Extension Dodge County is excited to bring back ‘From the Desk of Extension’ weekly articles! Extension Dodge County will be providing a ‘From the Desk of Extension’ every week with the goal of informing readers about UW-Madison Extension Dodge County’s work and latest research in the following program areas; Youth Development, Agriculture-Crops & Soils, Agriculture-Dairy, Health and Wellbeing, Family Development, and Natural Resources.
By Caitlin Richardson | Dodge County FoodWIse Coordinator | UW-Madison Division of Extension
With rising food costs, people have started to be more selective with what they are purchasing. We know that eating a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables has many pros- improved health, more energy, reduced risk of developing health-related diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Here are some tips from the University of Maryland Extension’s “Healthy Cents” to help combat the cost of fruit and vegetables as well as a list of the most affordable vegetables by pound.
- Buy produce in ALL forms–fresh, dry, frozen, and canned. All forms have very comparable nutritional quality.
- Buy fresh produce when it’s on sale- otherwise opt for a different, more affordable form.
- When buying canned fruit look for fruit that is canned in 100% juice.
- Look for no-salt added canned vegetables. If you can’t find them, try reduced sodium, and rinse the vegetables with cool water in a colander before use to get rid of the excess sodium.
Top 10 Affordable Vegetables (by the pound)
| Fresh | Frozen | Canned |
| Potatoes | Carrots | Cut Green Beans |
| Cauliflower | Cut Green Beans | Sweet Whole Kernel Corn |
| Cabbage | Okra | Sliced Carrots |
| Onions | Green Peas | Potatoes |
| Whole Carrots | Collard Greens | Green Peas |
| Celery Stalks | Sweet Whole Kernel Corn | Tomatoes |
| Sweet Potatoes | Cauliflower | Mustard Greens |
| Baby Carrots | Broccoli | Turnip Greens |
| Radishes | Turnip Greens | Sauerkraut |
| Artichokes | Spinach | Beets |
Have questions? Contact the Dodge County FoodWIse team. Kimberly Lafler: Kimberly.Lafler@wisc.edu or Caitlin Richardson; Caitlin.Richardson@wisc.edu.
Source: Healthy Cents Curriculum from University of Maryland Extension
