Can food be pre-packaged, convenient, tasty, and healthy – all at the same time? Why yes, as a matter of fact it can. Is it possible to fill your shopping cart with foods that are nourishing, delicious, and guilt free? Why yes, as a matter of fact it is. And finally, does anyone know where I might have put my favorite pen? Eh, that’s okay. I figured it was worth a shot to ask.
There are many healthy foods that take little to no time to prepare. Today as I was putting lunch on the table and asking the boys to pull out strawberries, carrots, peppers, and pickles from the fridge to go with our meal, I was once again struck by how easy it is to put healthy foods on the table.
Stop believing the myth that eating healthy food is difficult and time consuming! And seriously, if you come across my missing pen, would you please let me know?
There are dozens of foods you can buy that are full of nutrition, just because they were born that way. You might need to take the time to peel it, wash it, or slice it – but have you ever timed yourself opening a box of cookies, then working like mad to get the plastic pouch inside to tear open? In the meantime, you really should have just sliced a cucumber.
Here are 10 great ideas for real food pre-packaged convenience:
1. Mini Sweet Peppers
Oh my goodness, have you tried these? They are deliciously sweet, perfectly crunchy, and wonderful all by themselves or in a salad. We take these on the road trips, munch on them for snacks, add them to our lunch plates, and argue about which color tastes the sweetest. I can’t get enough of these.
2. Fresh Berries
Without a doubt, you can not compete with fresh berries picked and eaten right out of the garden. But during the times those are not available, we look for the best deals on strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries at the store. Wash ’em and eat ’em. It doesn’t get any easier than pulling out berries for a snack or a side dish with a meal.
3. Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
Again, these are best fresh out of the garden. But since ours won’t be ready for another month or two, buying these pre-packaged works great for us.
4. Baby Carrots
There is some controversy over buying packaged baby carrots because of the information many have heard about baby carrots being soaked in chlorine before being packaged. Read this info and do with it what you wish. As for me, sometimes buying a package of baby carrots is a huge help in my effort to provide my family with extra veggies during a meal.
5. Mixed Greens
Think making salad is too time consuming? Oh for Pete’s sake. Just buy a container of mixed greens and throw it on the table. It’s pre-washed and ready to eat. We go through a couple packs of these each week.
6. Pickles
Open a jar, put it on the table, your work here is done.
7. Cheese Sticks
These can be a little pricey compared to buying a hunk of cheese and slicing it yourself. But when we’re talking about pre-packaged convenience foods, this one is a winner. Cheese is great for an on-the-go protein snack. Yay cheese.
8. Larabars
Yes, you can made these homemade. I’ve done it myself many times. But sometimes my family needs something to stuff in a pocket to eat in between soccer games. I watch for great sales and coupons through Amazon or Vitacost, and buy these by the case. They contain fruit and nuts only – a great healthy snack.
9. Fruit Leather
Again, I make this homemade sometimes too. But for a fun treat, I like getting pre-packaged fruit leather when I find it on sale.
10. Raisins
Buy them by the bag or in individual serving sized boxes. This pre-packaged convenience food is awesome for snacking. And really, aren’t those tiny little boxes just the cutest?
What else? Oh, I could list tons. Peanuts, cashews, almonds, bananas, apples, grapes, oranges – think of all the pre-packaged real foods there are to pick from! Never again can we ever claim that healthy eating is difficult. And never again should anyone carry my favorite pen out of my office, put it down, and forget about it.
Leave a comment and tell us your current favorite healthy convenience foods. It’s great to share so we can all get new ideas!
Roast those sweet peppers. YUM! I also buy snack size hummus and guacamole from costco organic range. Not the cheapest but great healthy snack food on the go especially with baby carrots :)
Ooh, yes – hummus! That’s a great healthy pre-packaged food. :)
I love the omega trex mix at trader joes. Comes in snack size bags as well as a large bag.
That particular kind of fruit leather you pictured is delicious… just introduced it to my son and daughter, who both have ADHD, so finding sweet treats for them that won’t increase their hyperactivity is a challenge. Was glad to find these at my local Kroger.
We also love the Clif fruit ropes. Yum!
We love the fruit leather at our house. I keep it in a box in the back of my car for ballgame/on-the-go snacks. Raisins and bagged Annie’s crackers and cookies are in there also. And about your pen… have you checked your hair?
Laura –
Thank you for your wholesome, helpful, fun posts. I especially like that you send something out every day, even on Saturdays, I believe. I really appreciate your recipes and the time you put into your blog. Thank you!!
Amy G.
Read the pickle jar label before you buy, the conventional ones at my grocery store all contain artificial dye. I make my own refrigerator dills in the summer to take advantage of fresh summer produce, now I make them year round to avoid the dye. I have seen undyed pickles at my farmer’s market, whole foods probably has them as well, but I find it cheaper to make my own.
Good to know the mini peppers are a hit. I’ll have to give them a try next week.
For lunch, I love to dip my baby carrots in natural (unsweetened) peanut butter.
I also like granola bars – but just as with everything else, there are a lot of brands. Read the ingredients to find the best brand for you. A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t identify 3 or more ingredients, it’s probably not very “real”.
Don’t forget about individual sized yogurt cups, too, again reading the label to identify “your” brand.
I also pre-make my own snack/trail mixes and make up a bunch of 2 oz tupperware containers full. I keep them in my car, purse, work bag, diaper bag. The tupperware keeps ’em from spilling & the ingredients keep forever & I always have a snack around.
Yum! We love mini sweet peppers! Except I only buy them when I see them on sale. This makes me want to grow them! That, and poblano peppers. And I was really hoping my cherry tomato plants would produce, but I don’t think they will. : ( Maybe it’s not too late to replant…I will have to see if the nursery still has veggie plants. I live in TX, in case you were wondering. : )
1.May I recommend you put those raisins on top of a slice of brie resting on top of a Mary’s Gone Crackers cracker……Yummmmy! Hubby prefers gouda chunks w/ cucumbers on top of NutThins.
2.I’m a big fan of homemade hummus and love it with MGC pretzels or cucumbers.
3.My baby (16) lovessss Strawberry yogurt.
:0)
Since reading your blog I’ve been serving my husband more fruit and vegetables. He’s a picky eater so this can be hard sometimes. Putting a plate out with an assortment of fruit and vegies is a real hit with him. He usually cleans the plate. The examples listed above are truly easy to serve and seem to create a desire to eat once plated. YEA!
For convenience we like Enjoy Life brand seed & fruit mixes, the “grab & go” packs are great! I order through Vitacost.
Free of the top allergens: Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free, Peanut Free, Tree Nut Free, Egg Free, Soy Free, Fish Free, Shellfish Free. Also Vegan, and Non-GMO certified.
Love the mini peppers! They are so good on homemade pizza. I buy them on sale, slice them & stick them in the freezer so we always have some on hand for pizza night.
Have you tried Nick’s Sticks? They’re delicious! Free range turkey and grass fed beef sticks – made in Iowa. No refrigeration required.
We love to grill the mini peppers. Ironically, we are leaving for a road trip this week. We will be packing grapes, peeled cored and chunked pineapple, cucumber slices, carrot sticks, dried cranberries (plus not-so-healthy stuff).