New Delhi: Ready-to-eat foods are easy to prepare, less time consuming and relatively cheap. So yes, after a long and tiring day, a ready-to-eat meal will look much more appealing than heading to kitchen and preparing some dishes. But do readymade foods provide all the nutrients needed by your body? What are ready-to-eat meals? Ready-to-eat meals, often referred to as convenience or prepackaged meals, are those food products that have been fully cooked, prepared and packaged for quick and easy consumption. These meals are usually available in frozen dinners, canned soups, and prepackaged salads. Why should you avoid ready-to-eat meals? 1.Many ready-to-eat meals contain a high amount of processed ingredients, including artificial flavors and colors. These additions can have adverse health effects if you eat them regularly. 2.According to the National Health Service, around three quarters of the salt that we consume comes from food, including ready-to-eat meals. Excessive sodium intake can contribute to high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease. 3.Some ready-to-eat meals lack essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals. They may provide empty calories without the nutrients benefits necessary for good health. 4.Many convenience meals come in encouraging overeating and leading to weight gain and associated health issues like obesity.
