Written By Frank Hamilton / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Leading a healthy lifestyle is in trend right now, and it's no wonder that so many people are looking to change their eating habits. To help you do this, here are seven healthy and cheap alternatives to junk food. Most of them can be found easily in any local grocery store, but some of them may be a bit harder to come by such as goji berries. Nonetheless, they are all worth it.

1. Water And Green Tea

You probably love drinking soft or fizzy drinks. The only problem is that they are not good for your health. It can be very tempting to buy them as they don't cost a lot and have delicious flavors. However, there are some other options known to everyone that are much healthier.

The cheapest and best drink you could ever find is water. Water is full of minerals and can even taste a little sweeter than you would expect it to. By buying a water bottle that you can refill later, you will be saving a lot of money compared to if you were buying bottled water regularly.

But if you want to spice it up a bit, you can get some tea instead. It's still water, but it's boiled and has a distinct smell and taste. Green tea, in particular, is rich in antioxidants and can make you feel energized. This type of tea is also said to decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer, boost memory, and increase weight loss. Alternatively, consider cooling your tea and adding ice to it.

1. Beans

Not everyone likes beans, but they are as good as it can get when you are looking for an alternative for beef. They are a great source of protein and cost significantly less than meat. They also contain a lot of soluble fiber for lowering cholesterol.

Beans will also make you feel full longer which makes them perfect for losing weight and cutting calories. Beef, on the other hand, makes your cholesterol levels higher and increases your saturated fat intake. This is directly opposite to the magic properties of beans.

You can use beans as a substitute for foods like chili and burritos if you are cooking something. You don't have to substitute beef entirely though - get 1/2 beef and 1/2 beans instead. Similarly, consider eating canned tuna which is also a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

1. Cereal And Oatmeal

You probably know everything about the usefulness of cereals and oatmeal, but it's still worth going in-depth with it. Instead of getting drive-thru food, you could be eating various cereals or oatmeal as they can be even more nutritional, but way healthier.

Oatmeal is one of the best sources of fiber which will keep you full for a long period of time. Oatmeal is also said to be able to lower the risk of heart disease and bad cholesterol levels. Another cool feature of oatmeal is that it increases in volume after you prepare it and creates a slime-like liquid that soothes the stomach.

Cereals are also a great option when it comes to healthy food. Everything from buckwheat to rice is considered a cereal and you can eat them both with milk and with scrambled eggs depending on what your personal preferences are.

1. Frozen Yogurt

Ice cream is actually not the healthiest of foods as it is basically frozen, churned fat and sugar. Frozen yogurt, on the contrary, can be a great, delicious substitute to it. It contains probiotics that are useful for your digestive system and has much lower levels of sugar and fat.

On the other hand, yogurt is still high in calories. And if you cover it in sweet syrup, melted toffee, or anything similar, you might eliminate all the positive qualities yogurt has. Instead, it's better to eat it with nuts or fruits that will make your dessert even tastier.

Yogurt is rich in proteins and can be an amazing breakfast meal. If you are a fan of Greek yogurt, go ahead and start eating it more often as it can improve the bacteria components in your digestive system.

1. Dried Fruits

If you love sweets, there's bad news for you as high-sugar sweets have next to no nutritional value. A good idea would be to replace them with dried fruits, raisins, and nuts. These can be anything from cherries to mango to apples to bananas. You can even try dried goji berries as they have plenty of valuable properties too.

You can also consider buying fruit snacks instead of simply dried fruits. Fruit snacks are easier to take with you if you are heading to school or work and usually combine different fruits with nuts, waffles, syrup, and even chocolate.

Such fruit snacks are mostly cheap, healthy, and can help you lose weight. Raisins, for instance, can be used as a workout snack. They can boost endurance as well as be used as a special sports energy chew.

1. Spirits And Wine

Many people both young and old enjoy having a bottle or can of beer once in a while. However, it's not the healthiest of alcoholic drinks. In fact, alcohol itself is not that good for your body. But you can still drink spirits and wine as they can be quite a bit useful.

Red wine contains antioxidants that can be as effective as the ones in tea. Of course, you should still remember that drinking too much of any kind of alcohol can be bad for your liver and other vital organs. Besides, nobody canceled the hangovers in the morning.

1. Popcorn

You may be surprised to see popcorn here, but real popcorn is actually very useful for you. It is a whole grain and an amazing source of fiber. It is extremely tasty with butter, caramel, salt, and cheese, but eating it without those is much healthier.

In fact, buying classic popping corn and making it yourself is your best bet at healthy popcorn. You can then add a bit of salt and spices. Such popcorn can even cost you less than potato chips. Don't buy movie popcorn though as it is both expensive and contains all the unhealthy flavorings.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, changing your lifestyle is not that hard if you truly want to do it. Once you start eating these foods, you will be able to start saving money, lose weight, feel happier and more energized, get sick less often, and so on. If you eat food that is nutritious, your body will be less susceptible to various viruses and your immunity system will be much stronger than before.

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Written By:

Frank Hamilton has been working as a translator at translation service TheWordPoint. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.