Quick & Easy Meals

10 Minute Meals (Max!) from Canned & Dry/Packaged Foods

When cooking meals on the go, canned foods add ease and versatility to your healthy cooking repertoire.

Got a can opener? You have practically everything you need to create fast and healthy fare! Contrary to popular belief, canned vegetables easily can be as nutritious as (if not more than) their fresh counterparts. Plus canned foods are processed immediately after harvest, so very few nutrients are lost. On the other hand, fresh produce that sits on the supermarket shelves for a while can lose a significant amount of nutrients.

If you're watching your sodium intake, rinse all canned products (beans, vegetables) before using -- you can easily wash away excess salt for healthy eating. Even better, start with reduced-sodium canned foods.

Add this strategy to your healthy cooking mix: use dry, packaged goods, exotic spices and flavored oils to create healthy, fast easy meals.

Dry, packaged goods like prepackaged grains, pastas, breads and pitas make meal preparation quick and easy, while exotic spices and flavored oils turn ordinary dishes into tasty ethnic cuisine.

While many canned and dry, packaged goods are healthy eating in themselves, you can also use them to add flavor, nutrients and texture to everything from omelets and sandwiches to soups and stews. Here are two hearty, filling and low-fat 10 minute meals, from can to plate.

Super Speedy Pasta and Bean Soup
Mandarin Orange and Pineapple Parfait