Conventional wisdom tells us that whole foods are king. But what if you don’t have time to prepare a hot meal from scratch? Fortunately, there are frozen meals and foods out there that are made of well-sourced ingredients, unlike the bottom-of-the-barrel meat and produce used by some of the frozen meals industry’s worst offenders. Brands like Amy’s, Conte’s, Deep Foods or Red’s All Natural use quality organic and/or all natural ingredients and are healthy options for consumption at any minute of your busy schedule.
We’ll look at a few of the brands we mentioned above, and see what it is about their products that makes them such healthy options.
Amy’s
No discussion of organic frozen meals and foods would be complete without pioneer and industry juggernaut Amy’s Kitchen. All 250+ Amy’s products are vegetarian and do not contain hydrogenated fats and oils (trans fats), peanuts, GMO ingredients, eggs or seafood. This exclusivity of ingredients is a result of multiple health considerations, namely: how can we create food that is all-natural, allergy friendly, and trans-fat free?
Amy’s also adopts a model of sustainability that involves sourcing from farms that use safe pesticides. In addition to observing good food practices, the company also treats its employees with fairness and kindness and minimizes energy use in its facilities. Amy’s is a 21st century company in that it views itself as part of a national and global community and does its best to serve that community both with its products and its corporate character.
Red’s All Natural
These are some burritos! It’s not often that you find a microwave burrito that really packs a caloric punch, but in all the right ways. These burritos will leave you feeling full of energy after eating them. That is because the ingredients are sourced from the most well-run and sustainable farms and because it contains no artificial preservatives. Good meat + good vegetables + whole wheat tortilla = happy belly. Happy belly = happy you.
Red’s not only makes burritos, however, but they also produce microwavable meals, much like the ones Amy’s makes.
Deep Foods
Much like a “deep cut” on an album, Deep Foods is lesser known than these other two big players, but is still a hit among a smaller set of people. Deep Foods makes frozen Indian foods for an American market in such a way that is a well-won compromise between the Western and South Asian palates. They also make Middle Eastern and Near Eastern food, and it is safe to say these are healthy alternatives to Stouffer’s calorie-packed bonanzas.
Conte’s Pasta
The concept of Conte’s is simple: Gluten free frozen pasta with high quality all natural fillings. But simplicity makes for delectability, as these pastas contain high quality meats and cheeses as well as vegetable fillings like spinach, tomato, and garlic. This is good stuff, and can be found in most metropolitan areas.
So, don’t fear frozen food. Just be sure to know what you’re getting and always read the label and do your homework on companies to be sure of their reputations. The brands above and others can be very convenient alternatives to cooking from scratch, as well as delicious and healthy!
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Chad Weisman—CEO, Golden Strands Communication; ‘creative type’; surfer on the amber waves of grain; avid concert attendee.