When money is tight, you may be tempted to cut back on what you’re spending at the supermarket. But while spending less at the grocery store is a seemingly simple way to stretch your dollars further, buying cheap food and planning budget meals can wind up costing you. For instance, if you live on cheap snack foods that pack on the pounds or produce high cholesterol, eventually you could spend plenty on health care costs.

So if you’re trying to maximize savings and nutrition with cheap meal ideas, consider these seven dietitian-recommended items.

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[See: 20 Tips for Saving Money at the Grocery Store.]

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7 Foods to Buy When You’re Broke originally appeared on usnews.com

Update 09/05/18: This story was originally published on Jan. 16, 2014, and has been updated to include new information.