Convenience foods are meant to be convenient. Not evil.
Plus: a frozen soup dumpling hack I’m currently obsessed with.
I don’t live close enough to a Trader Joe’s to shop there regularly, but when I do make the trip, I stock up. If you’ve ever been to Trader Joe’s you know that it is has so of the most unique frozen food and snack options on the market, and at prices that people can truly afford. So when I’m in a TJ’s, I grab all of the things that I love: the avocado ranch salad kit, the personal-size broccoli cheddar quiche, the frozen chicken soup dumplings, the salmon filet with herbed butter, the cauliflower gnocchi…like I said, I stock up. And you know what? I had an stress-free week of healthy eating, and there’s something to be said about that.
There’s a huge stigma around processed foods, mostly because of the news that comes out about ultra-processed foods and the negative implications it can have on our long-term health. But ultra-processed foods—which are foods mostly made from substances of other foods—is very different than processed foods. Foods that are simply processed are still made with whole ingredients but had some kind of alteration in the production process in order for it to properly be stored, like canning, freezing, or drying. Unfortunately, we’ve heard advice like “only shop the perimeter of our grocery stores” because those foods are “the healthiest,” yet we find beans, legumes, rice, oats, and many of our frozen foods in the aisles between. These foods are still considered healthy, so yes, processed foods can be healthy.
What about convince foods? The foods that we pick up for easy meals, like those trusty salad kits or frozen entrees or boxed mac and cheese made of chickpeas and vegetables? I’ve definitely seen enough discourse online about how these foods aren’t good for you, but…why would we ever say that if a salad kit that tastes good is actually getting people to eat salad? Or how that herbed butter on that frozen filet of salmon at Trader Joe’s makes it a whole lot easier to eat your omega-3s for the week? Healthy can also be convenient, and it feels kind of classist to say “only eat whole foods” and to obsess on ingredient labels and expect the rest of the world to eat healthy to this particular standard when, in reality, a lot of people can’t afford that kind of lifestyle.
Sure, there are certainly a number of items on the shelf that don’t bring a ton of nutritional value. (Although let’s not discount the fact that these things certainly bring emotional value.) However, there are a lot of incredible companies out there thinking of innovative ways to make eating healthy more convenient at home.
I think of companies like Yasso and their delicious Greek yogurt dessert bars (and their new line of fruit bars, which has a whole serving of fruit in them). There’s Dr. Praeger’s and their vegetable burgers that, to be honest with you, taste out of this world and are full of vegetables that you might not get regularly during a busy day. Or there’s Veggies Made Great with simple bites you can pop in the microwave for breakfast or lunch or heck, even those double chocolate muffins can pass off as dessert. There’s Banza with their chickpea frozen pizzas and waffles, Kodiak Cakes with their baking mixes and high-protein flavored oatmeal, Evive with their frozen smoothie cubes, or Purely Elizabeth with their incredibly tasty granola.
I could probably keep going (maybe this is a separate post someday), but I think the point is clear enough: we need to break this stigma around processed foods being bad for us and instead, focus on ways we can make convenience foods really work in our favor. Let’s stop hyper-fixating on ingredient labels and instead, find ways to get the nutrients we need that don’t feel so dang difficult. This week I roasted some asparagus with the TJ’s cauliflower gnocchi, then sautéed it with some pre-cooked chicken (again, from Trader Joe’s) and a jarred creamy lemon pasta sauce. A delightful easy meal with multiple servings of veggies.
So this week, maybe take yourself on a date to Trader Joe’s, or heck, even Whole Foods. Let yourself grab some convenience foods that will give you those nutrients you need (protein, fiber, omega-3s!) without having to put in so much dang effort. I promise you, you’ll have delicious week of eating—and your body will actually feel great.
Speaking of convenience foods, let me share a fun little hack that I learned recently with your favorite brand of frozen soup dumplings!
I wrote about this trick for Taste of Home months ago, and it’s by far my favorite frozen food hack. Essentially, take your pack of frozen soup dumplings (yes, all six of eight or whatever) and place them in a bowl. Cover them with a chicken broth or a vegetable broth; I like to make broth with Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable base. You’ll likely only need about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of liquid, or until the soup dumplings are just covered at the top. Pop in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, or whatever the package instructions recommend. Then top with some fixings, like sesames seeds, thinly sliced green onions, or chili crisp that helps to make a spicy broth.
You’re welcome.