Healthy eating on the go

Yes, yow will discover easy fast food, but you've got to do your homework.

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Common convenience foods

Packaged, prepared foods are available many forms: boxed, dry items corresponding to quick pasta and rice mix; canned foods, corresponding to soup or ravioli; or frozen meals, corresponding to single frozen dinners or “family-sized” lasagna.

All of those are often loaded with calories, salt, saturated and trans fats, sugar, refined carbohydrates, additives and preservatives. “It's not the worst thing if you eat this type of fast food once in a while, but if you start eating a lot of it, it can lead to weight gain and the accompanying health risks like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease,” says McManus.

And don't think that takeout is the reply either. “The same problem with ‘to-go' food. It's fast and it's hot, but it's probably salty, greasy, and high in calories,” McManus says.

The healthy version

Some convenience foods are available healthier versions. However, finding them requires a little bit of detective work. Start with ingredient lists. “The fewer ingredients, the better, and make sure real foods are on the list, whether it's meat or vegetables,” says McManus. If there may be any added sugar, it needs to be one in every of the last ingredients, as ingredients are listed by quantity.

Next stop: the Nutrition Facts label. McManus recommends the label and selecting entrees with serving sizes that provide 600 calories or less. 5 or more grams of fiber; 500 or less milligrams of sodium; zero grams of trans fat; 5 or less grams of saturated fat; And zero grams of sugar. (See “What to Look for in a Healthy Prepared Interior.”)

Billing

Look for dry foods, corresponding to whole-grain cereals (shredded wheat or rolled oats); frozen or canned vegetables (without salt); canned tuna or salmon; some frozen fish or shrimp; And some frozen entrees, normally from firms that promote the proven fact that they use organic ingredients. It won't take long to microwave a fish fillet and open a can of green beans or heat up a nutritious frozen dinner.

Better yet, start serious about fresh meals you possibly can prepare in the identical timeframe, or frozen meals you've got made yourself that could be reheated when you're on the go (see “Make Your Own ‘Fast Food'”).