10 Surprisingly Healthy Packaged Foods

I like to use my rice cooker to steam my vegetables too. I put the rice in the bottom and the vegetables on top. This works with meat too. - 6/18/2013 5:42:24 PM

I had read that frozen veggies still had most of the nutritional content as fresh, but I did not know that steaming or nuking was better than boiling! That's some great information, as I LOVE broccoli and can find it frozen for very cheap. - 5/29/2013 5:36:59 PM

Agree with most but wondering why Canola Oil is listed as a healthy oil in the frozen food section. I can't imagine anybody thinking canola is still a healthy option? - 5/17/2013 11:27:46 PM

Brown rice is extremely easy to cook in any rice cooker. I do it all the time and have been for several years, and it has never burned. This way it's the most convenient food in my pantry. The proportions are a little different from white rice so here's what I use: For 1 cup of rice, use 2 1/4 cups of water; For 2 cups of rice, use 4 1/2 cups of water; For 3 cups of rice, use 6 3/4 cups of water.

I always make 3 cups of rice at a time (my rice cooker is nice and big), I put it on and leave it while I do other stuff and then I have rice available to grab for a few days. My kids love it at lunchtime with melted cheese and an apple on the side. - 5/15/2013 5:35:48 PM

By the way, I stopped burning brown rice when I started cooking it in the microwave. You will need to experiment with the time, but once you've found the right parameters for your machine- you can set it and forget it. Generally you put it on high for a few minutes and then longer at half power. - 4/19/2013 11:03:28 PM

Millet is a tasty whole grain that cooks up as easily and as fast as white rice. If you can't get to a store that sells such things (as well as healthier cereals, food bars, and other convenience foods and snacks with more protein/fiber such as plentils and other bean chips), check out online sources. Amazon is good if you know you want a larger pack and for checking out reviews. I also regularly shop online for "weird food" at VeganEssentials and iHerb, sometimes at the Gluten Free Mall. If you get on their mailing lists, they run discount specials periodically that can cover shipping if you take the chance to stock up. iHerb has free shipping if you buy a certain amount. - 4/19/2013 10:59:19 PM

I disagree with most of these snacks being considered "healthy." Most of them are high carb/high sugar risk options. Best to stick with veggies and fruit! - 3/25/2013 11:29:30 PM

Not a bad list... as long as there are no preservatives, artificial flavors artificial colors or excessive sodium or fat. Finding them can be difficult (it is for me. I read all labels)... and if you do find them, they cost double or triple the bad for you junk, which I understand the reasoning behind the increased pricing... I just don't like it. :/ I also don't see how brown rice is a convenience food... it takes longer to cook. My favorite convenience foods are fresh and frozen fruits and veggies with nothing added. - 3/25/2013 9:53:36 PM

Steaming vegetables, so important! a really good quick way to do it: throw them in a bowl, add a little bit of water, cover in saran wrap, nook the sucker for a minute. perfect! Sometimes i add vinegar instead of oil to keep the calories low but that's really a matter of preference. - 3/25/2013 11:58:15 AM

Is it just me or is putting a bag of cookies in the picture deceiving? I'd love to start seeing pictures taken by the staff that actually go with the articles! - 3/25/2013 10:39:15 AM

This article is crazy. I don't agree that most of these are "good for you". Here are 10 convenience foods that are good for you, full of vitamins and fibre:
*apples, pears, bananas, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, figs, and kiwis. Wash and/or peel, eat. How much more convenient does it get? - 3/25/2013 9:21:34 AM

Be careful when buying canned tuna in water. Most of them are actually in a "vegetable broth," so if you have allergies or intolerances, it is a good idea to go to the company website to find out what vegetables may be included in that broth. Almost all of them use onions and peppers (which I cannot tolerate), and some use garlic as well. The presence of onions and garlic are also important if you are in the habit of sharing some tuna with your cat (like I do) because onions and garlic can cause major kidney damage in cats. I buy the Starkist Low Sodium because it actually uses plain water instead of the "vegetable broth." - 3/25/2013 9:12:06 AM

I would also question who funds the studies the ACC refers to. - 3/25/2013 3:43:02 AM

I can appreciate a previous commenter wanting to get all the "Facts" about bpa, but I would question where the interests of the American Chemistry Council lie. From what I can gather, they are not for protecting the health of the American consumers, but protecting the interests of companies who engage in the business of chemistry. In other words, the people who make money from the manufacturing of bpa. Thus, their integrity and reliable are GREATLY suspect. - 3/25/2013 3:42:05 AM

Almost all Trader Joe's cans are BPA free (if you email them, they will send you an exact list of which products do and do not have BPA in the packaging). I love their honesty! I find this particularly reassuring when serving canned beans, etc. to my 2-yr-old.

Other thing I wanted to point out is that Fat Free GREEK Yogurt has twice the protein and half the carbs are regular fat free yogurt. At least the ones that I made correctly (Fage, Chobani, TJ's do... but check the label to make sure they don't just have a thickener -- should be around 18-23 grams protein per cup).

And I agree that brown rice is far from a "convenience food"! Itt is delicious and better than white rice for our health but it takes forever to cook. Under this definition (It comes in a bag?) anything is a convenience food! But something close that I found to be healthy, easy to cook and similar is either quinoa or TJ's 10-minute Farro. - 3/25/2013 1:49:30 AM