Friday Five: 5 Healthy and Affordable Ingredients for Fast Meals



 

Remember when you were a kid and meals just came to you? If your parents or caretaker were nice, they’d swap or completely remove foods per your request (or crying like I did). Now we’re older, and if we want to eat healthy, we have to rely on our own food prep skills to feed ourselves right.

 

Most of my childhood meals were not very healthy or cooked from scratch (its ok, Mom, I understand and still love you), but I do miss those easy days sometimes.

 

In an effort to prepare healthy, wholesome meals for Kelley and me, I have turned to the frozen and canned food aisles for help. I know, I know, most canned foods have a lot of sodium and other unnecessary ingredients, but if you search hard enough (I do with every trip to the store), you can find some healthy items.

 

Obviously, there are more than five things you can find that are healthy and easy to prepare, but “five” and “Friday” just work better together. “Friday Eleven” doesn’t sound right to me, and “Friday Fifty”, well, that would be a long post!

 

If you know you’ll be pressed for time soon (or always), pick up these products on your next grocery trip (I didn’t have my own pictures, so I grabbed some off the internet):

 

1. Frozen Vegetables – I buy enough to fill my freezer and by the time the week is through, it’s empty again. Look for “Fiesta” or “Italian” blends that include beans for extra protein and fiber. Look out for added sauces and other seasonings, these can turn healthy veggies into unhealthy veggies!

 

2. Canned Fish in Water – Tuna, salmon, kipper filets, sardines, etc. all provide quick access to healthy fats and protein. Beware of the kind in oils and other sauces; these add a lot of sodium and other unhealthy ingredients. Unless you don’t mind, check for the words “Skinless and Boneless” on the can or foil package, otherwise you’ll have some extra prep work! Drain, fill with water, and drain again to help remove some extra sodium before using.

 

3. Salsa – I go through jars of this stuff every week. Great as a salad dressing or quick flavor-enhancer when mixed into steamed veggies. Read ingredients!! I’ve seen sugar, corn syrup, gums, and other thickeners added to salsa…..then it goes back on the shelf.

 

4. Healthy Salad Dressing/Marinade – I’ve mentioned the Smoked Tomato dressing by Drew’s; this can turn any plain food into something bursting with flavor. Beware; low fat varieties may be high in sugar and vice versa. The shorter the ingredient list, the better….usually.

 

5. Goat Cheese – It seems random, but you don’t need much of this tangy, low fat cheese to really enhance the flavor of your food. The standard calories per ounce are around 70 to 80 when bought as a log; this is a calorie savings of 20 – 30 per ounce when compared to typical cheddar or other hard cheeses.



Kelley's favorite...



I prepared a healthy lunch with these ingredients by putting the fiesta blend in a large bowl and steaming in the microwave. Then I mixed a can of drained and rinsed boneless-skinless salmon in water, salsa, smoked tomato dressing, and a dollop of goat cheese into the hot veggies until well combined. You can add any herbs and spices you like, but I used cumin, cayenne, and cilantro….just eyeball it.



This is my only pic of the dish.  Note to self: Take more pics!!



It took about 10 minutes total after including the can opening, allowing hot things to cool (sorry, hands), mixing, and clean up. The result was a very tasty and healthy lunch for Kelley, our work friend, and me; not bad for serving 3 people in such a short time. Just double the recipe for leftovers or a big family to feed.

 

This weekend we’re watching our niece and showing her some of the cooking I do (per her Mom’s request).It will be fun to help teach a younger generation some healthy food tips; great practice for when we have our own!!. I’m trying to think of something fun, safe, and easy that she can help with.

 

Do you have any ideas on what activities to do with kids in the kitchen?

Good Food and Fun on Road Trips

Kelley and I are in Breckenridge, CO; it's just a bit cooler than Texas. Her parents have a cozy condo in an excellent location and they have happily allowed us to come with Abby (our Golden Retriever) for the week. We made the drive from Fort Worth to Breck in almost 14 hours flat; a new record for us!  This is easily going to be a lot more enjoyable than last year's trip to Breckenridge.  MRSA on your nose and face can really put a damper on things...

This is how happy Annie's Bunnies made us while driving.

The drive was pretty uneventful (a good thing!) and we switched-off to make sure the driver was alert. In our past treks, the roads were iced over for most of the way and conditions were unfavorable; but besides rain, it was a great drive.  We packed our own food to take along the way so we didn't have to stop at those crappy places lined along major roads...ok, my view is a little biased, but I am entitled to an opinion.

I had to take a pic of this....yeah, I had little sleep.  That's a dehydrated carrot, by the way.

I told Kelley I would make sure to bring all of the food we wanted.  Since we rarely go out to eat, even on vacation, I needed to make sure we had our staple foods.  I was so focused on getting our favorite baked whole wheat rye bread and goat cheese from a local store near home, that I completely forgot several other items that Kelley always uses.  Kelley, I'm sorry....but at least you have goat cheese!

She didn't get any bunnies....it shows.

I brought the Zevia Baked Donuts I made earlier this week for the drive.  Cut in half with peanut butter and a banana in the middle made for a quick and tasty belly pleaser!  The few packaged foods we brought included original Corn Thins, Annie's Homegrown Chocolate Bunny Grahams, and Uncle Jerry's Whole Wheat Pretzels.  I recommend trying all of these if/when you get a chance.

