Dinner Friday: Healthy Convenience Foods

I’m excited about Michelle Obama’s plans to help change food policy, but even more thrilled that she is publicly telling working parents that cooking healthful meals on a regular basis is possible, even for those of us who are very busy.  As Jane Black writes in The Washington Post:

In interviews and at public events, Obama makes a point of telling her own story. As a working mother, she often took her daughters out to eat several times a week or ordered a pizza for dinner. When the girls began to gain weight, she says, her pediatrician suggested she rethink how the family was eating. By making a “small change in our family’s diet and adding more fresh produce for my family, Barack, the girls, me, we all started to notice over a very short period of time that we felt much better.”

As a lot of my readers know, food has become something of a passion for me over the past couple of years.  I’ve always loved cooking, but since Baby Bee was born, I’ve also wanted to instill in him food values that I hope will last a lifetime.  This isn’t about never giving him sweets or ordering in, it’s more about making a commitment to regularly shop, cook and eat together because these activities are fun and enrich our lives.

That said, it’s not always easy and there have been nights when I’ve come home so tired that all I want to do is sit on the counch and read Baby Bee stories.  (Well, really what I want is to watch hours of vapid reality television, but what I do is read BB stories.)  Those are the nights when convenience foods come in handy.  There are healthful, natural and “real” foods that are practical for nights like these.  Here are six healthy, safe and environmentally sustainable convenience products:

1. Olive Oil: We use it for cooking and salad dressing, but good quality, extra-virgin olive oil can also double as its own sauce.  Add a tablespoon to cooked pasta and vegetables, maybe grate a little cheese on top, and you have a meal.  I recommend having a “light” olive oil for cooking on hand, and a smaller amount of more expensive x-virgin around for saucing and salad dressing.

2. Chicken Sausage: I use chicken sausage at least once a week, either as a main dish with jarred sauerkraut from the farmer’s market and potatoes, cut up in pasta dishes, or as part of some other concoction like Sausage, Potato and Lentil Mash.  You can get good, minimally processed, all-natural versions in most grocery stores now — look for Applegate Farms, Hans, Bilinski’s or other no nitrate/nitrite brand.  Since these sausages are pre-cooked, all you need to do is heat them through in boiling water, a frying pan, or even the microwave.

3. Frozen vegetables: Many frozen vegetables have nearly as high a concentration of nutrients as their fresh counterparts, and taste pretty good too.  The great thing is that frozen veggies last for a while and usually require no chopping, making them perfect to have around the house on nights when you don’t want to do prep work.  You can put frozen vegetables in a saute pan with other ingredients, or steam/microwave separately.  An article from Eating Well on the value of frozen vegetables is here, and Good Guide rates different brands and types on the basis of health, safety and environmental sustainability practices.  Do try to avoid canned vegetables, which tend to be significantly less nutritious.

4. Potatoes: One of nature’s best convenience foods, potatoes just require a good scrub and a few pricks with a fork before going in the microwave to bake.  Once done, you can serve with a little butter or topped with cheese and vegetables — or any number of things.  Sweet potatoes have a particularly high concentration of nutrients, but even white potatoes are great if you eat the peel.  Don’t have a microwave?  Prick the potato a few times, wrap in tin foil, and put in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.  The result is even better (though it does take longer).  Check out ideas for stuffed baked potatoes at The Sustainable Pantry, iLunchbox, and Vegetarian Times.

5. Canned Salmon: Wild, Alaskan canned salmon is now readily available in supermarkets, and is a great addition to pasta or rice.  It’s cooked, so you can just heat through (or not), add some lemon juice and olive oil, mix into pasta, and serve.  Salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids and other healthful nutrients.  It’s a great way of getting fish in your diet without having to go to the seafood store daily, or worrying about the safety/sustainabaility of your choice.  One of my favorite dishes is Spaghetti with Salmon and Peas in Lemon Cream Sauce.

6. Frozen gnocchi or ravioli: These days there are a lot of good fresh pasta options that can be lifesavers on nights when you’re exausted.  You may even be able to find some local/artisanal brands, especially if you live near a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.  This is one of those foods where reading the package is essential; make sure that you recognize all of the ingredients listed.  Boil for a few minutes, add some good olive oil and defrosted veggies, and you have a great healthy meal.

Readers, what are your favorite healthy convenience foods?

Related links:

• An incredibly useful “grocery guide” as well as a terrific guide to choosing convenience foods from The Cleveland Clinic’s Miller Family Heart and Vascular Health Department.
• An MSNBC article on healthy convenience foods for kids. I would prefer to see less processed stuff on this list, but if you’re goin the packaged snack route, these are good options.
• A good list of healthy convenience foods from FitSugar.
• Rachel Ray’s non-profit organization, Yum-O, offers a host of convenient, healthy recipes for families.  I don’t always agree with the ingredients she uses on her shows, but there are some great ideas here.