How to Serve Convenience Foods - Without a Side of Guilt
It's 6pm, you're shattered and the kids are asking "what's for dinner?" for the third time. You reach for those fish fingers in the freezer and immediately feel that familiar pang of guilt. Is it ok for them to have these? Shouldn't I really be making home-cooked food?
I work with parents every day who beat themselves up about using convenience foods. But the reality is, when chosen wisely and ideally not every day, they can absolutely be part of a healthy, balanced diet for your family.
The key is knowing what to look for and how to serve them well. Here are my three top tips that I share with the families I work with:
Check the Ingredients Label > If you look at anything on a food label, let it be the ingredients list. It's a legal requirement to state ingredients on pack and they'll be listed in weight order. Whether you're buying burgers, chicken nuggets, chips, ready meals or whatever it might be, compare ingredients lists on different varieties for the percentage of meat, fish, potato or whatever you’d expect the main ingredient to be. Choose the one with the highest amount. Once you start looking you’ll be amazed at the differences you see!
Serve Alongside Other Nutritious Foods > Offering variety is always important in any meal so think about what else you can offer alongside the convenience food to boost the nutritional content of the meal. For example:
add salad and home-made sweet potato wedges to a burger meal
serve filled pre-packed tortellini with a home-made tomato sauce
throw in some peas to a ready macaroni cheese meal
Don't Feel Guilty > So often we beat ourselves up for not preparing freshly cooked meals, but the reality is that it's just not always possible. With work schedules, kids' activities and the general exhaustion of family life, it's important to have self-compassion. Your children pick up on any stress around food so be kind to yourself. Your family will benefit from a positive, relaxed far more than they'll suffer from the occasional fish finger dinner.
I’m passionate about supporting parents to feel less stressed about food so that they - and their children - can enjoy mealtimes more. Processed and convenience foods, chosen thoughtfully and served as part of varied meals, can absolutely support this goal.
Remember, there’s no such thing as a perfect meal and sometimes just getting everyone fed with minimal stress is an achievement worth celebrating.
You're doing an amazing job and your children are lucky to have a parent who cares enough to think about these choices thoughtfully. Be kind to yourself - you've got this!