowboarders and skaters. This is the first collaboration of its kind for NEFF.

The DC x NEFF Collaboration will be available at select retailers nationwide beginning in September 2010. For more information on the collection and the DC Snow team visit http://www.dcshoes.com/snow. The DC x NEFF beanie will be available exclusively by NEFF Headwear, for more details visithttp://www.neffheadwear.com.

Keep It Simple, Push-Up Variations

The Classic

Good for: General upper-body conditioning

Balance your weight on your toes and palms, with your hands a comfortable distance apart, probably just beyond shoulder-width. Your body should form a straight line from your ankles to your head. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abdominals, and keep them that way for the duration of the exercise. Slowly lower yourself to the floor, pause, and push yourself back up. Repeat a few hundred times.

Variations: Three-point pushup (place one foot on top of the other to make the exercise a little more challenging); decline pushup (set your feet on a bench or chair to strengthen your shoulders); and triceps pushup (place your hands close together, directly under your shoulders, and keep your elbows tucked close to your sides as you lower your body—an adjustment that shifts the work from your chest to your arms).

Rotational Pushup

Good for: Athletic performance in sports involving torso rotation, such as tennis, hockey, and baseball

Assume the classic pushup position, but as you come up, rotate your body so your right arm lifts up and extends overhead. Your arms and torso should form a T. Return to the starting position, lower yourself, then push up and rotate till your left hand points toward the ceiling.

Variations: One-dumbbell (grip a dumbbell in one hand, rotate to the dumbbell side for half your repetitions, then switch the dumbbell to the other hand); two-dumbbell (grip dumbbells in both hands, and alternate sides when you come up).

Plank

Good for: Posture; midsection endurance and stability

Lie facedown, rest your weight on your forearms and toes, tuck your hips, and hold your body in a straight line from ankles to shoulders for 5 seconds. Do a total of 10 5-second holds.

Variations: When 5-second holds are easy, progress to longer holds, until you can stay in the position for 30 seconds. Next, try a regular push up position with your hips tucked. When you can hold that for 30 seconds, try it on your knuckles.

Barbell Pushup

Good for: Stability of midsection, shoulder; grip strength

Get into the classic pushup position with your hands on a barbell (the kind that can roll away if you don't keep it steady). Knock out the pushups, but not yourself—keep in mind that one slip can send you crashing teeth-first into the floor.

Walking Pushup

Good for: Abdominal development; shoulder stability

Set up in the classic pushup position on a smooth floor, and place your feet on a towel. Walk with your hands across the room, turn, and walk back. Keep your back flat throughout the movement.

Plyometric Pushup

Good for: Developing upper-body power

Set up in the classic position on a well-padded carpet or exercise mat. Push up hard enough for your hands to come off the floor and catch some air. When you hit the floor, go immediately into the next repetition, pushing up again as hard as you can and catching more air.

Suspended Pushup

Good for: Upper-body strength and stability

Wrap a pair of straps (or chains) around a chinup bar or the crossbar of a power rack. At the bottom, the straps should be about 12 inches off the floor. Attach gymnastics-type rings (or a straight bar) to the ends of the straps. Grab the rings and do pushups, being careful to protect your lower back by keeping your core and glutes tight—as you should when you do any variation of the pushup.

[via MH]

Related articles by Zemanta

• The 15 Best Workout Tips Of All Time (hellobeautiful.com)
• Bodyweight Exercise Revolution - Bodyweight Exercises For Strength (slideshare.net)
• Burn Extra Calories: 10 Ways! (healthnews.ediets.com)

Pack a Backpack for Camping

Sleeping bag first

The first thing you pack should be the last thing you use. And unless you're rocking up El Cap or running the Appalachian Trail solo, that should be your sleeping bag. If you don't have a waterproof stuff sack, line yours with a heavy-duty garbage bag to keep your sleeping bag dry. If your pack doesn't have a

Image via Wikipedia

sleeping bag-specific compartment, place it in the bottom of the bag.

