These are the convenience foods you should always have on hand, even if you like to make everything from scratch. They are better quality than the same products made from fresh produce or from scratch. Convenience foods come in several categories, depending on how much preparation the product needs before it's ready to eat.

TABLE 1–1

TYPES OF CONVENIENCE FOODS

The convenience foods used in this book included prepared products, ready-to-cook products, ready-to-use products, precooked products, and ready-to-eat products. There are a few convenience foods that are enriched with additional vitamins, fiber, and minerals that give them good nutritional value. This may be a replacement of nutrients lost in the manufacturing process or just a way to get a needed nutrient into more foods.

For instance, orange juice is often fortified with calcium. Breads may have iron and B vitamins added. Vitamins A and D may be added to margarine spreads, and breakfast cereals usually have lots of vitamins and minerals added to their formulas.

BEST CONVENIENCE FOODS

• Frozen Precooked Meatballs

• Cake and Brownie Mixes

• Bottled Alfredo Sauce

• Bottled Pasta Sauce

• Bottled Pesto Sauce

• Frozen Tortellini and Ravioli

• Frozen Bread Dough

• Ice Cream and Sorbet

• Frozen Puff Pastry

• Prepared Fruits and Vegetables

The convenience foods you want to depend on are those that are high quality, not too far away from homemade, and that contain minimal additives and preservatives. They should be for recipes you could make at home, but that take time and effort. And they should be foods your family likes and that you enjoy eating and serving.