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Convenience Foods
Chapter 15-1
Food for Today
Convenience Foods
Objectives
• Identify different types of convenience
foods and their uses
• Discuss the pros and cons of using
convenience foods
Choosing Convenience Foods
• Convenience Food
– One that has been commercially
processed to make it more convenient to
store or use
– Includes items that have been processed
for a longer shelf life
– Reduce meal preparation time
Choosing Convenience Foods
• You can buy
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Snacks
Main dishes
Side dishes
Desserts
Complete meals
All already prepared
Manufactured Foods
• A product developed to serve as a substitute
for another food
• Developed to meet special nutritional needs
or to provide low-cost alternatives
• Several types
– Analogues
– Egg Substitutes
– Formed Products
Manufactured Foods
• Analogues
– Foods made from a vegetable protein and
processed to resemble animal foods
– Can be the following:
• Textured Soy protein (TSP)
– Generally low in fat and cholesterol
• Tofu
• Vegetables
• Grains
Manufactured Foods
• Egg Substitutes
– Usually made from egg whites with other
ingredients added
– NO YOLK
• Means they have little or no saturated fat and
cholesterol
Manufactured Foods
• Formed Product
– A food made from an inexpensive food
source processed to resemble a more
expensive one
– Prices of “imitation” foods are lower than
the food they replace
Pros and Cons of
Convenience Foods
• Cost
– Can be costly
• Example
– Ready-to-cook meat loaf costs more than twice as
much as regular ground beef
– Cost of cut-up chicken is higher than buying whole
chickens
Pros and Cons of
Convenience Foods
• Nutrition
– Processing usually destroys some
nutrients
– Look for Convenience foods that are
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Low in sodium, fat and sugar
Fruit packed in its own natural juices
Frozen veggies over canned
Use ready-to-cook and ready-to-use foods
sparingly
Pros and Cons of
Convenience Foods
• Meal Appeal
– Processing affects the flavor, color, and
texture of food
• Often additives are used to make the final
product resemble its fresh counterpart
– Flavor may not compare with similar foods
that are homemade
Section Review
• 1. What is a manufactured food? What
is an analogue?
• 2. In what three areas are there
potential downsides to using
convenience foods?
• 3. Identify two ways to make the most of
convenience foods from a nutrition
perspective