Kasia the Expert

     I was reading a newspaper article the other day in which a physician was quoted as saying people should "never, ever eat processed foods."  Huh?  I found myself wondering what one would eat if we didn't eat processed foods.  Would we milk our own cow each morning?  Grind our own flour?  Go back to butchering a chicken before Sunday dinner?  Are we left with only potatoes in the cold, midwest winter?

     Consumers want taste, freshness, safety and value in the foods they buy for their families--all qualities of most processed foods.  For example, frozen meals such as Healthy Choice, offer great taste, won't spoil quickly and provide specific instructions to keep food safe, all at a value price.

     Avoiding processed foods to eat healthier is not the answer.  Using technology and innovation to continue to offer the most delicious, nutritious and safest food supply possible?  Now, that's progress.

     What are your thoughts?

     Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?  I'm always looking to indulge in dessert--without undoing all of my hard work by eating a balanced diet.  My favorites (all less than 150 calories per serving) are:

• Swiss Miss or Snack Pack pudding topped with sliced fruit (I love bananas and strawberries) and a squirt of Fat Free Reddi Wip.  Want to cut even more calories?  Try the fat- or sugar-free pudding varieties, all under 100 calories per serving!
• Freeze your favorite fruit and enjoy--I've found this works best with cherries, grapes, bananas, mangos and blueberries.
• Sweeten sliced fresh strawberries with a small amount of preserves, or fruit syrup, mixed with a splash of balsamic vinegar.  This combination heightens the berry flavor, without adding more sugar.

     What's your favorite way to indulge in dessert and still feel good about it?

      A plant based (vegetarian) diet isn't new. What is new and exciting is the great variety of not just restaurant vegetarian options available but frozen meals as well. Recent nutrition literature confirms that "...appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits..."*

Although I don't consider myself a vegetarian, I occasionally like to replace a meat dish with a vegetarian dish, such as, Healthy Choice All Natural Entrees Tortellini Primavera Parmesan, because it provides unique nutrients, like vitamin C and fiber that are not present in meat.

If you're like me and try to find tasty, convenient ways to include more veggies in your diet, don't overlook the frozen isle of your supermarket. Check out the options from Healthy Choice and Lightlife and enjoy the nutritional benefits of eating more veggies. What is your favorite frozen vegetarian meal?

*J Am Diet Assoc.2009:109:1266-1282.