The headlines are full of news that people are more overweight than ever, that there's an epidemic. Even children have been affected by this trend. Illnesses typically associated with adulthood, such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, are becoming much more common among children, as so many are carrying far more weight than they should be. Making smart nutrition choices can help save money - not only in the day-to-day food bill, but also over the long-term by helping to promote better health and helping to prevent disease.

Many people choose fast foods and convenience foods under the mistaken impression that preparing nutritionally sound meals of whole foods inevitably means complex or time intensive processes and expensive ingredients. Highly processed foods - typical drive-through and convenience fare - are often nutritionally lacking, as well as high in fat, sugars and sodium. With careful shopping, eating well doesn't have to be expensive. When it comes to meal planning and preparation, there are plenty of choices that are fast and fairly simple to make.

Choosing fresh, in season vegetable and fruits is usually more affordable than out of season or exotic produce shipped in from far away. Local farmers markets or fresh produce co-ops can also be more affordable means of buying fresh produce. In a co-op, members pool their money and get a volume discount. Some pay a local farmer at the beginning of the season and receive deliveries throughout the growing season, which are then distributed among members. Area health food stores are a good source of information for how to get involved with a food co-op.

Another aspect of getting the most nutrition for your food dollar is knowing how to choose the most nutritionally dense types of produce. A general rule of thumb is that the darker the color, the more nutrients the vegetable or fruit contains. Butternut squash, sweet potatoes and other deep orange vegetables contain a lot more vitamin A than do such light yellow vegetables as corn and summer squash. Collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, romaine lettuce and other dark green leafy vegetable have more to offer nutritionally than do the lighter colored ones such as iceberg lettuce.

Meals can be simple, delicious and nutritious. It takes just minutes, for example, to broil a piece of fish with a touch of cumin, a scraping of fresh ginger, a squeeze of lime and drizzle of olive oil. Serve on a bed of couscous, which takes a mere five minutes, with steamed baby carrots and spinach or broccoli. Follow up with some fresh fruit and you have a healthy and tasty meal in just minutes. A little research will turn up countless quick and easy meals - food that can help to promote health and well-being.

Making smart nutrition choices can help prevent some of the health conditions that are most common today. With a bit of planning, eating well can be affordable, and even result in saving money. That is especially true if the potential savings in health care costs are factored in.