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How quickly must non-frozen ready-to-eat foods be consumed?

To Eat or Not To Eat at All? Have you went home from work or school tired and feeling hungry? Have you grabbed that bag of chips and granola bars right off the bat? Well, ready-to-eat foods are most likely found in every household. Inside that drawer, cabinet, or pantry, there are boxes of cereals, bags of chips, dozens of biscuits, and fluffy bread waiting for a quick bite. Certainly, ready-to-eat foods show no sign of slowing down. But, how quickly can we consume ready-to-eat foods, especially non-frozen ones? Let us examine.

How quickly must non-frozen ready-to-eat foods be consumed?
How quickly must non-frozen ready-to-eat foods be consumed?

What Are Ready-to-Eat Foods?

Okay, I know that you are all familiar with this term. Right now, at your house, you probably have stored ready-to-eat foods. Ready-to-eat foods are basically foods that are commercially processed and conveniently eaten at home. Consuming ready-to-eat foods takes less of your time and is still delicious at the palate. Some of these foods can be eaten straight out of the packaging or they can be microwaved for minutes and are still good to go!

What Are Non-Frozen Ready-to-Eat foods?

As the term implies, these non-frozen ready-to-eat foods are not needed to be frozen or stored in a freezer. At every grocery store, non-frozen ready-to-eat foods are brimming in every store’s aisle. Some of these non-frozen ready-to-eat foods are chips, cereals, bread, biscuits, cookies, and many more non-frozen ready-to-eat foods. You probably consumed these non-frozen ready-to-eat types of foods in the comforts of your home. Or, maybe after a tiring class or work, a bag of chips is all you need to go along in a day. As the term implies, non-frozen ready-to-eat foods are not necessarily stored in a freezer or in the refrigerator.

What Are Some of the Characteristics of Ready-to-Eat Foods?

Since the age of commercialism and marketing, ready-to-eat foods have been sold in every household. When you watch your televisions or scroll through your phones, an ad for ready-to-eat food will probably pop in your timelines. Most of the time, these ads convince you that these ready-to-eat foods are healthy, nutritious, and filling. Probably, these non-frozen ready-to-eat foods are filling but totally not healthy and nutritious. Let us take a look at some of the characteristics of ready-to-eat foods?

It Is Commercially Processed

This is an outright fact. Most of these ready-to-eat and non-frozen foods are manufactured and processed from a factory or industrial machinery. Now, if you are not still convinced of this fact, researches have shown that ready-to-eat foods are not as healthy as you think. Try to think about it. Ready-to-eat food is processed that went through so many stages of manufacturing. In this process, it strips the food of its natural and organic nutrients. Most often than not, these ready-to-eat foods were added with unhealthy ingredients to enhance their flavor and taste on the palate. So, when you eat ready-to-eat foods, you are actually consuming unhealthy calories and more carbohydrates that strip your body of its natural nutrients. Now, as time goes by, and you formed this habit of consuming ready-to-eat foods from time to time, your holistic health will most likely suffer.

Contains Unhealthy Fats and Nutrients

Every ready-to-eat food has additional flavor enhancers, fats, and nutrients that are not beneficial for your body’s sustenance. For example, saturated fats in your bag of chips have a higher amount that is unhealthy and unsafe for your body. This also means that these unhealthy fats can likely increase your chances of getting health-related risks of obesity and diabetes. You should probably read the nutritional facts and be mindful of what you purchase down the grocery aisle as ready-to-eat foods. A gentle reminder: you must be a mindful consumer and check the ready-to-eat foods you are planning to purchase at the store.

Stuffed With Lots of Sugar

Okay, just a question: who doesn’t love eating food with sugar? Probably, most of you will agree that sugar is so addictive. That taste of sweetness and pure happiness when you eat food stuffed with sugar will likely make you in a good mood. Scientifically, when we eat food with sugar, our brain is activated and reacts to sugar as its reward system. That is why you can’t get enough of non-frozen ready-to-eat foods such as that donut and chocolate spreads that kept you licking your fingers of its goodness. Sugar is the mastermind that tricks our brains to want it more in eating non-frozen ready-to-eat foods. Imagine eating a single donut, that would be impossible! You will probably eat more and stuffed all of that delicious goodness. This is why most people are obese and suffer from uncontrollable weight gain after eating ready-to-eat foods with lots of sugar.

