• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Motive Nutrition

Motive Nutrition

Healthy recipes. Nutrition tips. Motivation.

  • About
    • Meet Vanessa
    • Our philosophy
    • The MN Team
  • blog
    • Meal Prep
    • Eating Well
      • Nutrition Tips
      • Mindful Eating
    • Living Well
      • Mom & Baby
      • Self-care
    • Videos
  • Services
    • Coaching
      • General nutrition
      • Sports nutrition
      • Prenatal nutrition
      • Fertility nutrition
      • PCOS nutrition
      • IBS nutrition
      • Low-Fodmap diet
    • Speaking and Corporate Services
  • Recipes
  • Book an appointment
  • Fr

5 healthy convenience foods

July 16, 2013 | byVanessa Perrone

5 healthy convenience foods

I’ve sung the praises of eating real good food before, but it’s no secret that getting good food on the plate involves some behind-the-scenes action. Things like planning, prepping and strategic executing are all necessary steps for streamlining the healthful eating process.

But let’s get real about eating real for a second.

There will come a day when the glorious garden-fresh foods of summer will no longer be available (well for me, anyway). There may even come a day when meal planning will slip through the cracks and leave you, well, stuck. In such situations, when you need to cut corners and save time, you need to know that there are some whole foods options that you can use as a safety net.

So today I thought I would share 5 of my favourite real food shortcuts. A few healthy convenience foods that I feel every kitchen should have and that can help you achieving healthfulness on a plate.

 5 healthy convenience foods

Frozen vegetables

Why they’re convenient: Unlike most other products in the frozen foods section, these don’t deserve dirty looks. Frozen vegetables are picked in their prime and frozen immediately. This means that the product you’re getting out of the bag has maintained all of its nutritional integrity. Granted, the flavor and texture of frozen vegetables isn’t ideal, but they certainly do the trick when you’ve got nothing else around and warrant a definite spot in your freezer.

What to look for:

  • An ingredient list containing only the veggies, no added salt.
  • Organic produce when possible.
  • Whole vegetables. We want to avoid vegetables that have been pre-cut, peeled or mashed, since the nutritional value of the food takes a hit at each level of processing.

Favorites:

  • Frozen peas: Add to frittatas, soups or pastas
  • Frozen artichoke hearts: Enjoy as a side dish tossed with lemon and parsley, pair with chicken or enjoy blended into a dip
  • Frozen corn kernels: Toss into salads, salsas, serve as a side dish or toss into a white bean chili
  • Frozen spinach: Use for dips, omelets, smoothies or for stuffing pastas
  • Frozen vegetable blends: Use for a quick stir-fry or as a side dish with a dollop of pesto

 

Frozen fruit

Why they’re convenient: Like vegetables, frozen fruit are packaged in their prime. In fact, from a nutritional standpoint, frozen fruit (and vegetables for that matter) are a better alternative than out-of-season produce sold at the grocery store. When fruits and vegetables travel, their nutritional value deteriorates as they are exposed to heat and light on their way to the store.

What to look for:

  • An ingredient list containing only the fruit, no added sugars
  • Organic varieties, when possible

Favorites

  • Frozen blueberries, strawberries, raspberries:  perfect for smoothies, homemade sorbet, thawed and topped over yogurt or granola, used in muffins or baked goods.
  • Frozen mango: Purée and serve as a coulis with greek yogurt, use in smoothies or in savoury applications like chutneys and salsas

 

Canned (or jarred) fish

Why it’s convenient: Canned (or jarred) fish is a good alternative to fresh when you’re in a pinch. It provides quality protein, healthy fats, is inexpensive and can easily be transformed into a meal.

What to look for

  • For tuna: look for canned light tuna from brands who source their tuna sustainably
  • Look for water-packed fish. If packed in oil, look for extra-virgin olive oil

Favorites:

  • Tuna: Toss into tomato sauce with olives and capers and serve over pasta or make a good ol’ tuna salad
  • Salmon (buy with bones!): use for making salmon cakes or toss the salmon into a salad
  • Sardines: drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and thinly sliced onion.

Canned beans

Why they’re convenient: Beans are often overlooked, but they’re plant-based powerhouses loaded with protein, fiber, iron, potassium, magnesium and health-boosting phytonutrients. They’re very affordable and although the flavor of canned beans pales in comparison to their  dry counterparts, having them canned and ready to go comes in handy when you haven’t had to time for soaking and boiling.

What to look for:

  • BPA-free lined cans
  • Low-sodium varieties

 Favorites:

  • Kidney beans and black beans: use in bean fajitas, burritos, brownies (yup!), chili or tacos
  • White cannelini beans: add to soup or purée into creamed soups to thicken. This is a great way to add protein and fiber with none the wiser!
  • Chickpeas: use for making a quick hummus or toss into a salad

 

Ready-to-eat leafy greens

Why they’re convenient: when it comes to doing good for the body, nothing comes close to leafy greens. But if you just can’t get around to washing and drying your leafy greens for the week, ready-to-eat greens can  be a time saver. A bit pricier but  a convenient way to get your veggie party started.

What to look for: 

  • Dark leafy green vegetables that are not wilted
  • Organic leafy greens, when possible
  • Note: Unless the packaging says “washed” “triple washed” or “ready-to-eat”, you need to wash your greens before you can enjoy them. Ready-to-eat varieties do not need to be re-washed.

Favorites

  • Spinach: toss into a smoothie or a green juice, toss into scrambled eggs or sauté simply
  • Arugula: Use as a salad base, top homemade pizzas or serve as a side salad
  • Baby kale, baby swiss chard:  Toss into a stir fry, sauté with garlic and oil, blend-up into a pesto or add to a pasta

 

What are your go-to healthy convenience foods?

Photo

Previous Post
Next Post

You might also like:

real food diet
Getting started with a real food diet
Is your little one getting enough iron?
Are you eating enough for your workouts?

Reader Interactions

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More

RECIPES

LIVING WELL

EATING WELL

MAKE HEALTHY CHANGES TODAY!

Footer

  • Press & Media
  • Join our team
  • Contact
  • Terms & Privacy
© Motive Nutrition 2023. All rights reserved | Site by LAG

Copyright © 2025 · Motive Nutrition Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement and Social Media
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Save & Accept
Powered by CookieYes Logo