Chapter 3: Convenience Food

Question 1

What is convenience foood?

Answer 1

Convenience food is food that is processed or partially processed to cut down on the preparation and cooking time.

Question 2

What are the two main types of convenience food?

Answer 2

1. Ready-to-eat food

2. Ready-to-cook food

Question 3

What are the advantages of convenience food?

Answer 3

1. May contain added nutrients
2. Wide selection of food to choose from
3. Longer shelf life compared to fresh food
4. Easy to store and convenient to carry along
5. Saves time and effort in preparing and cooking food
6. Useful during emergencies (e.g unexpected guests)

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of convenience food?

Answer 4

1. Low in dietary fibre
2. High in salt, sugar and fat content
3. Usually more expensive than fresh food
4. May contain flavour enhancers that are harmful to health (e.g. MSG)
5. Loss of nutrients during food processing (e.g B-group vitamins and vitamins C)
6. Often contain chemical preservatives that are harmful to health
7. May contain artificial colourings that may cause allergic reactions in some people.

Question 5

What are the points to look out for when buying convenience food?

Answer 5

1. Read the nutrition label on food items to check the nutritional value.
2. Read the ingredient list on the the food label to look out for the type of additives that you could be allergic to.
3. Compare the price and net weight of different brands of the same product to get the best value for money.
4. Ensure that the containers and packaging are sealed firmly.
5. Ensure the canned food products are not dented, bloating or rusty.
6. Check that the product has not passed the expiry date.

Question 6

How would you use convenience food in meal planning?

Answer 6

We should combine convenience food with fresh food so as to increase its nutritional value.

Fresh ingredients help to:

1. add color and flavour to the food
2. increase the amount of dietary fibre of the food
3. increase the vitamin B-group and vitamin C contents of the food
4. increase mineral contents (e.g. iron and calcium in food)

Example: CONVENIENCE FOOD (Instant noodles) + FRESH FOOD (cabbage, carrots, eggs) = Instant noodles cooked with vegetables and eggs.

Question 7

Where to store convenience food?

Answer 7

1. Cool, dry place - Non-perishable food

2. Freezer and refigerator - Perishable food

Question 8

Processed food is also called convenience food. Why?

Answer 8

Processed food makes cooking more convenient. It usually does not require much cooking ability to prepare and cook, saving time and effort.

Question 9

What is the disadvantage of fresh food?

Answer 9

Many fruits and vegetables are seasonal. They are not available during certain times of the year.

Question 10

It is good to eat fresh food. Why?

Answer 10

1. Fresh food has not been treated with any flavourings or preservatives. it retains its original flavour and tastes better.
2. Eating fresh food is beneficial to one’s health. Generally, food that has not undergone any processing, besides washing and cooking, contains more naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and fibre than its processed alternative. Moreover, such food does not contain additives.

Question 11

List three examples of ready-to-cook food

Answer 11

1. Sausages
2. Canned soup
3. Cake mixes

Question 12

List three examples of ready-to-eat food

Answer 12

1. Ice-cream
2. Bread
3. Cheese

Question 13

Why do you think processed food is getting so popular nowadays?

Answer 13

1. The rising number of working mothers
2. Technological advances that have enabled processed food to be as nutritious as fresh food.
3. The rapidly increasing variety of processed food products available.
4. Advertising campaigns that have changed people’s mindset.