Hi guys! I hope everyone is doing great. Today I want to talk to you about Convenience Food. It seems no matter how much we plan or how strong out will power is some days just don’t go as planned (actually I think most days don’t go exactly as we have planned ha-ha but that is what keeps life interesting!) On these days our food plans tend to take a back seat or we just happen to really crave something that we didn’t plan for, but instead of driving through fast food or getting frustrating and saying screw it for your meal plan; use some convenience food mixed with some healthier food to create a balance and not throw all of your work away.
Some quick and easy solutions can even be healthy. Craving a burger, throw a Boca Burger (or other brand of veggie burger) on the grill and make a hamburger and have some baked chips with it. Craving something Chinese like, grab yourself some udon noodles (in the refrigerated section of your grocery store) and try your hand at creating your own Chow Mein. Grab a bag of frozen veggies and make yourself a homemade stir-fry!
Frozen fruits and veggies are actually a staple in my house, they are so cheap in the grocery store, they are quick and easy and they are still healthy! Next time you are at the store stock up! I challenge you to see how much you can get for $5, depending on what combinations you decide to buy you can probably get 5 or 6 small bags of veggies. That’s less than a dollar a bag and these bags make several servings each!
I also keep a few different flavors of “Rice a Roni” around so that if I have a salt craving or what to eat something sort of bad (but still nowhere near as bad as fast food or most restaurant food) I can cook one of those up. They great about them is you can add a little extra water or halve the seasoning packet so it’s not as bad; and you can always doctor it up a bit to make it more healthy or add veggies to it to make it a meal.
In short convenience food can be tweaked to make it healthier but still feel like your splurge to satisfy a craving. Be creative!
If you need ideas or examples head to Sandra Lee, but her stuff isnt the most healthy so try and tweak it a little.
What is your favorite convenience food and how do you make it a little healthier? Comment and tell me!
Thanks for reading and Happy Cooking!