Guide to Healthy Eating for Your Neopets: Part 1

We will be focusing on the five healthy food groups of the food pyramid: Grains, Cereal and Rice; Fruits; Vegetables (or as I like to call them, Veggies!); Protein (that includes meat, beans, and nuts); and Dairy. Fats, Oils and Sweets is the last group, but those shouldn’t be eaten often. Drinks will also be focused on; however, it is generally not part of the food pyramid.

First things first, you will have to get rid of ALL of your junk food. This includes the unhealthy (yet very Neopoint-saving) foods that the average Neopian will probably stock up on, including spooky foods, omelettes, jellies, those cookies and cakes that you have from Weltrude’s Toy Chest (and everywhere else, don’t get me wrong here), fatty chips, chocolate, candy, and those tasty Space Station treats. There is a lot more, but I think that you get the point.

Now, you need to get some fruits and veggies (mainly veggies) from the Health Foods store. You don’t have to buy the most expensive ones, like me, for example. I usually try to buy simple fruits and veggies from this store (no veggie meats, though, most Neopets need to have real meat for a healthy diet) that are under 1000 NP. You don’t have to get organics, as they are a lot more expensive, but if you can find some, then definitely try to buy it. (IMPORTANT NOTE: Do your best to not buy bitten apples. Who knows who... or what... bit it, and how much gross stuff they had in their mouth when they did!) Some good examples are Onions, Oranges, Organic Red Grapes, Celery, Beetroots, Lettuce, Black Eyed Peas, Fava Beans, and Cauliflower. You can also get some other veggies and fruits from the Neopian Fresh Foods Shop, like Broccoli, Carrots, Tomatoes, and Lemons. Meridell has some veggies, too. If you want stuffed peppers, Bag of Peas, or a Bunch of Tomatoes (which is a lot cheaper than a Tomato), then head over to Merifoods. If you’re in the mood for exotic fruits, go to different lands (mainly Brightvale and Mystery Island) to get Brightvale fruits or tropical ones. Even Lost Desert fruits from the Fruit Machine are OK.

Of course, your Neopet will want protein as well. For meat, you will want to buy a Joint of Ham (Note: Joint of Hams are over 1,000 NP in the Shop Wizard, but if you can catch one in the Neopian Fresh Foods then it is around 450 NP), Meat and Beans, Spicy Wings, or Deli Turkey Slices. And how about a Meaty Pot Pie? Meat is only one source of protein, however. Get a cheap Scotch Egg, as it sells for only a few NP on the Wizard.

Next, get some yummy bread/rice/cereal for your excited Neopet(s), which is part of the Grains, Cereal and Rice food group. Plain Sourdough Baguettes, Cheese Tortilla, Garlic Bread Halves, and Fresh Baguettes are a good and money-saving item. Rice Dice will be a healthy addition to your Neopets’ diet, too. Neocrunch Cereal is good for breakfast, and it is a great food as well (generally sold in the Shop Wizard)! You may also find Yeasty Bread and Altadorian Bread (especially Altadorian) for quite a bargain in the Shop Wizard.

Now for the last food group, drum-roll, please... Dairy! Cheese and Cheese Tortillas are extremely popular and rather cheap on the Shop Wizard. Cheese is also crazily cheaper when you catch it in the Food Shop in Neopia Central. Also, head over to the General Store and get some Kau Kau Farm Milk. Or, if you want something even better for you, get a Low Fat Milk. (The Low Fat Milk tends to be a lot more expensive, however.) Another item that I will recommend: Organic Plain Yogurt. Most shops sell it for less than 1,000 NP on the Shop Wizard. If you are feeling in the mood for fruits and milk in a delicious foamy drink, then get a milkshake. I suggest Strawberry, Cherry, Peach, Kiwi, Black Currant, Banana, and Raspberry Milkshakes over the others, because they are not as healthy, but a Vanilla Milkshake will never hurt anyone. Tangy Tyrannian Cheese and Crackers can be purchased at the General Store, and I strongly suggest it.

Now, before you think that this article is all over, let me introduce the next category that I will talk about: Drinks. I generally give my pets a Cup of Water when they are thirsty, but a Vial of Pure Water is fine too. The trick with drinks (as Neopets don’t really care what or when they drink) is to find a healthy drink that’s at a cheap price. These two waters are good examples (even though Bottle of Waters are horribly expensive), and hopefully by reading this paragraph you will decide to finally quit Neocola. Some more great drinks are: Apple Juice, Milkshakes (as listed above), Hot Soup (ok, that’s not really a drink, but it sort of counts as one), smoothies that include fruits, teas (Breakfast Tea, Mint Tea, Fundus Fruit Tea, Snowberry Tea, and many, many others are all good), and juices. You may purchase them as you feel comfortable, but I think that Apple Juice, Milkshakes, tea, and Hot Soup are the easiest to find in budgets.

Whew! We have finished discussing the foods that are good for you. *phone rings* But wait! There’s more? Oh gosh. Lemme see what came up... oh... I see... yes... yeah, ok... bye. My editor wanted me to talk about the good all-around things, or the foods that cover more than one food group. Well, here goes:

The first other food is the Tuna Sub. Being very cheap and having tuna, lettuce, tomatoes, and fresh bread, this sub is sure to please and satiate hunger. Meat Lasagne is a delicious Neopet favorite, and it almost never ceases to please. It is inexpensive and packed full of protein, dairy, and carbs as well. Next is Sandwich. This is... well, a sandwich! It covers almost every food group, yet it still sells for less than 1,000 NP on the Wizard. Amazing, right? Now let me introduce Crab Spaghetti. It has meat, tomato (sauce), and delicious noodles. And best of all, the first many search results on the Shop Wizard have it for less than a thousand! Oh, and I found one more great “other food”... Apple Oatmeal! It’s full of healthy oats, and slices of apple to top it off! Very cheap in the Health Foods store, however immensely overpriced in the Shop Wizard.

Well, that is all for my Guide to Healthy Eating for Your Neopets: Part 1. There are two more articles to come! (If, of course, the kind Neopian Times editor kindly publishes them. Hint, hint.) Article 2/3 will likely come out in 1-2 weeks. Oh, and by the way, don’t forget that I couldn’t list all of the great foods here, so be sure to do some research yourself for more! Thank you for reading my first Neopian Times article!