Even the laziest of cooks can admit that there are some foods that you just shouldn’t cut corners with.
Here are three pre-made foods that you should ignore at the store and prepare yourself instead:
Sliced Mushrooms
The problem with pre-sliced mushrooms is they can dry out mighty fast. Rather than the plump slices you think you’re buying, they’ll be closer to papery little skins. They can also get questionable if they’ve been in the fridge for a few days, too, as they tend to go bad faster. Stick to whole mushrooms, and slice them yourself.
Salad Dressing
We admit: there are some wonderful dressings on the market. But nothing beats homemade. We recommend a 2:1 ratio of olive oil to red wine vinegar, with a tablespoon of mustard for a punch. Add salt, pepper, and a minced shallot, and shake vigorously. If you’ve got 5 minutes, you have time to make a salad dressing.
Related: 7 Foods Dentists Say You Should Avoid
Granola
It may seem like a lot of work, but making your own granola is quite simple. You can throw down your favorite granola ingredients on a baking sheet, add the amount of salt and sugar you prefer, and make as much or as little as needed.
There’s a ton of great granola on the market, but at $9 to $13 for 14 ounces, you can likely do better on your own by buying bulk oats on the cheap.
Photo Credit: KPad/Shutterstock.com; Elena Veselova/Shutterstock.com