Distribute your supplies

Tent: Heaviest items go in the middle and closest to your back. For most people, that means that after your sleeping bag comes your tent and your cooking gear. Most tents made specifically for backpacking are small and light enough to fit in one side of your backpack. If you haven't shelled out for one yet, you should be able to keep the cloth components inside your bag and strap the poles on the outside. Keep in mind, however, that carrying vital equipment on the outside of your pack, such as tent poles, or inflatable insulating sleeping pads, may expose your equipment to severe wear and tear, and may even cause it to break, or fail when you need it most. For example, this approach is fine for a tame trip through a national park with forgiving terrain, but might be ill advised if you are on an off-trail solo-trek through the Kimberly region of Western Australia.

Cooking Gear: If you're planning on hot meals along the side of the trail, your portable burner is up next. Many outdoor companies also manufacture portable stoves and dishes that fit inside one another for compact storage, but if you don't have a matching set, you can also store all of your cooking gear inside your biggest pot. Just make sure that your fuel canister is sealed tightly and stored underneath your food. Leaking white gas is not an uncommon occurrence, and nothing cuts a trip shorter than discovering that your cheese and pitas have become firestarters.

Food: Separate your travel food—trail mix, string cheese, sandwiches -- and put them in a separate and more easily accessible part of your backpack, usually the detachable fanny pack or outside pockets. The rest of your food goes into a storage bag above your camping gear.

Dry Clothes: Even if you don't intend to change your clothes, bring an extra set - especially socks! It can vastly improve your comfort levels in the event of a minor incident like falling into a creek, can keep you alive after a more serious one like falling into a partially frozen creek in the winter. Also (here is where the socks come in) it can be the difference between hiking back at the end of your trip and being carried back early when the blisters on your feet break and start to fester. Dry clothes can also be rolled up and used to fill empty pockets in your pack, so the packing space used can be minimal.

Bear canisters are storage: If you're going through bear country, use your bear canister as a storage compartment in your bag. Nothing is more irritating or frightening than discovering, at the end of the night, that your half-dozen granola bars just won't fit in the canister. A word to the wise: Don't store those extra bars in your sleeping bag.

Water for cooking food: Dried food is good if you're near water, and canned is good if you're not. Couscous, freeze-dried vegetables and rice are all popular options. Plan ahead when it comes to finding water. If you're in a place where fresh water is hard to find, learn the techniques for acquiring it in your chosen environment. Be realistic about it too. Successful desert travel often calls for caching of water beforehand. If that's not an option and water isn't available, go somewhere else. You're not going to be able to carry enough water for more than a day or two at a time.

Keep survival gear on your person

In some cases, this might mean in a separate fanny pack. At the very least, keep a granola bar, knife, and a packet of waterproof matches in your pocket. Even the best Boy Scout can get lost on a scouting mission to find a good campsite, and an extra sandwich goes a long way to keeping you comfortable. Keep odds and ends, like bug repellent, sunscreen and a light shell, in the top compartment of your bag or in your fanny pack. Little items have a way of settling at the bottom of your pack just when you need them the most.

Balance it out

Fill in the loose spaces in your pack with your extra clothes to prevent items from rattling around. For longer trips, you do not want not vacuum seal your clothing to save space because when you finally do need them they have become an unmanageable volume of clothing that you had "compacted" when you started. There is no real way to get it back compacted like it was when you started. There is an alternative to this if you do want to seal your clothes in water proof bags. There are bags designed for this that will let the air out and let them conform very well to the inside your pack and thus making every thing in your pack nice and snug.

Once your bag is full, hoist your pack and test it. Is one side heavier than the other? An unbalanced pack can affect your stride and cause all sorts of back and shoulder pain.

Depending on who you go camping with, you may get used to packing different things -- most people share a tent, as well as other group gear like cooking equipment, trowel, water treatment, med kit, and any kind of rock or alpine gear you might be packing. Food, however, should be equitably distributed based on factors like body weight, strength, and expected consumption. Your average person will eat around two pounds of food every day (during summer weather), making food the single heaviest "item" you're likely to pack. If someone eats more than average, plan for that and have them carry a bit more of the weight as they're likely to be heavier and therefore more up to carrying a bigger load.

