Who doesn’t love shortcuts? In our busy lives, they make everything easier, especially when it comes to cooking. While some shortcuts are great like sheet pan recipes and Instant pot cooking, others like pre-made foods leave much to be desired. Not only can they be expensive, they often aren’t as tasty. Here are five pre-made foods to avoid.
Bottled Lemon or Lime Juice
These bottled juices taste nothing like fresh-squeezed ones and there are tons of preservatives added to make sure they age well. Don’t make the mistake of making cocktails or salads with bottled lemon or lime juice.
Pre-Minced Garlic
Garlic that’s been pre-cut and sold in a jar doesn’t taste anything like fresh garlic and it’s usually more bitter.
Oatmeal Packets
Really—what’s the point in oatmeal packets? Oatmeal is one of the easiest things to make and the packets are usually expensive and full of sugar.
Dried Herbs
Dried herbs aren’t nearly as tasty as fresh herbs and they won’t pack as much flavor or crunch as fresh ones.
Salad Dressings
Most salad dressings are loaded with sugar and preservatives. Salad dressing is super easy to make at home. All you need is vinegar and olive oil for a vinaigrette.
