Convenience foods
Convenience foods are foods that are partly or fully prepared by the manufacturer to save time in the kitchen: tinned food, frozen vegetables, packet soups, instant noodles, ready flour mixes, bottled sauces, ready-to-eat snacks and breakfast cereals.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Save time and effort | Cost more than home-cooked food |
| Long shelf life | May have a lot of salt, sugar, fat and additives |
| Easy to store and carry | Usually fewer vitamins and less fibre |
| Consistent quality | Packaging causes waste |
| Useful in emergencies | Less variety in flavour and taste |
Read the label: check the list of ingredients, nutrition information, manufacture and expiry dates, weight and storage instructions. Do not buy damaged, swollen or rusted tins.
Leftover foods
Leftovers are cooked or prepared food that has not been eaten. Using them well saves money, time, fuel and reduces waste. Cool leftovers quickly, cover, store in the refrigerator, and use them within two to three days. Reheat until steaming hot (above 75 °C) and do it only once. Never leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours.
| Leftover | New dish |
|---|---|
| Cooked rice | Fried rice, rice pudding, rice cakes |
| Ugali | Fried ugali, ugali cakes |
| Cooked meat or fish | Pies, samosas, stew, sandwiches |
| Bread | Bread pudding, toast, breadcrumbs |
| Vegetables | Soup, stir-fry, mixed salad |
| Overripe fruit | Juice, jam, cake, smoothies |
| Beans | Bean cakes, soup |
Choose the price of a meal and the share that is usually thrown away.
Key terms
- Convenience food
- Food partly or fully prepared by the manufacturer.
- Leftover
- Cooked food not eaten at a meal.
- Expiry date
- The date after which food should not be eaten.
- Shelf life
- How long a food keeps without spoiling.
Summary
- Convenience foods save time but may cost more and have additives.
- Read labels and dates.
- Cool, cover and refrigerate leftovers; use within 2–3 days.
- Reheat to above 75 °C, only once.