My 10 Favorite Cheap, Healthy, Gluten Free Foods A healthy diet shouldn’t require a big chunk of your budget. You can’t go wrong with these basics.

Beans
-A staple of the budget conscious crowd, these little guys are packed with fiber and are a great source of vegetarian protein, especially if you combine them with whole grains like brown rice. Try them on salads, in soups, dips, tacos, omelets, whatever. Try to get at least three half-cup servings a week.
Gluten-Free Oatmeal-
A bowl of oatmeal for breakfast will keep you full for hours thanks to its impressive fiber and water content, but forget about the sugary instant packets. Instead, try regular quick oats in the carton. They’re just as quick and easy and you can add real fruit and healthy sweetener.
Spinach-
Didn’t like the gloppy green stuff as a kid? Try spinach as a salad green. These tasty leaves are loaded with iron and other nutrients and they’re great in soups, omelets and stir-fries.
Yogurt-
If you’re not a milk person, yogurt is a great way to get your calcium and is full of healthy bacteria that aids digestion. Instead of presweetened yogurt, try mixing ripe fruit into plain yogurt and adding a little healthy sweetener if you want. Plain yogurt is also a healthy substitute for sour cream in most recipes.
Applesauce-
Unsweetened applesauce is spectacular as a healthy snack or pancake topping, just add a little cinnamon. Try swapping some or all of the oil in muffin and cake recipes for applesauce to slash the fat and calorie content.
Eggs-
Now that the cholesterol fuss has died down, eggs are hailed as a source of protein and vitamin E. You can’t get more versatile than this. Of course you can scramble a few for breakfast, but don’t forget about omelets, frittatas, quiches, salads, and soups. Eggs fit into every meal and snack, so swap them for meat a few nights a week.
Bananas-
One of the best sources of potassium, bananas spruce up oatmeal, cold cereal, yogurt and are a naturally portable snack that comes prepackaged.
Carrots-
Who doesn’t love baby carrots? Reach for these high-protein, vitamin-rich veggies when you get the munchies. Sprinkle them on your salads, chop or puree them for a soup, or steam them for a side dish.
Salsa-
Entire gardens are dedicated to this stuff. Thanks to the tomatoes, salsa is rich in lycopene, and cancer-fighting antioxidant. You can go for the standard chips-and-salsa, but load it into tacos, eggs, meat, and even on salads with a little lime juice. Swap it for ketchup on your hash browns and I promise you’ll never look back.
Dark Chocolate-
Ok you chocoloholics, listen up: Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and flavanoids, which fight heart disease, high blood pressure, and raise your “good” cholesterol while lowering the “bad” . Also, the chemicals in dark chocolate help release endorphins, your happy hormones, which is why you crave chocolate after a fight with your boss. Stick with the dark though. Milk chocolate is mostly sugar and white chocolate contains no cocoa, so it isn’t chocolate at all. An ounce of dark chocolate a day will benefit your body and soul, so allow this treat into your healthy diet.