Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No - and it's not a sky-rocketing bill, either. These unsung supermarket heroes will help you eat better, for less.

• Kidney beans. When you build meals around something other than meat, the savings jump. Replace meat with protein-rich kidney beans in soups, stews and sauces — 500 grams of casserole beef costs nearly $7.50; 500 g of organic kidney beans is about $1.70.

• Oats. For literally pennies — a 45 gram serving of rolled oats costs about seven cents — you can start your day with a low-fat bowl of porridge that provides sustained energy throughout the day. Rolled oats contain more protein than other cereals along with a soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which studies show significantly lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, and keeps blood sugar levels stable. Plus, by making you feel fuller for longer, it can aid weight loss.

• Broccoli. To really get your money's worth, buy nutrient-dense foods. Half a bunch of celery costs about the same as two heads of broccoli, but every cent you spend on broccoli buys you 10-plus times more vitamin C, iron, cancer-fighting sulphoraphanes, and fibre. Hate the taste? Add an extra 10 cents and buy baby broccoli tenderstems instead.

• Sprouts. At around 30 cents a serving, nutty-tasting alfalfa or bean sprouts are great in salads, soups and even muffins. They are very heart-healthy, as they contain saponins that decrease the absorption of cholesterol. Even cheaper: buy mung beans from your healthfood store and sprout them yourself in a wide-necked jar.

• Lentils. These tasty legumes cost around $2.25 for 500 grams, cook in 20 minutes, and punch well above their weight, nutrition-wise. Lentils contain more folate than any other unfortified plant food: in addition to protecting against heart disease by lowering blood levels of homocysteine, folate prevents birth defects and studies suggest it might reduce breast cancer risk. A 30-gram serving delivers nearly your entire daily requirement of iron, especially if you add a lemon or capsicum to the recipe, as vitamin C increases iron uptake. Research into the elderly shows that eating lentils — plus other legumes — is an important dietary factor in longevity.

• Eggs. Two large free-range eggs cost less than $1.00, and provide protein, choline (an amino acid which improves memory), and tyrosine, which is used to make the hormone norepinephrine, which provides energy.