11 of the Healthiest Store-Bought Foods We Tried in 2019
You don’t have to make everything homemade to be healthy.
If you think you need to cook everything from scratch every night of the week in order to be healthy — think again! Many food companies have done a wonderful job creating healthy, well-balanced products that can help supplement homemade food, so you can get healthy meals on the table more quickly. The food companies keep nutrients like saturated fat, added sugar and sodium in moderation while mindfully increasing nutrients like fiber. Here are 11 convenient foods to stock in your pantry, fridge or freezer to help make your healthy lifestyle easier.
These seasoned beans come in a pouch that you can heat and eat. The beans are all vegan, non-GMO, BPA and gluten-free and come in three flavors including Cuban Black Beans, Mexican Cowboy Beans and Trini Chickpea Curry. Ingredient lists are rather short, but each flavor is delicious.
These frozen chicken tenders have a veggie-forward crispy coating made with cauliflower and other gluten-free ingredients. The chicken tenders are baked, not fried, which means lower calories and fat compared to the fried varieties. The chicken tenders have no saturated fat or added sugar and 22% more protein and 21% more fiber than the average frozen chicken tender. Two original chicken nuggets provide 120 calories, 12 grams of carbs and 16 grams of protein.
Sometimes it’s good to stock up on a few frozen meals in case you really don’t have time to prepare anything. Luvo makes frozen dinners for vegans, vegetarians and with chicken, meat or fish. Sample meals include Mighty Masala & Greens, Cauliflower Mac & Cheese and Tomato Basil Pasta with Chicken. Each meal provides quality protein (from whole plants or meats), a full serving of vegetables and fiber.
It’s nice when the kids can pop a quick breakfast in the toaster, and you can feel good about what they’re eating. Vans makes waffles with and without gluten. Gluten-free waffle flavors include Ancient Grains, Apple Cinnamon and Original. Regular gluten-filled waffle flavors include Multigrain, Original, Blueberry and Chocolate Chip. Top a waffle with Greek yogurt, fresh berries and a sprinkle of nuts, and you’ve got a well-balanced, healthy breakfast.
Tomato sauce is a convenient food that most folks don’t make from scratch. There are many varieties of tomato sauce available but none like Otamot, which is made from a variety of vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, spinach and many more. The result is a sauce that is thick, silky and versatile on foods from pizza to pasta to chicken dishes.
NOW Foods makes quinoa cups that are ready in five minutes. Add hot water, and you get fluffy flavorful quinoa in minutes. Flavors include Organic Quinoa, Savory Garlic & Mushroom and Southwestern Barbecue. The cups are vegan, non-GMO and free of gluten, dairy, egg, soy and nuts. A cup of the Savory Garlic & Mushroom provides 210 calories, two-and-a-half grams of fat, 190 milligrams of sodium and four grams each of fiber and protein.
Need salads that are already put together? They do exist! Eat Smart has a variety of salad kits that you can open and serve. They even come with dressing. Salads also include nuts, seeds, cheese, quinoa and other salad toppers. Flavors include Avocado Ranch, Sunflower Kale, Strawberry Harvest, Asian Sesame, Sweet Kale, Southwest and Wild Greens & Quinoa.
If you’re looking for a better-for-you dressing, Organic Girl has a line of designer dressings in flavors like Lemon Agave, Avocado Cilantro, Herb Goddess, Tropical Ginger and more. Dressings are made with organic fruits and vegetables with herbs, spices and oils, and bottled cold.
Stash a few Happi Foodi veggie sides in your freezer like Sweet Potato Casserole, Roasted Russets & Asparagus, Roasted Root Veggies & Cauliflower and Green Bean Casserole. One serving of the Green Bean Casserole provides 90 calories, five grams of fat, one gram of saturated fat, eight grams of carbs, one gram of fiber and no added sugar. All varieties are perfect for those hectic days when you want a warm veggie side dish.
These snack packs, which can also be used as part of a meal, are made with wild-caught tuna infused with extra-virgin olive oil, herbs and spices. The packs even come with a tiny fork, so you can enjoy it on the go. Flavors include Cracker Black Pepper, Thai Chili, Lemon & Thyme, Basil, Sundried Tomato and Smoked Flavor. They are shelf-stable and stack up nicely in your pantry.
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