Getting the best nutrition for your buck

The most nutrition for the price per portion. Some foods on the list:
— Lower-fat milk; low-fat yogurt; cheddar, American or mozzarella cheese
— Lean ground beef; chicken (not deep-fried); canned fish
— Whole eggs
— Beans, dry or canned
— Peanut butter; sunflower seeds; almonds
— Bread, enriched or made with whole wheat; tortillas, corn or wheat; rice
— Bananas; apples; frozen orange juice concentrate; 100 percent fruit juice or fruit-vegetable blends
— Potatoes, with or without skins; iceberg lettuce; canned, not creamed, corn; canned tomatoes

"Milk is off the charts," Drewnowski says, especially if people choose low-fat versions over sugar-packed, no-nutrient colas. "It won't be spinach and arugula and poached salmon. It'll be potatoes and beans and (lean) ground beef and milk and yogurt."

On his list, carrots trump peppers, and apples trump strawberries, as cheaper and longer-lasting. Canned tomatoes pack even more of the nutrient lycopene than pricier fresh ones. Canned or frozen corn kernels mean no paying for the cob.

Somewhere between expensive salmon and cheap bacon comes lean hamburger — just drain it well — and chicken that can be quick-cooked many ways besides artery-clogging deep-fried.

Then there is the potato, maligned by the anti-carb movement. It actually has more potassium than a banana, fiber and even vitamin C. Just no fatty fries: Boil or mash or bake, and go easy on the butter.