Packaged Goodies Show Down

Written by Gloria Tsang, RD
Published in January 2007

You are concerned about calories, trans fat and refined sugar, yet most convenient packaged foods, unfortunately, fall into these categories. What can you do?

There is hope. If you look carefully, you will find some healthy packaged delights at your grocery store. We are happy to share our great finds!

Top 5 Healthy Packaged Goodies

LightLife's Meatless Goodies You don't have to be a vegetarian to love LightLife goodies! Their products are low in fat, calories, and are cholesterol-free. For instance, their meatless hot dogs (made with healthy soy protein) contain a mere 45 fat-free calories per serving. What's more impressive is that, compared to regular dogs, LightLife's dogs provide significantly less sodium and is nitrate-free. Not only does LightLife offer the traditional meatless alternatives such as burgers and bacon, they also carry a variety of meatless convenient snacks as well as on-the-go meals. Our favorite pick is their Smart Chili on-the-go. This tasty, fat-free hot chili delivers only 210 calories while containing an impressive 10 grams of fiber, making it a healthy lunch choice to pack for work.   Hunt's Canned Tomatoes Are canned foods inferior? Not necessarily, and certainly not in the case of the tomato. Research shows that lycopene, a potent prostate-health-friendly antioxidant, is better absorbed by the body when tomatoes are processed. It is due to the fact that lycopene is bound to tomato's cell structure. Food processing facilitates the release of lycopene. Tomato pasta sauce, for instance, has seven times more lycopene than a raw tomato. What a great pantry item!   Quaker Instant Oatmeal The 2005 Dietary Guidelines of America recommends eating at least three servings of whole grains per day. Breakfast is the perfect time to eat your whole grains! Our favorite pick is the regular version of Quaker Instant Oatmeal. Adding low-fat milk and cut-up fruits into your oatmeal will make a wholesome breakfast to start your day. Alternately, whole-grain breakfast cereal is also a good option.   Stonyfield All Natural Organic Fat-free Yogurt Stonyfield All Natural Organic Fat-free Yogurt delivers all the goodness of dairy products without any fat, cholesterol, artificial sweeteners, growth hormones and preservatives. What's more amazing is that each of these yogurt cups also offers 2 grams of fiber per serving as well as 6 unique blends of active live culture. A great snack to be eaten on its own or used as a dip.   Right Direction Chocolate Chip Cookies Who says you can't have your chocolate chip cookies and eat them, too? Each of these high fiber cookies provides a high level of soluble fiber and plant sterols, both of which have been shown to reduce the bad LDL cholesterol. Indeed, a small scientific study conducted by the University of Connecticut backed their health claims. Researchers found that the LDL cholesterol levels of participants from the RD chocolate chip cookie group were lowered by 10 percent. That's impressive.

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