Kelley's power road trip fuel. Annie's Chocolate Bunnies in Oikos Plain Greek yogurt.

Other foods for the road include dry roasted pumpkin seeds and pistachios, organic Gala apples, bananas, baby carrots, and Oikos Greek yogurt cups.  Oh, and yes, I brought my own bottle of cayenne powder...it's a must!  I had dehydrated canned beets and carrots during the week to bring on the trip; besides being very very crunchy, I enjoyed them mixed with other crunchy items.  With this assortment, Kelley and I definitely had some fun with our food...as you see in the pics.

My power road trip food.  Baby carrots make great yogurt "spoons"...sometimes. I confess, I had some bunnies too.

Today, all four of us went tubing in Frisco, CO (right next to Breck) and had a blast going down alone and with our tubes connected.  The more weight we had, the faster we went...fun!

Kelley and I riding the conveyor belt up the tubing hill.

After tubing, we felt a little hungry went to Downstairs At Eric's afterward.  Since I'm not a fan of eating at most restaurants, I opted for a nice Guinness Stout to "hold me over" until we got back to the condo.  I brought frozen veggies and some sardines I quickly made when we got back.

Lunch is served poured!!

We plan on doing a lot of walking while here and I really look forward to having a great time with Kelley and her parents, Steve and Kathy.  Ok, I'll add the dogs too....

We have been really excited to try some coffee shops around the quaint town.  I think we'll visit a few of these tomorrow.

When going on a road trip, do you plan ahead and bring your own food or depend on whatever's around along the way?

"Can" the Canned Tomatoes

Want to avoid the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, reproductive problems, multiple cancers, and even brain disorders? Stop using canned foods; especially canned tomatoes!!

Similar to many other home cooks, canned tomatoes were the best option to great quick, healthy, and tasty meals.  Besides the common high sodium content, I felt that canned tomatoes were just as nutritious as the fresh ones.  Enter BPA (aka Bisphenol A), used to line the inside of cans to keep food from coming in contact and reacting with metal. BPA is controversial because it mimics hormone-like properties, and the acidity of tomatoes reacts with this chemical meant to prevent foods reacting to the metal.

There are a number of healthy studies that have found BPA to be problematic, here are several paragraphs from a healthy living blog that sums up the dangers of this chemical.

No question that BPA is best avoided. Scarily, most of us have it in our bodies:

One reason people may be concerned about BPA is because human exposure to BPA is widespread. The 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found detectable levels of BPA in 93% of 2517 urine samples from people six years and older. The CDC NHANES data are considered representative of exposures in the United States. Another reason for concern, especially for parents, may be because some animal studies report effects in fetuses and newborns exposed to BPA.

A new study confirms the elevated risk of heart disease due to BPA exposure:

Researchers have confirmed that the bisphenol A (BPA) — widely used in plastics including baby bottles and other drink containers — increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Patients with the highest levels of the endocrine disruptor in their urine carried a 33% increased risk of coronary heart disease, a follow-up analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data showed.

Canned tomatoes in the United States contain BPA.

As Prevention.com reported, canned tomatoes made the list of foods that experts don’t eat. Tomatoes are acidic and will react with the metal in the cans if the cans aren’t coated with something. This interior coating contains BPA. Unfortunately, tomatoes also react with the epoxy resin that lines cans.

More of the general population are becoming aware of the harmful effects of BPA and can be found all over the main media outlets.  So, if you want to stop exposing yourself and others to BPA, what do you do?  When taking the time to prepare fresh tomatoes from the produce aisle is not an option, the best options are tomatoes packaged in a Tetra Pak container which is BPA free and recyclable, or tomato products in glass jars like salsa.

For straight up, nothing added tomatoes, Kelley and I only use the Pomi brand since they are packaged in Tetra Paks; other brands like Eden Organics and Bionaturae provide BPA free packaging too.  Since I like things spicy (hence this blog's name) and add things like onions, garlic, and peppers to most dishes, I frequently use salsa in a glass jar since glass does not have BPA lining.  Be cautious of the sodium content in salsa, it is usually pretty high and you should not need to add salt to the dish in this case.  Many brands also add things like corn starch and sugar to their product; make sure to read the ingredients to know what else you are getting!

The main source of BPA entering our bodies is through diet; here are a few ways (found here) to limit your exposure:

•Don’t microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. Polycarbonate is strong and durable, but over time it may break down from over use at high temperatures.
•Plastic containers have recycle codes on the bottom. Some, but not all, plastics that are marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA.
•Reduce your use of canned foods.
•When possible, opt for glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers, particularly for hot food or liquids.
•Use baby bottles that are BPA free.

Other manufacturers that do not use BPA include:
 

• Eden Organic (canned goods)
• Ella’s Kitchen (fruit puree packs)
• POM (juices)
• Kettle (nut butters)
• Plum Organics (baby food)
• Happy Baby (baby food)

Whatever you do, please be mindful of not only the food you eat, but what it is packaged in too!  Do you use canned tomatoes often?  Have you already made a change to limit BPA exposure?  If not, do you plan on changing soon? 
 
Please post to comments how you have or will reduce BPA in your food and drink; I'd love to hear new ideas!