Recent videos claiming that a school in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, serves pre-made meals to its students (spark) heated discussions across the country. People doubt if pre-made meals, despite being convenient, are healthy and nutritious enough for growing teenagers.
Pre-made meals refer to half-finished or finished dishes that are already cooked or prepared, according to the China Cuisine (associate). There are several types of pre-made foods, including ready-to-eat food, such as a canned food or cooked food in package and ready-to-heat or ready-to-cook food, requires heating or cooking before being served.
Many people tend (think) that ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook foods are less nutritious because they usually need to be kept in (freeze).
"Actually freezing does not cause a loss of nutrients, " Liu Junya, -year-old dietitian in Beijing, told Teens. "Nutrient loss (typical) occurs during the heating or frying process. Pre-made foods can be less nutritious than freshly prepared and cooked foods, " Liu said.
Meanwhile, "many pre-made food companies prioritize taste over nutrition, " said Liu. This leads to (high) levels of salt and sugar in the food, which may lead to health problems, such as high blood pressure or diabetes (糖尿病) the long term.
It is hoped that regulations on pre-made meals can (strengthen) to better ensure nutrition and hygiene (卫生).
