While many American consumers have become quite health conscious and savvy, others argue that eating right takes too much time and effort and costs too much money. Unfortunately for the latter, certain popular supermarket staples, like salad dressing, granola and canned beans, are packed with added ingredients and preservatives that can be harmful to one’s health. The good news? Armed with the right information, we can all cook our own, nutritious versions of store-bought items quickly and for relatively little money. To identify such foods, we spoke with Danielle Krupa, nutrition expert, chef and founder of Wellness Made Natural. Not only did she provide her insight, but she provided easy – and delicious – recipe alternatives to several common pre-packaged foods.

Pasta Sauce

While some jarred sauces don’t taste bad, they often have enough added sugar to make a chocolate cake and more than 25 percent of your daily sodium intake. Avoid canned tomatoes; use crushed tomatoes in a box or roast whole tomatoes to make a fresh and healthy tasting sauce without adding extra calories and salt.

Easy and Fresh Roasted Tomato Sauce:

Combine chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and blend well. Add chopped basil and transfer contents to stovetop to warm through. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Granola

Homemade granola is extremely easy to throw together, and it tastes better and costs less than store-bought alternatives. When you make granola at home, you can make the healthy choice to forego refined sugar and use all natural sweeteners instead. Plus, you can create your favorite seasonal combinations, from maple walnut to dark chocolate banana to ginger cardamom.

Healthy Flax and Mixed Nut Granola:

In a large bowl combine 6 cups rolled oats, a few tablespoons of flax meal, and 1 ½ cups of your favorite nut and seed combination. Add a pinch of ground spice (cinnamon, cardamom or nutmeg). In a separate bowl whisk 3 egg whites* and a pinch of salt until frothy. Stir in ¾ cup all natural sweetener (such as honey, agave or maple syrup), a splash or 2 of vanilla extract and 1/3 cup neutral oil. Add egg mixture to dry oat mixture and make sure to coat evenly. Transfer mixture onto 2 rimmed baking sheets.  Bake 30 minutes in 350-degree oven, gently flipping with a spatula and moving granola from the outer edges to the center of the sheet every 10 minutes. Alternate the pans from top to bottom halfway through cooking. Cool completely on pan, then stir in 1 cup dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, cherries or apricots). Transfer granola to an airtight container, where it will keep for 3 to 4 weeks (or freeze in airtight container/ziploc bag for up to 3 months).

* For a vegan option, swap out egg whites for unsweetened applesauce.

Salad Dressing

Packaged and bottled salad dressings are generally full of saturated fat and salt. Even when you select low-fat or low-sodium version, there are tons of extra additives. Take a look at the ingredient list on bottled salad dressing; you’ll probably find one or more of the following: high fructose corn syrup, sugar, calcium disodium, modified-food starch, yellow #5, yellow #6 and xanthan gum. You don’t need any of these for a homemade salad dressing.

Making your own salad dressing takes no time at all. Place ingredients into a lidded glass jar, shake and you’ll be ready to toss with your favorite salad veggies in under 5 minutes. You can vary as you wish: add chopped shallots or garlic and mix in blender, instead of instead of white wine vinegar, use balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon of honey. Add your favorite chopped herbs, red pepper flakes, maple syrup or soy sauce, depending on what you have on hand.

Classic Vinaigrette:

Slowly whisk 3 parts oil (such as extra virgin olive, hazelnut, flax or avocado) into 1 part vinegar (like red wine, white wine, apple cider or balsamic) and Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.

Fresh-made vinaigrettes will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator in a covered container. Re-whisk or shake before serving.

Canned Beans

While convenient, canned beans are neither the healthiest nor the cheapest option. They generally contain large quantities of sodium and preservatives and are more expensive than dried beans. Cans usually cost at least $0.99/2-cup can, while dried beans are generally under $2.30 for a 1 lb. bag, which makes approximately 8 cups of beans (4 cans’ worth). But perhaps, more importantly, dry beans taste better. They don’t have a tinny taste, they aren’t mushy like canned beans, and they take little to no effort.  Preparing beans is really just a waiting game with about 30 seconds of active cooking time – often less effort than using a can opener.

