Chapter 17 Planning Healthy Meals 431 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Microwave ovens are useful for reducing time when cooking and reheating leftovers. Using a microwave oven can also save serving and cleanup time. This is because many foods can be cooked, served, and stored in the same microwave-safe container. Select Quick and Easy Menu Items With planning, you can prepare many meals in 30 min- utes or less. These meals can be as tasty and healthful as those that take more time and trouble to prepare. Quick and easy meals begin with quick and easy reci- pes. Most simple recipes require only a few ingredients. Ingredients are generally foods that most people have on hand. These recipes have a small number of prepara- tion steps and require only a few utensils. They usually rely on fast cooking techniques, such as microwaving and stir-frying. Keep a file of simple, healthy recipes that you enjoy. Organize them into categories, such as main dishes, salads, and desserts. You might also want to keep a file of quick menu ideas for various types of meals. This will make it easy for you to prepare complete meals when you are in a hurry. When you have time to cook, double recipes and store half in the refrigerator or freezer. In the time it takes to cook or reheat the stored portion, you can prepare accompanying menu items. In a matter of minutes, you will be able to serve a complete meal. Meat loaf, soups, and casseroles work espe- cially well for this type of meal planning. Consider Minimally Processed Foods Heavily processed foods should be limited or avoided however, minimally processed foods can save time and yield a healthy meal. A minimally processed food preserves most of its innate physical and nutritional properties. In fact, these foods are often as nutritious as their unprocessed versions. Examples of minimally processed foods include sliced fruits, chopped vegetables, bagged salad greens, or shelled nuts. Slightly more processed foods include items such as fro- zen fruits and vegetables or canned beans, tuna, fruits, and vegetables. Processed foods, such as salad dressings, jarred pasta sauce, and flavored yogurts, have ingredients such as oils, sweeteners, preservatives, or thickening agents added. Heavily processed foods include many ready-to-eat foods, such as breakfast cereal, crackers, and lunch meat, as well as frozen, canned, or boxed meals. Not all processed food is bad. Consider whole-wheat flour that is the result of processing wheat berries (Figure 17.15). Even homemade whole-grain bread has been processed. The judicious (sensible) use of minimally processed or processed foods can save time and produce healthy meals. Top to bottom: Jorge Salcedo/Shutterstock.com DomDew_Studio/Shutterstock.com Sea Wave/Shutterstock.com Shirinov/Shutterstock.com Markus Mainka/Shutterstock.com Figure 17.15 Apples can be processed to make many different foods. The foods shown illustrate a continuum of processing ranging from least processed—apples on the tree—to most processed—apple juice. Can you think of another processed apple product?