Here are a few things that come to mind for being a convience food: Hot and Lean pockets, prepared dips, frozen garlic bread or toast, Lunchables, breaded frozen chicken products, bags of salads that you find in the produce section, cans of rolls & breads found in the dairy section, Spaghettio's, can frosting.
I guess fast food would even qualify because it's already prepared for you.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I won't buy grated cheese if it is cheaper to buy block. I never buy pre-cut veggies or fruit.
I don't buy boxed potatoes (except au gratin).... but I do buy a lot of the other stuff.

When I can get them on sale with a coupon and it is cheaper, than I'll buy it. Especially if it tastes better than homemade, like brownies.

I think that it is not time I am trying to save... just money, unless it isn't healthy for you.

Even with as much of the stuff that I use... Even I agree about the uncrustables! Although I had them at my moms house and thought they were good, I'd rather make my own.

This is my definition of a convenience food. Some of them might be worth it, others not. Depends on your own time/money choices. But I find most convenience foods of lesser quality than ones made from scratch, so I would rather have the quality and will "spend more time", if you will, for that. Even cheese--freshly grated tastes SO much better than pre-shredded.

I agree with what everyone said. I think though, that if convenience food will make the difference between you cooking at home or getting food out, it's a good thing. Usually (not always) it ends up being cheaper than eating out.

I like the idea of Balence. Yes there are a lot of convience foods out there that I do buy and Buy often. For me its a balence of eating out, a convience food and healthy eating.

Like bagged salads: Lettus rots in my fridge because I never (should but still never) take the time to wash and prepare a salad. If I didn't buy them we would never eat salad so into the cart.

I buy Bread maybe if someone gave me a bread maker I might switch
I buy Jarred pasta sauce and Dr it.
I buy DH microwaveable meals to take to work
I Buy Soups
I buy pre grated cheese
I sometimes even buy meal kits, frozen casorole, and frozen pizza it is nice to have something convinent

All these things help be from eating out. Which before baby we were doing 3-4 times a week looking back I realize how much we could have saved

What I don't buy
Individulal pre packaged serving food
Lunchables
Ice cream
Soda
Cookies
pre made salads

Like I said its all about finding a balence between how long you want to spend in the kitchen, eating out and eating healthy. I wish I had the desire to cook more but that also takes planning and I am working on that. This week I tried something new Writing down my menu for the week and then getting everything I needed to cook it. That has really helped with us not going out to dinner, ordering a pizza or grabbing fast food.

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006

I only consider totally prepared frozen or deli items convience foods. I don't consider cake mixes, hamburger helper, canned soups or rice-a-roni type things convience foods. In our house those are homemade I certainally would never consider frozen french fries convience food. If I cut out everything you guys consider convience foods, we would not eat LOL!!! I guess it really is a personal thing!

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~Happiness is a large family~

I agree that if you are paying more to save time, then it's a "convenience" food. But no one said convenience is a bad thing! Healthiness has a lot to do with why I buy or don't buy a "convenience" food, but I don't think it being unhealthy makes it any more convenient...

For me, I'd rather make from scratch:
Pasta & Rice-a-roni
Helper
Cake, cookies etc.
frozen meals

I will buy frozen/canned veggies and Stouffer's lasagne, cause I don't think I can make lasagne any better, faster, or cheaper than that.

Convinience foods to me are things boxed or frozen that I heat up or cook. Like frozen lasagna or tuna helper or boxed mac and cheese. Things like that. We don't do those things. I also don't do cookie doughs. I prefer homemade. But when it comes to brownies, I prefer a box mix. I also prefer a box mix of pancakes. And to me that is not convinience. It cost me $1 and serves us two breakfasts, and I like the taste better compared to homemade. I do like the packages of blueberry muffins. It is a mix in a pouch and you add water or milk to it. I buy three pouches (a total of $2.25) and that is one breakfast for us. That is a convinience, but a yummy one!!

I enjoy cooking and really enjoy baking. But I also have other things to do during the day. So a little bit of convinience is a good thing.

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Jenifer
Proud wife to one amazing man
Proud mom to four awesome kids

Fall is my favorite season!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

I'm pretty much of a purist here and consider most things outside of the raw ingredients to make something else convenience items. I do consider soup, sauces, etc. convenience items. However, I'm not saying I don't buy them either, I just keep my list very low. I do buy canned tomato soup, sometimes jarred spaghetti sauce - and I do consider them convenience. Rice in a bag/container - raw - I do not consider convenience, but if it is parboiled i.e. instant or quick cook, yes to me it's convenience.

Well, I guess I'm a purist too. I am trying to eliminate almost all "convenience" foods in favor of homemade from whole ingredients. However, I still do buy a few things. I buy multigrain bread for the kids' lunches, tortillas, the occasional jar pasta sauce, and my kids prefer boxed mac and cheese (although to comprimise, I get a whole grain natural brand) and ice cream (I prefer homemade though, but sometimes a girl has to have a fast ice cream fix!). Occasionally, I'll make a cake or something from a mix, but only certain recipes and usually at the birthday person's request. I like to figure out how to make things myself. I like the challenge, I like to know what's in all my food and I like to control ingredients.