University students always seem to be on the run: late for class, catching a bus and constantly in a crazed rush. Have you ever thought about what you are eating while you are on the run? We here at the Manitoban have decided to conduct a little experiment to see what instant foods are the best for you. I’ll let you know I eat home-cooked meals every night, so the sodium extravaganza that I am about to participate in is something that I don’t do everyday; but for the sake of our loyal Toban readers’ health, it’s a small price to pay.
While reading this, keep in mind that Health Canada recommends a maximum sodium intake of 1,500 milligrams per day, and a maximum of 2,700 calories per day for a 19-30 year-old engaging in “low physical activity.”
Campbell’s Soup at Hand Creamy Tomato
Calories: 170, Sodium: 780 milligrams
TASTE
Tastes just like the Campbell’s soup that my Grandma would make me . . . the only difference is that it seemed to be a little thicker than usual, but I’ll live.
CONVENIENCE
The Campbell’s soup has a lip that is fashioned after a coffee cup and grooves for your hand, easy carrying and easy sipping makes for a high score.
COST
Fairly expensive for the amount of food.
PREPARATION
The instructions were to heat for one minute and 15 seconds. I followed them and the soup exploded and was still moderately cold.
NUTRITION
Low in fat and calories, but had a lot of sodium, at more than 50 per cent of the recommended daily intake. Not healthy food, but decent for an instant food.
Chef Boyardee Beefaroni
Calories: 170, Sodium: 780 milligrams
TASTE
Chef Boyardee Beefaroni was gross. Like I said, I am someone who eats home-cooked meals; so the soggy noodles and sauce that tastes of overnight tang just don’t cut it for me.
CONVENIENCE
Utensils are an absolute necessity for this food, but it doesn’t come with them. Not to mention it was filled to right to the brim; I would not walk around and eat this.
COST
You get what you pay for, but this is hardly a deal.
PREPARATION
In my attempt to remove the metal lid I broke the tab, therefore I had to use a knife to open the rest of the container. Furthermore I was instructed to let the food sit in the microwave for longer than I cooked it.
NUTRITION
This ranked decent on the nutrition scale, with only 210 calories, but more than half of my recommended daily sodium intake.
Michelina’s Fettuccine Alfredo
Calories: 390, Sodium: 740 milligrams
TASTE
The pasta was not soggy and the sauce tasted decent. This was easily the best tasting food on our menu.
CONVENIENCE
Makes a mess. You’d better be at a table.
COST
Fairly expensive for the amount of food.
PREPARATION
Lift the left corner and heat for two minutes. Followed by a minute and a half of stirring — another sit-down meal. Wait, I pulled it out and the sauce was still frozen . . . add another minute onto the total.
NUTRITION
With a high calorie content of 390 and nearly half of my recommended sodium intake. What you gain in taste you lose in nutrition.
Mr. Noodle vegetable flavor
Calories: 290, Sodium: 1,470 milligrams
TASTE
This tastes just like the noodles that I make on my stove. It doesn’t taste great, but it is pretty decent for instant food.
CONVENIENCE
You need water for this one, a major inconvenience. If you get bumped while holding this, you are totally burning your hands.
COST
These noodles were fairly decent for the price.
PREPARATION
It took limited effort to make this one work, but on the other hand I had a three-minute wait time. Not a good thing if you are late for class.
NUTRITION
At almost 100 per cent of my recommended daily sodium intake, this cup contains enough sodium to kill an elephant. Well, I may be exaggerating a little. Either way there are 1,470 milligrams of sodium in this 64-gram package. You do the math.
Baja Cafe Burrito Beef and Bean
Calories: 390, Sodium: 620 milligrams
TASTE
The Beef and Bean tastes like a liquid mess of assorted meats. The pita itself tastes like raw bread dough. When you mix the two you get a not-so-hawt combination.
CONVENIENCE
The liquid beans and “beef” make a good mess. You need to be sitting to eat this bad boy.
COST
A little pricey for such a small meal, but not unreasonable.
PREPARATION
Only a minute and a half of heating time, but I did have to wrap it in a paper napkin. As a result I had my eyes glued on the microwave hoping my burrito didn’t start a fire.
NUTRITION
For a little guy the burrito packs a solid 390 calories. Wanna beef up (or rather out)? Have yourself a beef and bean burrito.
So I have consumed five different instant foods and I don’t feel so hot. A stomachache hit me when I was taking in the last item on the list, so I don’t recommend eating these foods in mass amounts. I must say that the Campbell’s soup was easily the best food on our list. A low-calorie count as well as a good home-cooked taste put it on the top of this list.
