How Can I Turn a Meal from a Box Into Something Healthy?

Let's be realistic, making healthy meals takes time, and we don't all have that kind of time everyday. So, when you're running late for work, a date, school, getting kids to soccer practice, or whatever the circumstance may be in your life, and you've only got a few minutes to eat, you mostly likely turn to either fast food or easy-to-make meals in a box (i.e. Mac N' Cheese, Pasta Roni, etc.). Well, I have a couple suggestions that might help ease your conscience about the latter. Here are a few simple tips that can turn your favorite meal in a box into a healthy treat!


1) Add a Vegetable: My favorite veggie to add to boxed meals is peas, but there are lots of delicious choices. Corn, green beans, spinach, mixed veggies, and the list goes on and on. Which one works best will depend on the meal. This simple step can add vitamins and minerals to your meal that you otherwise would be lacking! Isn't that great!

2) Use Lean Meat: If you add meat to your meal in a box, use one that has less fat. For example, you can buy lean ground beef. Tuna is a great one to add because it's lean and has lots of nutrients that your body needs. Poultry is generally already lean, but any excess fat can be cut off. This will save you calories and guilt :)

3) Cut the Butter: Do you really need a half a stick of butter in Mac N' Cheese? No way! If you eat the whole box by yourself that is 400 calories just from the butter!!!! Gross! Sure it tastes good, but you can safely half the amount of butter that is recommended and still have a tasty meal. If you are like me and like to avoid fat like the plague, then a spoonful of butter is all you need.

4) Use Less Seasoning: Often times the seasoning for boxed meals is high in sodium, a nutrient that you want to be careful not to get too much of. When you add other ingredients to the meal, it adds flavor, therefore you probably don't need quite as much of the seasoning.

Okay, those tips should be sufficiently helpful. I'm sure there are lots of other creative ways to make healthier meals that you may have come across. If you know some, go ahead and share.

Here is my favorite poor college student meal turned healthy:

Ingredients:
1 package Ramen Noodles
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup cut broccoli
1 can light tuna
1/2 package of the Ramen seasoning

1. Steam the carrots and broccoli in a small pan with water (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan) on medium heat.
2. Boil the Ramen noodles in a pot until soft. Drain most of the water.
3. Add the steamed veggies, tuna, and seasoning to the noodles, and cook on medium heat until warm all the way through.

And there you have it! A five minute meal that is relatively healthy for you. Enjoy! :)

-Kamie