Using Convenience Foods
Convenience foods can be used in several ways. A jar of pasta sauce can be simply heated and served over pasta, turned into a hot soup, or used to make a casserole. Frozen bread dough can be made into pizza crust or turnovers.
Be sure to follow package and label directions when you're using convenience foods. Breads and doughs usually need to be baked at a certain temperature, while seasoned meats have to be heated for a certain amount of time to make sure they reach a safe temperature before being served.
Some foods you may not think of as convenience foods actually are. Ready-to-eat produce, like apples, berries, pears, oranges, and plums are convenient — just wash and eat. Dry roasted nuts are convenience foods, too. They also contain monounsaturated fats that are heart-healthy and help satisfy hunger.
In 1980, the average time it took to prepare a dinner meal was around two hours. Today, people are spending twenty to thirty minutes preparing each meal. The difference? Convenience foods. With two- and three-income households, we just don't have the time to make food from scratch.
Milk is a convenience food (you don't have to have a cow!). So are yogurt, cottage cheese, and shredded cheese. The calcium and vitamin D in these products are important for good health. Bakery breads, bagels, pita breads, and crackers are convenience foods. They can be eaten right out of the container or used as the base for other recipes.
Think of new ways to use convenience foods. For instance, leftover bread can be cut into cubes and toasted to make croutons for a chef's salad. Bananas can be mashed and stirred into a cake or muffin batter to help replace some of the fat.