Filled With Salt

Another fact that you should keep in mind: ready-to-eat foods contain hefty amounts of salt. When you grab that bag of chips, you will probably go straight in opening the bag without scanning its nutritional value. Also, salt is added in heavier amounts because some ready-to-eat foods are transported and must maintain their taste after weeks or months of transportation. Scientifically, when we consume ready-to-eat foods with too much amount of salt, it will probably lead to kidney stones and even risks of heart disease.

Makes You Eat More and More

Have you ever noticed that after eating a bag of chips or cookies, you find yourself wanting more? Ready-to-eat foods are fulfilling and delicious, no doubt about that. However, these ready-to-eat foods satiate your hunger for a very short time. After an hour or a couple of minutes, you find yourself craving donuts after eating a bag of chips. Most of the days, you find yourself snacking frequently and not eating your greens daily. Non-frozen ready-to-eat foods contain flavor enhancers that trick your brain and your palate to eat more and more.

Increases Risk Of Obesity and Diabetes

Well, this is the hard truth. Overconsumption of ready-to-eat foods will most likely lead to health-related diseases. You will find yourself gaining weight at a faster rate or you may find that your breathing is not at its normal pace. When eating non-frozen ready-to-eat foods, you strip your body of its natural and healthy nutrients that you will not likely get from eating ready-to-eat foods. It is important to be mindful of what you eat and lessen the amount of non-frozen ready-to-eat foods that you consume on a daily basis.

How Quickly Do We Need To Consume Non-Frozen Ready-To-Eat Foods?

Consuming non-frozen ready-to-eat foods must be followed according to the food’s expiration date. As a consumer, make sure that when you buy non-frozen ready-to-eat foods, you double-check the expiration date and the best before the date of the food you purchase. Since you do not need to refrigerate it, storing these non-frozen ready-to-eat foods on a shelf or in a cabinet is the best option. So, when you buy, for example, a bag of chips, a box of cereals, cookies, and biscuits, make sure that the expiration and best before date are present and printed in the food’s packaging. If you opened a bag of chips and did not consume all of it, make sure that you close the bag tightly so that you can eat it for another day.

How To Store Non-Frozen Ready-To-Eat Foods?

These types of non-frozen ready-to-eat foods are not necessarily meant to be stored in a freezer or in a refrigerator. At home, make sure that you have a clean and organized shelf and cabinet in storing your non-frozen ready-to-eat foods. Also, close the shelf or cabinet tightly to prevent bugs, insects, and ants to infiltrate your stored food. Since most of these non-frozen ready-to-eat foods are less perishable, it is also advised that you clean your shelf and cabinets from time to time; just like how you regularly clean your refrigerator. A pro tip: do not just place your non-frozen ready-to-eat foods anywhere in your house. Set a separate shelf or cabinet to store your food in its rightful place.

The Final Judgment

As we have examined non-frozen ready-to-eat foods, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. These non-frozen ready-to-eat foods are more harmful than beneficial when it comes to your holistic health. Yet, it is also a fact that most people go for a snack or consume these non-frozen ready-to-eat foods as it saves them time and offers them convenience. You may agree on this one: nothing can stop a rumbling stomach from getting what it wants. And, in reality, when these situations happen, non-frozen ready-to-eat foods are the best options you got. At a moment’s notice, you grab that bag of chips or a box of cereal. Looking back, and thinking about these types of situations, our holistic health is at peril. Consuming non-frozen ready-to-eat foods only offers temporary indulgence and satisfaction. At an hour or a minute, you are left hungry again. Your body is slowly declining in getting the healthy nutrients that it deserves. Well, the final judgment: be mindful of what you eat. It is not always the best case to opt for non-frozen ready-to-eat food right at the moment. What is worse is that you make this a habit and part of your diet. At the end of the day, your body is at risk in here. In the long run, the disadvantages of consuming non-frozen ready-to-eat food will take your body’s overall health at cost.

How quickly must non-frozen ready-to-eat foods be consumed?
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