Not all healthy foods have to be homemade. Here’s how to use convenience foods in your diet
IS ONE OF YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS to “eat healthier” or “cook more often”? If so, you’re probably dreading carrying through with it. Proper nutrition is complicated and time-intensive, right?
The truth is, meals don’t have to be made entirely from scratch to be healthy. Using “convenience foods”—precooked meat, prechopped vegetables and, gasp, instant oatmeal—will go a long way in making simple meals healthy options. All you have to do is get a bit creative.
“So many people want to be healthy— if they can do it in a hurry,” says registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman and author of The Flexitarian Diet (McGraw Hill, 2008). “The good news is that you can find healthy, timesaving foods in any supermarket. You just have to do your homework.”
Blatner’s “homework” refers to reading the label. “The key is, you can’t just look at the front of the package,” she says. “You have to read the actual nutrition label to be an informed consumer.”
Convenience foods can be used in many different ways, depending on your nutritional needs and tastes. Here are some ideas to get you started on a healthier, easier path.
Off to a Great Start
Go instant. “Instant oatmeal is a whole grain,” Blatner says. Choose the plain variety and add your own fresh or dried fruit or a teaspoon of honey for sweetness. If you don’t trust yourself to add the right amount of extras, choose flavored instant oatmeal, but look for one low in sugar.
Waffle wake-up. Think waffles have no business in a healthy diet? Think again, Blatner says. Buy frozen whole-grain waffles and top them with pecans and banana slices for a comfort food-style breakfast.
Quick quiche. For a quick version of the gourmet entrée, Blatner recommends pouring egg substitute and chopped peppers and onions into muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops are no longer wet. You’ll get individual quiches that you can eat on the go or freeze for another day.
Healthy Noontime Noshing
Raid the rotisserie. Get a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and remove the skin. The meat can be used in a number of lunchworthy ways: on a green salad, in a pita pocket with spinach and barbecue sauce, or plain with a side of fruit and low-fat cheese.
Go veggie. If you’re in the mood for a burger, choose a veggie burger, suggests Blatner. “They’re not just for vegetarians.” Top it with avocado and sprouts and serve on a whole-wheat bun.
Just freeze. Frozen meals can be quite healthy, Blatner says. “Look for one that has about 300 calories. Then, add a side of fruit or vegetables to round out the meal.”
Dinner Done Right
Roll it up. Make a burrito with a wholegrain tortilla, low-fat refried beans, vegetables, salsa and low-fat sour cream for a Mexican treat that tastes fattening but isn’t.
Chicken out. Heat up precooked chicken or turkey sausages, slice into tomato sauce and serve on whole-wheat pasta.
Add an Asian flair. Buy frozen precooked shrimp and stir-fry it with frozen vegetables. Add instant brown rice to complete the meal. And, yes, “frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh,” Blatner says. They may be even more so since they were frozen at peak freshness.
Between-Meal Bites
Get popping. Popcorn is a whole grain, Blatner says. As long as you watch the toppings, it can be a very healthy snack.
Go nuts. Purchase 100-calorie packs or measure out your own almonds for an easy, go-anywhere snack.
Bean me up. Edamame is a great choice between meals because it’s high in fiber and protein. Just toss it in the microwave and it’s ready to eat.
—By Shelley Flannery