With a little practice, your lumbering load will quickly become streamlined and sleek, making the Appalachian Trail a much more manageable proposition.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Pack the Perfect Backpack for Stress-Free Camping [Outdoors] (lifehacker.com)
• Five Letters Re: The Art of Humping a Pack (survivalblog.com)
• Celebrate Good Deals and the Great Outdoors this Weekend (prweb.com)

2010 Push Mob Event Jersey

With the first event of the season tomorrow I looked at making a technical tee that the Push Mob can all wear during this season. Nothing like matching tees to create solidarity and make other people jealous.. haha

I made it on Nike.com using their Nike.ID software and came up with this. Let me know what you think, the cost is looking to be in the $45 dollar range. Seems pricey but these shirts are not your run of the mill cotton t-shirts. I looked at making a high end technical tee that could be used repeatedly and elevate your training.

The stats are below so when you decide you want yours, send me an email with the size and the nick name you want on the back. I'm looking at making the order by next week to ensure that it arrives in time for the Sporting life 10K next month so get in contact with me asap.

How Low Can You Go Challenge '10

So after the UFC fight yesterday some of the guys were talking about a bet that was placed last year at around the same time. A few of the guys each put up $100 to see who can lose the most weight during the summer, the winner being Dan (the result of reffing some hockey games). After reminiscing about how fit we all used to be we set up another wager this year.

We all decided that we would all put some money up and the person that lowered their body fat % the most would take home the loot. So here is the opening numbers for the guys participating. If you interested in some of this action let me know and you too can join in on the challenge.

I set a personal goal for myself to get down to 170lbs and lower my body fat below 10% by labour day so wish me luck!

Start date: March 28, 2010

Devin Paiva - Weight: 199.4lbs @ 32% body fat

Sam Hambre - Weight: 179.8 @ 19% body fat

R-J Tacorda – Weight: 212 lbs @ 28.8% body fat

Related articles by Zemanta

• How To Get Rid of Body Fat Fast - Top Secret Fat Loss Secret (slideshare.net)
• High Fructose Corn Syrup Causes Bigger Weight Gain In Rats (science.slashdot.org)
• UFC 111: The Big Winners after "St-Pierre vs. Hardy" (bleacherreport.com)

Lock Up Two Bikes with One Mini Lock

Ever find yourself out with a biking partner (that is, two bikes) but just one lock? Make demonstrates how easy it is to make due with one lock for both bikes.

The DIY gurus over at Make Magazine have a Tricks of the Trade feature in each issue, and this week they were kind enough to translate said tip into video. If you're an avid biker and have a better suggestion for how you might tackle two bikes with one lock, let's hear it in the comments.

Forefoot Running

Cover of Chi Running

Running on your heels isn’t only risky for your joints, it’s also not a very efficient way to get the most out of each stride. By leaning forward and landing on your mid-foot and toes, you keep your momentum and allow gravity to do some of the work for you.

Several different names for the technique of leaning forward and landing on the forefoot have been used. A Russian doctor named Nicolas Romanov coined the term “pose running” in the late seventies and has written a great deal about it.

Many other books have addressed the problems with landing on your heels, such as Chi Running by Danny Dreyer.

Before you decide that “running isn’t for you,” make sure you fully explore all the evidence. Don’t be in a rush to get to the finish line, instead try to simply enjoy each step along the way.

[via Al Kavaldo]

Related articles by Zemanta

• How To Run Downhill (howcast.com)
• Pose Method Of Running. Nicholas Romanov. (regnordman.com)

Active Recovery

Image via Wikipedia

After a hard workout, you might be dreading the soreness which will inevitably ensue over the next 24-48 hours. Your instinct could be to take the next day off from exercising altogether. Not so fast!

Active recovery allows you to keep the momentum in terms of your fitness AND can potentially decrease the lactic acid build-up that’s partially to blame for muscle soreness.

Instead of taking the day off, try following your high intensity training day with a low intensity workout. For example, if you did sprints on Saturday, you might just want to do an easy jog on Sunday.

The principle behind active recovery can also be applied within the context of a single workout. When used this way, active recovery refers to following an intense exercise with a less intense one.

Rather than simply resting in between sets of pull-ups, an active recovery workout might have you alternating pull-ups with a lower intensity exercise that allows your arms to rest while keeping your heart rate up, like jogging in place.

While I am a proponent of daily exercise, that doesn’t mean that every workout has to be an all-out balls-to-the-wall effort. Varying your intensity is the key to maintaining a daily workout regimen without over-training."

[via Al Kavadlo]