On the Cheap

Chances are, you've been among the 45% of Americans that make New Year's resolutions. And it's even more likely that if you made one, it somehow involved eating better and managing money more wisely. (We won't share ours, but it may have had something to do with a 6 pound tin of butter cookies from Costco). Happily for you, we have a solution that can help with that and unsurprisingly, it involves beans.

Here we've done a comparison of several different ingredients that one might use as the main course for a dinner meal to serve a family of 4.

1 Pound Ground Beef, 15% Fat Variety

Cost: About $3.00/pound

Calories in 1 Serving (4 oz): 243

Total Fat: 17g (that's 27%!)

Total Protein: 21 g

Total Fiber: 0g

1 Pound Ground Turkey

Cost: $2.59/pound

Calories in 1 serving (4 oz): 193

Total Fat: 10g

Total Protein: 22g

Total Fiber: 0g

Now on to the beans. One can buy and cook beans in several different way. 1 pound of dried beans at the grocery store is equivalent to about 4 cans of beans, or 6-8 cups (beans will absorb slightly varying amounts of water depending on the variety and age of the bean in question). 2 cans, or 1/2 lb dried beans is usually about right for a family meal. I have used black beans for my comparison here. Other varieties generally cost about the same, but the nutritional value varies slightly. See a more complete nutritional guide here if you're interested in the nitty-gritty of bean nutrition.

2 Standard Sized Cans Black Beans (store-bought)

Cost: About $0.75/can for store brands, or $1.50 total

Calories in 1 serving (1 cup or 1/2 can): 140

Total Fat: 0g

Total Protein: 10g

Total Fiber: 12g (50% of your daily recommendation!)

2 Bottles Black Beans (home-canned)

Cost: About $0.45/bottle, depending slightly on your energy costs. No more than $1.00 total.

Calories in 1 serving (1 cup or 1/2 bottle): 140

Total Fat: 0g

Total Protein: 10g

Total Fiber: 12g

4 cups Black Beans, cooked in the Crock Pot (equivalent to 2 cans)

Cost: About $0.75 total, depending slightly on your energy costs.

Calories in 1 serving (1 cup): 140

Total Fat: 0g

Total Protein: 10g

Total Fiber: 12g (50% of your daily recommendation!)

As you can see, even store-bought canned beans are a good bargain for your wallet and your belt. When you cook them at home, the saving increase. Coming next, we'll discuss some of those methods of home cooking.