How to Make Quick Meals Healthy

I love prepackaged meals like pasta, rice, and soups. Just look at the directions, boil some water, toss in a couple of packages of dehydrated stuff, stir it all around, and your done. You don't have to worry about portion sizes or getting the spices just right – that's all done for you. In other words, prepackaged meals are convenient – but they're not perfect. There are a few simple things you can do to make these dishes into truly healthy meals, without adding to cooking time.

Getting Rid of the Bad

•  The most obvious flaw of these quick, easy meals is their sodium content – which can account for 1/3 to over ? of your daily recommended sodium allowance. Ouch! It's always a good idea to look at the nutrition label before you buy prepackaged meals and opt for the lower-sodium options and avoid anything with MSG (monosodium glutamate). At home, you might want to use just ? or half of the “spice packet”. You'll loose little in the way of taste, but will lower your salt intake to healthier levels.

•  You can also leave out part or all of the butter/margarine that the recipe calls for. It makes the final product a little less creamy but is a great way to cut calories.

Boosting the Good
The other common problem with prepackaged meals is what they're missing – vitamins, minerals, and protein. Even a boxed rice or pasta dish with vegetables can be skimpy of the good-for-you stuff. Fortunately, this is easily remedied. Just add

•  Raisins are great for rice dishes, but so are other dried fruit (try apricot) or even slices of fresh fruit.

•  Legumes (try lentils or chickpeas) are a great way to turn rice into a high protein, high fiber complete meal. But legumes also go well in soups and even pasta dishes (try northern beans). Just dump a can of beans in while you cook.

•  You can put pieces of baked chicken in just about any dish to turn it into a heartier meal.

•  Vegetables are low calorie and packed with vitamins and minerals; in order words, a great addition to any rice, pasta, or soup. Try to put at least two types of vegetables in any dish you cook (even if it already comes with veggies). Spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, asparagus, carrots, and corn are all great choices. Throw them in with the prepackaged foods.