I know, I know -- we're supposed to stay away from packaged foods, right? We should be eating fresh veggies, baking our own bread, churning our own ice cream, simmering our homemade soups with our freshly made chicken stock. But let's face it -- no one can eat all-homemade, all the time. Well, at least I can't. Sometimes you need to resort to soup in can, frozen veggies or yogurt out of a cup.

Women's Health has come up with a list of 125 best packaged foods for women (why exactly they're "for women," I'm not sure, but hey, I'll go with it), based on taste, health and convenience. It covers everything from bagels to cookies to bacon, and includes nutritional information and health notes. Here are some of my personal favorites from the list:

• Sabra Sun Dried Tomato Hummus, which "fights heart disease" and "promotes weight loss"
• Ak-Mak Stone-Ground Sesame Crackers, which have "a whopping four grams of fiber per serving"
• The Laughing Cow Orginal Mini Babybel, which "builds bone"
• Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice, which "fights heart disease"

I guess I can feel a little better about buying these packaged products -- thank goodness! One less thing to feel guilty about.

--Maggie

photo: womenshealth.com