…frost buildup on the inside of cold displays indicates that a door is not sealing, and the temperature may not be maintained properly. Overstocked freezers and refrigerators can also be a sign of strained cooling units, which inhibits circulation and makes the food not cold enough. Many stores also now have very visible thermometers in cold and refrigerated display units. Check those temperatures. Refrigerated [cases] should be less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, while frozen [cases] should be near 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Food that’s already cooked.
If someone else cooked it, you’re going to pay for that service with almost no exceptions. Frozen dinners, prepared hot meals, salad bars, packaged sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, and that like are all more expensive than their raw component parts.
Now that’s not to say there’s no place for the occasional packaged/pre-made meal in the home, but on average, most of the pre-made meals have way too much sodium, too much fat and aren’t seasoned the way you like in the first place. You usually get them for convenience.
To make eating at home easier, plan your meals and then cook them late at night or early in the morning to get them out of the way of your work day.
2. Lunch-ables
I know we’re going to get a lot of flack for this one, but Men’s Health magazine named them as one of the worst snacks in America. They were specifically speaking about the deep-dish pepperoni pizza Lunchables, which it says has “a back label that reads like a chemistry textbook.” The “meal” if you want to call it that, is 500 calories, but and a whopping 890 milligrams of sodium and 28 grams of sugar. That’s more than your child should consume all day.
Other Lunchables packs have less sugar and fewer calories, but in many cases the healthier alternative is a homemade turkey sandwich or leftover pasta. And get this, it’s cheaper to make it yourself!
1. “Light” Bread
It’s nearly impossible to find bread at the store without added sugars, artificial colors and GMOs – which is interesting since it only takes 4 ingredients to make bread. But I say all that to say, not all is lost. There are loaves of bread that still give you what you need and want: healthy grains and taste. However, most of the “light” bread doesn’t. Those bread brands that claim to be less in calories, etc have other fillers to make them that way.
So, try to stick to sprouted grain bread or gluten-free varieties that are made up of primarily seeds and healthy grains. One hundred percent whole grain is mostly good, but check the ingredients list on that one too.
Another alternative if you are watching the bread you eat, start using only half the bread. Make an open-faced sandwich (only one slice of bread). You’ll most likely feel lighter on your feet and have a little bit more energy.