Stay at home to prevent the epidemic, and seasoning bags become the star on the table! Nutritionists teach you 3 ways to choose smart and eat healthily

There have been a series of local cases in the country recently. Many students and the public have begun to temporarily suspend classes and work from home in response to the policy. In order to avoid contact with people and reduce the risk of infection, they choose to cook at home. Considering the convenience of obtaining and the shelf life, "seasoning packets" with a variety of flavors have become a quick emergency option on the dining table.

However, after all, meal prep packets are a type of processed food, and one can’t help but worry about whether excessive processing will have a negative impact on health if consumed. Nutritionist Pan Fuzi from Beitou Health Management Hospital teaches you 3 tips on how to choose wisely and eat healthily!

Tip 1: Read the Nutrition Facts Label carefully!

When purchasing, please read the nutritional information on the food packaging and make more comparisons. Most processed foods will add more seasonings or additives during the production process in order to preserve or retain the flavor of the food. When choosing foods, you should avoid foods with too many additives, and choose foods with low content of ingredients such as oil (fat), salt (sodium), and sugar. The ingredients in seasoning packs are often high in sodium. The National Health and Family Planning Commission recommends that adults should not consume more than 2,400 mg of sodium per day (6 grams of table salt). Long-term consumption of too much sodium may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Tip 2: Give priority to frozen fresh food preparation packages

Common preparation packages can be roughly divided into freezing, high temperature resistant soft bag packaging, canning and other methods as preservation methods. Frozen packaged foods include dumplings, curry chicken, stewed beef, pork rib soup, etc. Usually, in order to prevent food from spoiling, the shelf life of frozen packages is shorter and the ingredients are fresher.

Room temperature cooking packs can usually be kept at room temperature for 1 to 2 years. No preservatives are required in their manufacturing process. Instead, they are sterilized at high temperatures and then vacuum-sealed to be able to be preserved for such a long time. However, because of the high temperature sterilization process, some nutrients are lost during the process. Nutritionist Pan Fuzi reminds us that no matter what kind of packaging, the "nutrition label" on the food packaging should be the priority screening criterion.

Tip 3: Don’t forget to supplement with enough dietary fiber

Most prepared meals sold on the market are made of refined starch and meat. If consumed for a long time, it is easy to lack nutrients such as vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Therefore, when eating, remember to pair them with fresh vegetables to supplement the intake of dietary fiber and sufficient calcium. If you use meat meal packs, in addition to vegetables, fruits, and dairy products, don't forget to add an appropriate amount of starch, such as rice, noodles, sweet potatoes and other whole grains as staple foods.

Nutritionist Pan Fuzi also reminds people to pay attention to nutritional balance when eating at home during the epidemic prevention period. Do not replace fresh ingredients with prepared foods for a long time. Try to choose the original form of food to eat healthily and enhance immunity!