There’s a prevailing thought that it’s harder to eat healthy on a small budget than on a larger one. I don’t know if that’s true since I tend to stick to fresher (i.e. healthier) foods and they seem pretty inexpensive to me, because they’re often sold in bulk. DivineCaroline.com has come up with a list of the 20 Healthiest Foods for Under $1. Please note that there aren’t any processed foods on the list. That means you’ll have to put a little time and effort into preparing them. But this list fits the advice of nutrition experts that you shop the perimeter of the grocery store as much as possible rather than inside aisles.

Here’s my very own recipe for wild rice that’s healthy, tasty and inexpensive. Roast veggies such as onions, squash and eggplant coated with olive oil, crushed garlic and salt and serve it all with a dollop or two of plain yogurt. You’ll have a healthy, tasty low-fat meal for little money.

• 1 tsp. olive oil or a pat of butter
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1 bunch of chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds or chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp salt (perhaps a little less)

Heat oil or butter in pan over medium heat. Put in dry rice and let toast for about five minutes, shaking pan to evenly toast. Add water (whatever rice pkg. recommends) and salt, then cover and cook for suggested amount of time. Toward end of cooking — when there’s about 5 minutes left – add in chopped green onions and raisins and stir well. When finished stir in nuts.