Yes, there are healthy convenience foods

When looking at convenience foods these days, there are hordes of choices to make. In many cases, those quick and easy "energy bars" are perfect for most of us. They are individually packed, easy and quick to eat and 'can' be healthy.

The operative word there is "can." When examining the ingredients of several energy bars recently, I was quite shocked to see how many filler and junk ingredients many of them have. Want some fillers? How about anything with the word 'rice' or 'apple?'

Now, I am not saying apples are bad, but when used for filler ingredients in an expensive energy bar, that's contrary to the whole point of trying to pack in concentrated nutrition into a bar. The same goes for frozen convenience meals -- many of them appear healthy and convenient, but the ingredients tell a different story.

Moral of the story is this: as always, it pays to do your homework on ingredients, then make the most informed choice that fits your budget -- then, stick with it. A favorite of mine for frozen meals are Kashi's products, for example. They are healthy and delicious, although you pay more for that.