How To Integrate Convenience Foods Into Your Diet

While it would be ideal to make all of our own snacks and meals
from scratch everyday, the plain and simple truth is that most
of us simply don’t have that kind of time. This is where we turn
to convenience foods to meet our dietary and weight loss needs.
However, the right convenience foods in the right amounts can
easily be integrated into almost any diet.

Shop Smart – Never shop on an empty stomach. This will only make
it harder for you to make choices that are in your best
interests. Always be prepared with a thorough shopping list and
do not divert from it. If an aisle is full of tempting goodies
but has nothing on your list, simply walk right by it, instead
of down it. If you see something healthy that you would like,
but it’s not on your list, jot it down and add it to the list
next time. This will provide you with something to look forward
to. Reach for the smaller bags and boxes of what you need when
possible. The less food you have leftover in your kitchen
translates into less temptation.

Read Labels – All convenience foods are not the same. Depending
on your chosen diet, some will fit much better into your routine
than others. This is why it’s important to become an informed
consumer and never place anything in your grocery basket unless
you’ve read the label and determined it’s in your best interests
to buy it. Many snack foods come in different versions–low fat,
reduced fat, low calorie, low carbohydrate, low salt, etc.
Choose the variety that best fits your dieting needs. Remember
that different labels can mean entirely different things.

Trim the Fat – Just because a macaroni and cheese frozen dinner
is oozing extra cheese doesn’t mean you have to eat it. A common
sense approach to preparing and consuming convenience foods can
go a long way to making them healthier. When you take a frozen
meal out halfway to stir it, remove or blot away any excess oils
and fats. Transfer to a real plate when finished, so you can
discard the excess sauces. If rice or pasta calls for a heaping
tablespoon of butter, opt instead for a conservative teaspoon of
soy margarine or olive oil. Ultimately your rice will taste the
same and you won’t have all those extra calories to contend with.

Portion Control – It’s easy to lose track of how much you’ve
eaten when you drink or eat straight from the container. Stay on
track by carefully measuring out serving sizes before you begin
eating. When you do buy items like chips or pretzels, locate the
appropriate serving size on the nutrition label. As soon as you
arrive home, divide the larger bag into individual servings in
small plastic baggies. In this same spirit, when snacking on any
food, separate a single serving’s worth and put it aside in a
plate or bowl. Then immediately put the food away, before you
begin eating, to avoid temptation. Try not to make the original
packages easily accessible. Purchasing a bag re-sealer is more
effective than using chip clips, because you are less likely to
cut open a bag than to simply unclip it. Heavy-duty tape and
hard-to-open containers can also do the trick.

Fast Food – Ideally, fast food should be avoided. However, the
ever-expanding menus at many of the top fast-food chains are now
offering many options that can fit into a variety of diet plans.
Look for grilled meals instead of fried. Opt for alternate sides
instead of French fries if possible. Many chains offer salad and
yogurt options as well. Ask for substitutions if a menu item is
not quite ideal. For example, you can request a hamburger
without a bun, or you can request a bun without a hamburger. If
you cannot get the substitution, make modifications yourself
before eating, i.e. throw the hamburger bun in a nearby garbage
bin or discard half your French fries.

Make Your Own – There’s no rule that says only store-bought,
pre-packaged foods are convenient. Take time on the weekend or
on days off to do some conscientious grocery shopping and cook
one or two large meals of something healthy that you enjoy.
Separate into serving sizes and refrigerate (or freeze) as
necessary. Buy fruits, vegetables, deli meats, and cheeses to
snack on, and prepare them ahead of time by slicing into
bite-sized pieces. Separate into serving sizes and store to use
as snacks during the week; since they now require no
preparation, you’ll be more likely to reach for the carrot
sticks and less likely to reach for more processed convenience
foods. Your own frozen vegetables make a delicious side dish in
a snap.

Voila! Now you have your own frozen dinners (or lunches, or
snacks) with much healthier contents.

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