You might think that buying pre-cut foods — like diced, spiralized, or perfectly shredded fruits and vegetables — is all upside. But there are a few downsides to purchasing pre-cut items: additional grocery cost, a more limited shelf-life, the loss of nutritional value, and even the potential for cross-contamination.
But let’s be honest, sometimes saving time in the kitchen is worth a little extra expense. Besides, if purchasing pre-cuts helps you eat more fruits and vegetables, it’ll probably be a good habit, on balance, for the time being at least. Also, there are just some fruits and veggies that are worth getting pre-cut because they’re so tedious to prep — looking at you fresh coconut and butternut squash.
Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, and author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook and The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club puts things into perspective for us. “We all wish there were more hours in the day. So buying pre-prepped veggies can be a huge advantage, especially when you are in a hurry or making a recipe with a lot of ingredients,” she says. “For example, pre-packed stir-fry veggies can save SO much time over buying each item individually and washing and trimming them and this can even save you money since you are only buying the amount you need.”
So if you are buying pre-cut foods, these are the best and worst ones to choose.
These ham soup recipes will help you make the most of a holiday ham. Here’s how to transform those leftovers into ham and potato soup, creamy ham chowder or a brothy soup packed with vegetables.
A whole smoked ham is a beloved celebration food. Whether your family serves a big Easter ham, makes a holiday ham instead of turkey for Thanksgiving or adds a sweet touch to the holiday spread with Christmas ham recipes, there’s no wrong way to enjoy this smoky, savory main. Ham is such a large cut of meat that there are always leftovers, and that’s where ham soup recipes come in.
You can combine leftover ham with hearty vegetables like potatoes or pack your soup with beans to create a filling dish that’s up to the task of feeding a crowd. Ham soups tend to be hearty, so they’re perfect for chilly nights, but they taste great anytime you want to use up leftover ham from a holiday feast.
When it comes time to serve ham soup, whip up a batch of soft dinner rolls or buttery cornbread to serve on the side. The slight sweetness pairs beautifully with any ham soup.
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