CONVENIENCE FOODS

Convenience foods play a very important role in our lives today. With more and more women going out of the house to work, the time and energy spent in cooking food needs to be decreased substantially. We look for foods called convenience foods which are easy to prepare and do not spoil on storage. Convenience foods are also known as ready-to-eat foods. They are not only convenient to use but can be stored for a long period of time. These foods add variety in the diet as well as improve the quality of food. Many items require only the opening of a package or a can, heating of the contents or simple steps like mixing before serving. A visit to your local market will show you the great variety of such foods which, are available in the grocery shop. Today, the trend is towards packed foods rather than bulky foods. Even simple foods have undergone some processing to make them more convenient to use. For example, milk was earlier available only from the local dairy; now pasteurised milk is available in hygienically sealed bottles, polypacks, etc.

Convenience foods are those foods which require very little or no preparation advantages of using such foods are that they:

  •  are time saving
  •  minimise effort
  •  provide variety in the diet
  •  are available round the year
  •  require less space for storage
  •  spoil less
  •  are quality controlled
  •  may have an enhanced nutritive value

However, such foods should be used with care. A little negligence may cause serious illness. Types of convenience foods are varied viz,, canned, packed and frozen foods. Criteria for selection of such foods include the use of quality marks, giving complete information of the product on the packet, date of manufacture, date of expiry and careful observation of the tin before buying.


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