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Turn Everyday Quick Meals Into Healthy Meals

Convenience foods are still an area where most people make bad choices. Skipping breakfast, eating processed foods or vending machine substitutes are not necessary to stay on schedule. These are some healthy choices to prepare and take along with you as you make it through busy days.


How to Turn Those Everyday Quick Meals into Fabulously Healthy Ones


The average American eats six convenience foods per day. Whatever is fast, edible and requires little preparation or clean-up is a popular choices to save time and effort, but our overall health can suffer as a result. If you’re family is constantly on the go, you’ve learned the importance of convenience foods. For you, the faster, the better.

Hence, the term “convenience food” conjures up a mental image like the ones you see in commercials most often. A car pulls into a drive-through, stops in for a quick taco at a local gas station, or settles for a quick snack at the vending machine. Truth is, you can eat healthy while maintaining your need for convenience at the same time. Here’s a list of some healthy convenience foods you can enjoy at each meal to stay healthy on the go:

Breakfast

Studies continually show that breakfast is by far the most important meal of the day. Skip breakfast and your metabolism never quite gets up to speed, leaving you feeling like you’re ten seconds behind everyone else the rest of the day. Still, breakfast is the one meal many people skip ono their way out the door every morning.

No time to make eggs, waffles, hashbrowns, oatmeal, pancakes, and all the other breakfast possibilities. Instead, most settle for a breakfast that consists of a processed block of dough and powdered sugar, since it's more convenient. We’re here to tell you that your biggest meal of the day shouldn’t come in a greasy paper bag.

A much healthier alternative would be a breakfast burrito. Spend three minutes on a microwave burrito and give your body a healthy amount of fiber and protein without all the empty calories. Or, plan ahead to make waffles or pancakes and freeze them. Dozens of recipe varieties there, from gluten-free to blueberry to whole grain to low-carb. You can warm them in a toaster or skillet, add peanut butter or banana slices, and have yourself a breakfast fit for champion athletes in just a few minutes.

Fruit and cereal bars are another convenient, healthy choice for breakfast. Take along a banana or an apple and a cereal bar, and head out to face the day. Fruit is a natural sugar source packaged by mother nature and extremely portable.

Throw in a cup of milk or juice, and now you’ve got some healthy snacks to start the day out right. You can even put your fruit and some milk in a blender and create a great, healthy alternative for you morning coffee mug. You may not have time for a full course breakfast, but you can still give yourself a healthy meal with simple foods like this.

Lunch

Lunch tends to be one of the more boring meals for lots of people. An unexciting salad could be the first thing you think of. How about spicing up your lunchtime routine with some tuna, instant couscous, and whole wheat crackers? There’s a healthy meal with fiber, protein, and all-important omega-3s.

What about a bean, cheese and rice burrito? They’re quick to heat up and full of protein and fiber. This makes a perfect lunch for active adults who care about their health. Fiber keeps you full longer and protein gives you the energy you need to make it through your daily activities.

Need something more substantial? Try a hearty salad with vinaigrette dressing, and hold off on the cheese and croutons. Your local grocery store probably has a good selection of pre-packaged salads to satisfy your craving for a healthy lunch option. Top it off with a few slices of grilled chicken and you’ve got another filling meal that gets you to dinner in fine fashion.

If your trademark lunch is something lighter, try some yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit. Here’s a rich source of protein, calcium, and antioxidants to satisfy your hunger in style. This is also something you can dish up before you leave home, keeping it in a refrigerator at work, allowing the frozen fruit to thaw in yogurt for you to enjoy at lunchtime.

Snack

Healthier trail mixes go a long way to sustaining your appetite while you’re on the go. While quick and convenient, trail mix is full of nuts, dried fruits, and other healthy choices like sunflower seeds, banana chips, and cranberries. If your daytime snack needs a little more 'umph,' try bagging up some carrots and some tabouleh, hummus, or a couple stuffed grape leaves.

Afternoon snacks are designed to give you just enough energy to get through the midday blahs. The important thing is to choose a snack that picks you up instead of dragging you down. You can bring vegetables and some quality dip, a fruit plate, or make your own trail mix to control the ingredients and the nutrients your snacks provide. These are smart choices that make the rest of the day seem like a breeze.

Dinner

Dinner is usually the last meal of the day, and it’s one that should fill your stomach with a comforting, nutritious meal. While going to bed on a full stomach isn’t always a great idea, a hearty dinner at the right time is a great way to end the day.

One sensible choice is to take a can of clear broth or stock and make a hearty soup or stew with the right ingredients. Add mixed frozen vegetables and brown rice in a pot of broth, and you’ve got a homemade that is healthier and more satisfying than any can of prepared soup.

You can add even more nutritional value by adding a can of black beans to the soup. Corn also gives soup or stews a healthy crunch, and some garbanzo beans or mushrooms round out the meal and add extra nutrition. It’s a misnomer to think that healthy, delicious soups require hours over a hot stove. The right combination of canned ingredients can make a meal that makes your stomach smile with appreciation.

Many of these canned ingredients are now available with much less sodium, fat, and sugar content. Gone are the days when opening canned vegetables and staples meant consuming lots of unhealthy, artificial ingredients. Today, you can eat conveniently and healthfully at the same time, thanks to better awareness of nutrition by food retailers and manufacturers.

Don’t think of convenience food as hitting the drive-through or gas station for your next meal. Make better choices with your convenience foods to keep your family healthy and active without too much trouble. Simple solutions like fresh fruit or a few cans of choice ingredients can create better health, more energy, and a world of satisfaction.


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