Words on Wellness

Guest Column
By: 
Rachel Wall
Nutrition & Health Specialist, ISU Extension & Outreach

Boxed Meals: A Healthier Alternative

     When short on time, many cooks use packaged convenience foods to prepare a quick meal. Most processed food items are high in sodium, fat, or added sugars. In addition, they often cost more than the homemade version. To boost the nutrient density of a boxed or frozen packaged convenience food, try the ideas described here:

To Decrease Fat:

     • Omit or cut in half the amount of butter or margarine that is recommended for boxed mixes for rice, pasta, stuffing, potatoes, or macaroni and cheese.

     • Use lean beef, chicken, or turkey when making a prepackaged casserole boxed meal. If using ground meat, drain the fat and continue with regular directions.

     • Replace oil in cake or brownie mixes with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. Substitute two egg whites for each whole egg to decrease the fat and calorie content even more.

To Decrease Sodium:

     • Use only half of the seasoning packet that comes with packaged rice mixes, dry soup noodles, and frozen stir-fry meals.

     • For additional zest, use herbs and spices instead of salt.

To Add Nutrients:

     • Add chopped or sliced vegetables (fresh or frozen) to boxed rice mixes, ramen noodles, canned soups, or a frozen pizza before baking it.

     • Add frozen chopped spinach to tomato-based sauces for pasta.

     • If a packaged mix calls for 1 cup of milk, use 2/3 cup of nonfat dry milk powder and 1 cup of water instead. You will get twice as many nutrients–such as calcium, vitamins, and protein–in each cup.

Love Them to Health

     What can you do to encourage family members or friends to commit to a physically active lifestyle? Use the following tips to help encourage positive behavior change.

     • Be clear about your intentions. Show concern about their health.

     • Keep it simple and encourage consistent routines.

     • Look for signs that indicate readiness to change.

     • Walk the talk. Continue to be a good role model.

     • Be patient. Change does not happen overnight.

     • Make it fun and try new activities.

     • To keep momentum going, have heart-to-heart discussions about what is and is not working.

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