In this modern age, shelf stable meals are one way that individuals, institutions, and public service organizations cope with the necessity of feeding millions of people. There are many scenarios in which cooking-to-order is not the best solution or even possible. Convenience is another reason, and for many people it is the most persuasive.
After all, most people can cook at home. However, after a hard day's work and probably a long commute, many are too tired to want to bother with preparing a meal from scratch. Other options are eating out, getting take-out food to eat at home, thawing a frozen meal for the oven or the microwave, or using a meal packaged in an air-tight container that is stored at room temperature (shelf-stable)in the cupboard.
To allow foods to remain at room temperature, the container must be air-tight. Other ways to make products keep without refrigeration are removing water, submitting food stuffs to radiation, replacing fats and oils with altered or trans fats, and increasing the acidity (as in pickling). Of course, chemical preservatives and high levels of sugar and sodium can be used as well. To make products palatable, the taste, texture, and color of the food must be retained.
'Delicious' and 'nutritious' are words that occur prominently on the websites of companies that produce ready-to-eat entrees that don't require refrigeration. The target audience includes day care and senior centers, and schools that serve breakfast and participate in the 'week-end backpack' program, which provides low-income children with food to last them over the week-end break from school. Nursing homes, charity programs like meals-on-wheels, and other organizations that feed large groups of people can also often benefit.
Health experts stress the importance of fresh, whole foods for a healthy diet, and these ready-to-eat meal packets do not fit that description. However, it is easy to supplement a basic lunch or dinner entree with fresh fruit and vegetables, and this requires little extra effort. Lack of ambition after a hard day's work or staffing shortages need not mean serving a less than balanced meal.
Companies that market menus for long-term storage try to make their products as healthy and tasty as they can. There is a wide variety of dishes, from all-time favorites like macaroni and cheese to exotic ethnic dishes for the more adventurous. Consumers can customize their food choices or select from standard menus that offer a real variety.
As new methods of food preparation are introduced, it is up to the consumer to make the best choices among the many options available. The internet is a great way to get informed on this subject, to find customer reviews, and to see what is available. For people on the go, in situations where refrigeration or cooking is not feasible, or who just want convenient ways to feed their families or their clients, off-the-shelf meals can be the answer.
In these days fewer women work in the home, more families are busy from morning to night, and more people reside in retirement and nursing homes. Shelf stable meals offer consumers a quick, easy, and affordable way to handle some of the demands of modern life.
After all, most people can cook at home. However, after a hard day's work and probably a long commute, many are too tired to want to bother with preparing a meal from scratch. Other options are eating out, getting take-out food to eat at home, thawing a frozen meal for the oven or the microwave, or using a meal packaged in an air-tight container that is stored at room temperature (shelf-stable)in the cupboard.
To allow foods to remain at room temperature, the container must be air-tight. Other ways to make products keep without refrigeration are removing water, submitting food stuffs to radiation, replacing fats and oils with altered or trans fats, and increasing the acidity (as in pickling). Of course, chemical preservatives and high levels of sugar and sodium can be used as well. To make products palatable, the taste, texture, and color of the food must be retained.
'Delicious' and 'nutritious' are words that occur prominently on the websites of companies that produce ready-to-eat entrees that don't require refrigeration. The target audience includes day care and senior centers, and schools that serve breakfast and participate in the 'week-end backpack' program, which provides low-income children with food to last them over the week-end break from school. Nursing homes, charity programs like meals-on-wheels, and other organizations that feed large groups of people can also often benefit.
Health experts stress the importance of fresh, whole foods for a healthy diet, and these ready-to-eat meal packets do not fit that description. However, it is easy to supplement a basic lunch or dinner entree with fresh fruit and vegetables, and this requires little extra effort. Lack of ambition after a hard day's work or staffing shortages need not mean serving a less than balanced meal.
Companies that market menus for long-term storage try to make their products as healthy and tasty as they can. There is a wide variety of dishes, from all-time favorites like macaroni and cheese to exotic ethnic dishes for the more adventurous. Consumers can customize their food choices or select from standard menus that offer a real variety.
As new methods of food preparation are introduced, it is up to the consumer to make the best choices among the many options available. The internet is a great way to get informed on this subject, to find customer reviews, and to see what is available. For people on the go, in situations where refrigeration or cooking is not feasible, or who just want convenient ways to feed their families or their clients, off-the-shelf meals can be the answer.
In these days fewer women work in the home, more families are busy from morning to night, and more people reside in retirement and nursing homes. Shelf stable meals offer consumers a quick, easy, and affordable way to handle some of the demands of modern life.
