The more I learn about how most of our food is made nowadays, the more cautious I've become about what I feed my son. The phrase "processed food" has taken on such a sinister tone in my mind I feel guilty whenever I pull that innocent box of mac'n cheese off the shelf. Only bad mommies feed their precious ones the evil processed food...
But I have my exceptions. Don't we all? I mean, the whole idea of processed food is that it's been kinda fixed-up for you already so you're prepared for those moments when your growing toddler is suddenly, randomly starving and has to be fed RIGHT NOW or there will be a melt-down. So what's on my "mom-approved" list?
Well, I'm going to rely on Debbie Koenig's list. Debbie is the author of the new cookbook, Parents Need to Eat Too -- the ultimate cookbook for new parents. It's loaded with all kinds of family-friendly (read: QUICK and simple) recipes and advice galore. And as I was flipping through the book I was surprised to see a section -- 10 Processed Foods It's actually OK to Eat. Really? Do tell! Here's her list:
- Boil-in-bag, parboiled, or frozen brown rice
- Chicken sausages (antibiotic- and nitrate-free)
- Soup and broth (low-sodium in aseptic boxes or jars)
- Jarred pasta and barbecue sauce
- Vacuum-packed gnocchi
- Polenta rolls
- Hummus
- Salsa
- Frozen waffles
And, Debbie also has a list of frozen meal brands she thinks are mostly free of funky ingredients: Amy's, Kashi, Dr. Praeger's, and Morningstar Farms. Debbie says she still checks the ingredients labels for these brands.
I like this list! I never would have though of hummus or salsa as "processed food," but I guess that's actually what they are. It's not like I ground up those chickpeas myself. Rice is easy enough to cook from scratch, but I do kind of like that frozen rice heats up in just a couple minutes. We love sausages and gnocchi. And we totally rely on jarred pasta sauce.
I don't think every single toddler is going to love everything on this list, but I know my son ate a lot of these foods. If you haven't tried polenta rolls, they're really tasty. Polenta is an Italian cornmeal mush. When it cools it sort of hardens, and you can slice it up, grill it on the stove, and have it with that jarred pasta sauce or even just a little butter. Kids can pick up slices with their hands. It travels well, too.
So there you go -- guilt-free convenience foods that are pretty nutritious and definitely yummy. Nomnoms for your hungry little hellion -- and for you.
What are your favorite "healthy" processed foods?
Image via CarbonNYC/Flickr
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Comments 43
@No - Not all cans have BPA lining. Eden Organic canned beans don't. A thorough rinse of them gets a good amount of the sodium out. If it comes to just needing to use canned beans to make some healthy hummus vs heating up some pizza rolls? I think canned beans aren't a big deal.
Yeah we make our own hummus too, super easy and way tastier than anything store bought I've tried. We use canned beans with no BPA lining and rinse thoroughly.
Rhonda Veggie,
I have to say I've read alot of bitter and unwarrented rude comments from you on various posts and i have to say you see like you appear have a severe mental problem or really low self esteem. Anyone who enjoys being rude to complete strangers strikes me as a very miserable person and I hope you will seek help for yourself or at least for your child's sake.
wow im sorry I cant climb on board with all these moms who eat 100% organic and non processed and non GMO, non BPA foods because if I emilimited all those from where I shop there would be no part of the store left. I live in a small town where shopping is limited and I would die to have a Whole Foods here but its not going to happen.
Not everyone can afford all these healthy foods. When the govt and the companies come together and stop all this processed disgusting crap and make the healthy stuff cheap and easily accessable to everyone.......... then we will talk.
@Ladysylpher. thats too bad your town dosent have any small independent natural grocers. That would be hard to eat GMO free then. I bet making things from scratch can help a bit? Perhaps there are some farmers markets?
I hear the money thing a lot. I get it, I am poor. But the way I figure it I can better afford organics than I can medical expensise down the road due to poor food. I also worry cuz mental illness runs in my family and the chemicals in food plays a big part in bringing it on.
Anyone have good suggestions for starting activist type groups to bring orgainc/Non-GMO options to people who do not have them? I know we vote with our dollars and things wont get cheaper until there is the demand for it, but how to we vote with our dollars when there is no store to buy it in?
Also unfourtuantly the gov and companies are not going to come together on this one in our favor. They already lay together. The FDA, Monsanto and Cargil (the major food suppiers) employ the same head honchos.
@kala: I heard that too about the BPA and soy affecting hormone levels in the body. scary!