Pre-prepared meals are convenient, but it is recommended not to eat them if possible

Hello, this is Science Popularization China. Today we are going to talk about pre-prepared meals.

01

What are pre-prepared meals?

Nowadays, pre-prepared meals are increasingly occupying our dining tables. Even if you have never heard of pre-prepared meals, you may have eaten them as long as you have eaten snacks or ordered takeout.

Pre-prepared meals are also called cooking packs. They are made by pre-processing raw materials into finished or semi-finished products, adding some auxiliary materials as needed, and may also use food additives . After these processes, pre-prepared meals often have a long shelf life and are very convenient to eat.

Pre-prepared meals save the process of buying, washing and cutting vegetables, which can save manpower, space and cost to the greatest extent. Even from the perspective of food safety, it is more secure than the restaurants we usually go to. Therefore, most of the takeaways we usually order are made of pre-prepared meals.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

02

What are the downsides of eating pre-prepared meals?

Having said so many advantages, are there any disadvantages to pre-prepared meals? First of all, the taste of pre-prepared meals is uniform, which cannot meet the taste needs of different people , and it is even more impossible to taste the so-called "taste of home or the taste of mom".

In addition to the taste, its taste is often not as good as the dishes just out of the pot . The ingredients of pre-prepared dishes have been heated once, and they have to be heated again after they are purchased, which will affect the taste.

Moreover, many pre-prepared meals are preserved by freezing. The ice crystals condensed from the water during the freezing process will change the taste and texture of the food to a certain extent, making it taste a bit "powdery" .

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

In addition, most of the pre-prepared dishes are meat dishes. Even if there are vegetables, they can only be selected from those that have a long storage time and are not easy to change color, such as carrots, peas, bamboo shoots, etc. This leads to the fact that the nutrition of pre-prepared dishes is relatively simple and not rich in vitamins and minerals . Moreover, these pre-prepared dishes mainly based on meat also have the problem of high oil and high salt . Eating too much is also harmful to health.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Although we have said so much, if you are usually busy at work and can only choose pre-prepared meals, how can you eat healthier?

In fact, it is very simple. When ordering takeout, order more green leafy vegetables and try to avoid foods such as boiled pork slices and sweet and sour pork, which are high in oil and salt. If conditions permit, bring some carrots, tomatoes, corn and other vegetables that are easier to eat to eat together , which can have a good effect on balanced nutrition.