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
Oh YUM. Thanks for the link! I'm making that tonight! :)
And yeah, I agree with you. It really is much cheaper in the long run to eat fresh and make things from scratch.
I agree with the prior comments regarding processed soy - bad, bad, bad - and Morningstar puts it in EVERYTHING. Kashi is also a big offender.
Also - frozen waffles? Come on. Make a batch on the weekend, and freeze them. Right now in my freezer are pumpkin chocolate chip, buttermilk wheat, and cocoa-flax. They toast easily and are way better than the pathetic ones you get from the store.
And, I never knew eating children was part of a vegetarian diet. You learn something every day.
My 10 month old loves Lemon Cilantro Hummus from Fresh'n'Easy grocery stores. No preservatives and very yummy! Fresh'n'Easy is good with food.
For all you who are saying that fresh is cheaper in the long run, yada yada. You have to consider that it's ONLY cheaper if someone actually knows how to store and prepare it. The sad fact is that far too many people are intimidated by the fresh foods simply because they don't know what to do with them. I know, I was one. It's only been the last few years, since I became a mother, that I have taken the time to learn about fresh foods and how to store and cook them properly. I've seeen how much cheaper dry beans are compared to fresh, how much more flavor my food has when my herbs/veggies are fresh. The last few years taught me enough that I had a garden last year and utilized the produce in so many ways I never would have thought before. In fact, my rosemary bush is still just thriving so I have fresh rosemary, any time I want it. My garden is not very big, just a small strip of dirt up against the side of my apartment building, but it sure did produce a LOT of tomatoes and peppers and cukes and zukes.
Girlfriend, I make my own hummus. It's cheaper, considering how much of it I eat! :-)
Amys! They are the only brand of reasonably good tasting frozen meals that come in Gluten Free.
Don't try to rain on my parade by telling me it's full of hydrolyzed soy whatevers...It's a treat or a lazy day thing that I have less than once a month. But they are so good and I feel a bit better about them than some of the other brands!
LOL eating kids!!
Sorry I want my family to eat healthy but I am not going to go all health nut.