Now that fall is on its way, the fresh summer bounty is dwindling down; but the truth is your diet doesn’t have to hibernate for the winter. You can get lots of great foods in the canned and frozen food aisles that are full of nutrition at a price that will have you dancing to the cash register. In this post, I’ll share some of my favorite picks and recipe ideas.

Canned beans

Not just the “musical fruit,” beans provide complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. In fact, a one-cup serving provides one-third of your day’s protein needs, half your fiber needs, and 65% of your folate needs (an important B-complex vitamin that helps prevent osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, anemia, and homocysteine buildup in the blood). For less than a dollar a can, you can-not go wrong! Try cannelini beans, black beans, kidney beans, lentils and black-eyed peas. You can buy them with no salt added, low sodium, or rinse them before use to remove about half the salt.

Recipe ideas: add to salads, home-made bean dip, three bean chili, and breakfast burritos.

They are plenty of ways to meet your protein needs, without having to eat meat. The food industry has made leaps and bounds in terms of offering nutritious and delicious vegetarian options for helping you get the protein you need. However, these products are not just for the vegetarian, even you meat lovers can sample these foods and incorporate them into your diet to switch it up and add some spice to your meals!

Soy (soy nuts, edamame, tofu)

• May help reduce calories, saturated fat and cholesterol when substituted for meat.
• Provides your body with isoflavones that have been proven to work wonders on your body and health

Try these:

• Soy milk, but check that it’s fortified with calcium and B vitamins