Basic Bean Recipe:

Measure out your dried beans, cover with water in a container and let sit 6-8 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse beans. Place in pot with at least one-inch of water covering them (a typical ratio is 1 cup of soaked beans cooked in 3 cups of water). Add ¼ teaspoon salt to the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover completely. Cook for approximately 45 – 60 minutes, adding 1 teaspoon of salt 5 minutes before the beans are finished. For spreads, dips, and purees, cook on the higher side for a softer bean. For salads and side dishes, cook on the lower side for a harder bean.

Bean Dips

While pre-made bean dips may be convenient to buy, you’ll be paying for it. Store-bought dips are radically more expensive than making your own.

Basic Bean Dip:

Place 1 ½ cups cooked beans in a food processor with ½ teaspoon salt, 1 or 2 garlic cloves, a dash of citrus or vinegar, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, and whatever herb/seasoning/flavoring you feel compliment the bean most. (For instance, cilantro and lime work with black beans, sage or rosemary and lemon zest go well with cannellini or great northern beans, tahini and lemon juice complement chickpeas.) Puree until smooth, adding water or more oil until desired consistency.

Soup

Store-bought soups tend to have most of the nutrients destroyed by high heat in the manufacturing process. Homemade soup uses fresh vegetables with all their healthy goodness intact and doesn’t have the excessive additives and preservatives contained in prepackaged soup. When you make your own soup, you can control your seasonings, ensure quality ingredients and cut back on added fat, salt and calories. Plus, the depth of flavor is increased when you make it yourself, without the prepackaged, tin can taste.

Roasted Apple and Butternut Squash Soup:

In a 350-degree oven, roast 1 chopped onion, 2 pounds peeled and cubed butternut squash and 2 peeled and quartered apples drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast until soft and slightly browned, about 30 minutes.  Transfer mixture plus 1 cup of low-sodium vegetable stock to blender and puree until smooth. Place puree into a large stockpot, adding remaining stock and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper and serve. Not a fan of butternut squash? Swap out squash and apples for 2 pounds carrots and 1 large white potato. Omit nutmeg and season with fresh ginger juice.

Chicken Vegetable Soup:

Poach boneless skinless chicken breasts in boiling salted water for 15 minutes. Let cool and shred. Sauté 2 parts chopped onions with 1 part carrots and 1 part celery in extra virgin olive oil. Add dried thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Add 4 cups water or low sodium chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits in pan. Add shredded chicken and ½ cup brown rice. When rice has cooked, add your favorite leafy green vegetable, such as kale or baby spinach leaves. (Kale will need about 10 minutes to soften). Add Parmesan cheese or freshly chopped dill and serve.

Pesto

Basil is very nutritious, and the nuts in pesto are full of fiber and healthy fats. Extra virgin olive oil, which is often an ingredient in pesto, is also a healthy fat. The downside to store-bought pesto is that it’s very high in calories and fat given the amount of oil often used. When you make it yourself, not only can you control how much oil you use, you can also be creative. Swap out pine nuts for walnuts or almonds, and use spinach, arugula or blanched kale instead of basil.

Classic Pesto:

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, (2-3 bunches)
• ¼ cup toasted walnuts
• ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 large clove garlic, quartered
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place basil, walnuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, water, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor; pulse a few times, scraping down the sides. Slowly add oil, pulsing until fairly smooth, or to the desired consistency, scraping down the sides occasionally.

What are your favorite recipes?

More on Food from HalogenTV.com:

1. Underrated Fall Produce: 5 Seasonal Foods You Should Be Eating
2. 5 Good Fat Foods
3. 13 Unique Farmers Market Foods Worth Eating
4. Eating Below 118 Degrees: 5 Easy Raw Food Recipes
5. 6 Tips for Eating Local & Organic Foods on a Budget
6. 7 Stress Busting Foods
7. 30-Day Local Food Challenge
8. Cooking Up Creativity with the Food Jammers