Convenience Foods & Ready Meals

Convenience foods may be quick and easy to prepare, but they do not compare to a home-cooked meal when it comes to nutritional value. Refer to the calorie counter to determine the calories and nutrition facts for your favorite convenience foods.

Sodium Content

One of the main disadvantages of convenience foods is that they tend to be very high in sodium. While sodium is an essential mineral, high sodium consumption can lead to health problems. In many cases, a single serving of convenience foods contains enough sodium to meet (or exceed) your daily recommended intake for sodium. Sodium plays a key role in palatability for convenience foods but it can detract from the nutritional value.

Low Nutritional Value

In order to give convenience foods a long shelf-life, food manufacturers often add artificial preservatives and other unhealthy ingredients. According to the Cleveland Clinic, convenience foods are often very high in saturated fat, sugar, and sodium without providing much (if any) nutritional value. Convenience foods are made to be convenient, not healthy. Convenience foods also tend to be high in carbohydrate and fats but low in protein.

Many people do not realize that convenience foods have the potential to contribute to health problems such as heart problems and weight gain. Refer to the calorie calculator to determine the calories and nutrition facts for your favorite convenience foods.

Increased Risk for Heart Problems

Not only are many convenience foods loaded with sodium to improve the flavor of the product, but many are also high in saturated fat. These two factors combined can be very harmful to your heart. Overconsumption of saturated fat can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries and too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure. For these reasons, it is recommended that you enjoy convenience foods only in moderation.

Risk for Weight Gain

Many convenience foods are high in carbs and calories but low in vitamins and minerals which is not a good combination if you are trying to lose weight or simply follow a healthy diet. Convenience foods may be an easier option than preparing a meal yourself, but you have to consider whether it is truly worth it. If your diet is primarily comprised of convenience foods you may be exceeding your daily recommended calorie intake without even knowing it and, as a result, you could end up gaining weight.