Pasta
Contrary to popular belief, convenience foods really are not anymore convenient or less expensive than home cooked meals. That is what food marketer want us to believe. They try to make us feel that we really don't have the time, the energy or the skill to make our own meals anymore. Cooking great tasting, healthy meals is pretty basic. After all people have been doing this for generations. It's just been in the past generation that ads on television and in magazines have been bombarding us with how little time we have to cook. Schools used to teach basic nutrition and cooking to high school students, unfortunately in many schools that has been eliminated. People today wanting to learn how to cook now watch cooking programs on television. The problem with this is that those programs are sponsored by the very same companies using marketers to get us to buy convenient foods rather than healthy foods. Here are some examples of how convenience foods really are not any more convenient than home cooked meals.
Let's take every kids favorite macaroni and cheese. Unless you buy it frozen and pop it in the microwave it is really not much faster than making a stovetop version of this ultimate comfort food. After all you still need to boil the water and cook the noodles. You also still need to add your own butter and milk. So what you are really paying for when purchasing that box of mac and cheese is the pasta and some orange powder they call cheese.
In making homemade mac and cheese the only extra time needed is to shred or grate the cheese. If you are making this for your children that is a great task for them to help out in the kitchen. While waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, you make the sauce. It's that simple. You can also use the type of milk, butter and cheese your family likes instead of whatever the manufacturer decides to put in. You are also using real cheese. Like I said earlier if you buy frozen mac and cheese, yes you will save time but definitely not money and who really knows what it is you are feeding your family.
Another example is boxed Hamburger Helper or Pasta Roni type foods. What is it that you're really buying. The pasta and seasoning that use a lot of sodium. You still need to add your ground meat and liquids. Why not try my Pasta Casserole or use one of my pasta sauces, then add ground meat or whatever you have in leftovers.
Finally, my childhood favorite Rice A Roni. Again you are paying for rice and seasonings with a lot os sodium. Make my Chicken Flavored Rice and feel my better about what your serving your family. Once you feel comfortable making this rice dish, try some of my other rice recipes.
So the next time you are grocery shopping, remember that a bag of rice or a package of pasta mixed with some basic food items you probably already have is less expensive and doesn't take any more time than buying that pre-made or pre-packaged chemical laden food.
There are some foods that are more convenient to buy than make; sandwich breads, crackers and tortillas to name a few. Here are a few things I like to keep handy for convenience: frozen fruit, vegetables and canned tomatoes. These items out of season are more expensive and generally not as ripe as they are in season.
In making homemade mac and cheese the only extra time needed is to shred or grate the cheese. If you are making this for your children that is a great task for them to help out in the kitchen. While waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, you make the sauce. It's that simple. You can also use the type of milk, butter and cheese your family likes instead of whatever the manufacturer decides to put in. You are also using real cheese. Like I said earlier if you buy frozen mac and cheese, yes you will save time but definitely not money and who really knows what it is you are feeding your family.
Another example is boxed Hamburger Helper or Pasta Roni type foods. What is it that you're really buying. The pasta and seasoning that use a lot of sodium. You still need to add your ground meat and liquids. Why not try my Pasta Casserole or use one of my pasta sauces, then add ground meat or whatever you have in leftovers.
Finally, my childhood favorite Rice A Roni. Again you are paying for rice and seasonings with a lot os sodium. Make my Chicken Flavored Rice and feel my better about what your serving your family. Once you feel comfortable making this rice dish, try some of my other rice recipes.
So the next time you are grocery shopping, remember that a bag of rice or a package of pasta mixed with some basic food items you probably already have is less expensive and doesn't take any more time than buying that pre-made or pre-packaged chemical laden food.
There are some foods that are more convenient to buy than make; sandwich breads, crackers and tortillas to name a few. Here are a few things I like to keep handy for convenience: frozen fruit, vegetables and canned tomatoes. These items out of season are more expensive and generally not as ripe as they are in season.
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