In today’s world, we’re all getting busier and busier, meaning we are eating more and more convenience food. Today, abundant pre-packaged, quickly prepared food revolutionizes the way we consume food. In some ways, it’s very positive in that it is extremely convenient and fast. Conversely, it can be negative because processed foods tend to be high in salt, saturated fat, and sugar.
That said, many ready meal manufacturers are aware of the need to make their meals more balanced. There’s certainly a trend toward more nutritionally balanced meals coming on the market–incorporating healthy grains and vegetables.
Interestingly, in the food technology market, scientists are busy investigating whether nutrients that are sprinkled on ready meals post-production are just as bioavailable as those contained within the food; as many manufacturers simply sprinkle nutrient containing tasteless powder on the meal just before sealing.
The other aspect of convenience food, of course, is the rapidly growing business of delivery services, for instance, if you check out this GrubHub review you’ll see just how many people value the convenience and variety of having delicious meals delivered straight to their door.
However, this convenience food trend requires us to look at what are the best options for keeping healthy. In this post, I’m going to take a look at some of the healthier options:
Convenience Food #1. Chicken Kebab
While kebabs aren’t known for their health properties, if you were to have a chicken shish kebab, which is basically marinated chicken breast grilled over charcoal then served in pita bread with lots of fresh salad–this can be a very healthy option. It’s certainly much healthier than the typical doner kebab (a type of kebab made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie) or chicken kebab. Both tend to use fatty parts of the meat.
Convenience Food #2. Sushi
Perhaps an obvious choice, but if you’re looking for convenience food on the go that’s good for you and contains plenty of disease-busting foods–you can’t go wrong with the traditional Japanese snack of sushi. Packed with nutrient-rich fish, sushi also gives you the carbohydrate kick of starchy rice. Of course, it can be an acquired taste–I certainly haven’t acquired it!
Convenience Food #3. Falafel
While falafel itself tends to be deep-fried, it is full of plenty of herbs and spices that are nutritionally rich, as well as being served with salad and hummus, which are incredibly good for you. In this sense, falafel provides one of the most healthy on-the-go snacks. Also, it is also vegan.
In summary
Convenience food doesn’t have to be bad for you. If you’re careful about what you opt for and look for foods that come with tons of salad rather than tons of french fries, you’ll be off to a good start. The same is true of ready meals. Many ready meal producers design their products for a healthier lifestyle. This means you don’t have to devour the salt, fat and sugar-rich ready meals such as lasagne or curries. There are plenty of healthy alternatives.
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Take Charge of Your Health!
Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.
This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.
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