One of the top reasons people give for not eating healthy is that it takes too much time to prepare healthy food. Since I stopped eating gluten 2 years ago and quit sugar in December 2005 I've been working on ways to eat healthier without spending too much time menu planning and cooking. The criteria I used for choosing healthy fast foods are:
- Sugar Free (Not because they say so…but because there really isn’t any sugar of any kind including artificial sweeteners in the list of ingredients!)
- Gluten Free (not made with wheat products - If I list something that is healthy in every other way but has gluten - I’ll note that it is not Gluten-Free)
- Low or no Salt / Sodium
- No chemicals or preservatives or food dyes
- No transfats
Note: MANY organic foods are loaded with Sugar - look on the label for evaporated cane juice, honey, molasses, raw sugar, etc. It’s a myth that they are any better for you that white sugar!
Here's our list. I wish it was longer! But that gives you an idea just how insidious and pervasive hi salt hi sweetener foods are in our grocery stores.
FROZEN FRUIT & VEGETABLES - This may seem obvious, but if it's that obvious, why do people say it's hard to eat healthy? We use frozen fruits to make ice creams with our Vitamix in less than 2 minutes. Use this link to get FREE shipping ($25 value) on a Vitamix if you choose to get one. Frozen veggies are 1000 times healthier for you than canned because they don't have all the salt added. And they taste much better.
Dried Fuit such as Just Strawberries (Courtesy of Jeri Dansky)
Fresh Bagged Salads - I always have a bag or 2 in the fridge and I keep a little salad kit in a clear container in the fridge. It has: Salad dressing, nuts, tofu grated pecorino cheese, tomotaoes, carrots and anything else I buy to go with the salad so I can make a salad really quickly.
Greek Yogurt by FAGE - This stuff is awesome! It tastes way better than regular plain yogurt and has no sugar. It tastes like sour cream so I also use it as a dip for no salt sweet potato chips by Terra!
TOPPS Brand Frozen Turkey Burgers (Believe it or not, these are the ONLY turkey burgers we have found that have nothing at all added. Just 100% Turkey - All the “seasoned” ones have sugar & salt added)
TOPPS Brand Frozen Hamburgers - Same thing. These are the only frozen hamburgers we found without additives of some kind.
STEAK-Umms - These are pure 100% beef. No added chemicals, salt or sugar. I was shocked at this one! My husband loves them.
SWEET POTATOES - They can be microwaved in about 7 minutes. Just wrap in microwaveable plastic. I know ...it's not very "green" but it realy does make them a lot moister and they taste way better. The trick is to let them sit for a few minutes before unwrapping. Larger potatoes will take longer. If you bake sweet potatoes, they are not only delightfully naturally sweet, they are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat because they contain beta-carotene just like carrots do. They taste so much better when you don’t add brown sugar to them. You can also mash them. At StopNShop and some other grocery stores you can buy them pre-wrapped and you have a quick nutritious lunch or snack anytime.
From Cynthia Friedlob, I wrap sweet potatoes in a paper towel to microwave them and the are still nice and moist. I think the trick is not to overcook them. No brown sugar on top, but I like my cinnamon!
EGGS - I recommend Cage Free, Organic, No Hormones or Antibiotics used, Omega 3 eggs preferably with a vegetarian diet. Eggs are easy to boil and easy to peel if you peel them right after rinsing with cold water. Keep them in the fridge for a really convenient protein snack. For a quick lunch or dinner, I take a bag of frozen corn, thaw it by pouring warm water over it in a colander, then sautee it in butter and sometimes garlic or parmesan or whatever I'm in the mood for. I set aside half and put it in the fridge for later. Then I add eggs to the corn and scramble it. You can also add mushroom, onions anything other leftover veggies and you have a delicious and REALLY quick healthy meal. This was inspired by the Spanish Fritata.
VAN's Sugar and Gluten Free Toaster Waffles - LOVE these! Perfect for a quick snack anytime. Instead of sugar, you can mash up a banana or other fruit and just spread it on. YUMMO!
SALAD DRESSINGS - Annie’s Naturals - What is surprising about this one is that only a few of the flavors are sugar and sweetener free. So far these are the ONLY flavors we have found in ANY bottled dressings that are actually sugar, sweetener and gluten-free. And they are GREAT tasting too!
- Artichoke & Parmesan
- Lemon & Chive
- Basil & Garlic
- Sea veggie & Sesame
- Red Wine and Vinegar
- Shitake & Sesame
- Organic Green Garlic
Whole Foods 365 Organic Italian Dressing (Courtesy of Jeri Dansky)
ALMONDS, NUTS, TEA! Courtesy of TeaPartyGirl
What are your favorite healthy fast foods? Leave a comment and I'll them to add to this list.
