“I’ve always on the run. What foods can I eat?”
“Mike, do you know any foods that I can keep around the kitchen to each when I’m in a bind?”
“I know you don’t really recommend eating processed premade foods but sometimes I need something that is quick and healthy? Any ideas?”
Welcome to my inbox. I get emails asking question like the ones above on a daily basis. Everyone is on the move and doesn’t have time (or sometimes fails to) pre-make their meals all the time.
What can you do? Eat junk? There has to be a better option.
Until recently there wasn’t a really good answer to the question “What to I eat when I”m in a bind?” There are a couple (as in 2-3) protein bars on the market worthy of being called nutritious and commercially made ready-to-drink shakes are usually high is sugar (and lord knows what else).
But this weekend while at the supermaket I saw them. I had heard about their potential formulation and production about a year ago but had never seen them in stores until this week (maybe it is also because I don’t spend a lot of time in the frozen foods section of the grocery store.
What am I talking about??
Zone Certified Frozen Dinners
Dr. Barry Sears (creator of the Zone Diet – the third most popular diet in the country) has teamed up with the Cedarlane Natural foods company to create frozen meals that are approved by Dr. Sears for their nutritional content. Don’t get this confused with ZonePerfect foods (bars, shakes, etc). ZonePerfect food may contain the “zone” ratios but the company was started by a former employee of Dr. Sears and they are loaded with sugars.
There are 12 Cedarlane Zone meals. All these meals fit into the Zone recommendations. This also means they fit in very well with the Naked Nutrition eating style. I had the Zone Burrito just yesterday and was amazed. This isn’t you average 7-11 fat laden burrito from the movie Encino Man (remember “weezin’ the juice”?). This is a high protein high fiber burrito that doesn’t taste like “health food” or frozen food. I haven’t yet delved in to the Zone Pizzas or omelets (though I am a little weary of frozen eggs) but I will defiantly give them a shot. These foods can be easily stored in your freezer for those times when you are in a jam and need good nutrition. It is important to know that in order to create high protein burritos, pizzas, and cereals Dr. Sears uses wheat gluten as one of the protein sources so if you are sensitive to gluten (more people are than you think) then these Zone foods could be a gastrointestinal disaster waiting to happen.
Next time you are at the store head over to the freezer section – walk past the “Hungry Man” meals, past the Healthy Choice (“healthy” is apparently a term that companies use very lightly), and check out the Cedarlane Zone meals. They will be a nice treat and are grood when you are in a nutritional jam.
