Recent videos claiming that a school in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, serves pre-made meals to its students have sparked heated discussions across the country. People doubt if pre-made meals, despite being convenient, are healthy and nutritious enough for growing teenagers. 

去年9月，江西赣州一所学校向学生提供预制餐的视频引发了全国热议。预制菜虽然方便快捷，但人们怀疑，其对于还在长身体的青少年来说是否足够健康和营养？

Pre-made meals refer to half-finished or finished dishes that are already cooked or prepared, according to the China Cuisine Association. There are several types of pre-made foods, including ready-to-eat food, such as canned (罐装的) food or cooked food in packages, and ready-to-heat or ready-to-cook food, which requires heating or cooking before being served.

中国烹饪协会将“预制菜”定义为经预加工或预烹调制成，并进行预包装的成品或半成品菜肴。预制菜涵盖多种类型，包括即食食品，如罐装食品或包装熟食；即热食品或即烹食品，即需要加热或烹饪后才能食用的食品。

Many people tend to think that ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook foods are less nutritious because they usually need to be kept in freezers or refrigerators. 

许多人认为，即热和即烹食品通常需要冷冻或冷藏保存，其营养价值较低。

“Actually freezing does not cause a loss of nutrients,” Liu Junya, a 33-year-old dietitian in Beijing, told Teens. “Nutrient loss typically occurs during the heating or frying (油炸) process.” 

但北京33岁的刘营养师告诉《21世纪学生英文报》：“实际上，冷冻并不会导致营养流失，营养素的流失通常发生在加热或油炸的过程中。”

Vitamins from the B group and vitamin C found in meat and vegetables are heat-sensitive and can be lost during the process. By being heated or cooked twice or more, “pre-made foods can be less nutritious than freshly prepared and cooked foods,” Liu said.

肉类和蔬菜中的 B 族维生素和维生素 C 对热敏感，在加热过程中可能会流失。经过多次加热或烹饪后，刘老师说，“预制食品的营养价值可能不如新鲜准备和烹饪的食品”。

Meanwhile, “many pre-made food companies prioritize taste over nutrition,” said Liu. This leads to higher levels of salt and sugar in the food, which may lead to health problems, such as high blood pressure or diabetes  (糖尿病) in the long term.

同时，刘老师还指出：“许多预制食品公司将口味置于营养之上。”。这就导致食品中的盐分和糖分含量较高，长期食用可能会导致高血压或糖尿病等健康问题。

Additives (添加剂) are also a major concern related to pre-made food. In China, there are strict standards for food additives. Currently, China’s food industry has well-developed techniques to preserve pre-made food without the excessive use of additives. Some food can be sterilized (消毒) and then sealed (密封) after cooking, followed by low-temperature storage, allowing for a longer shelf life. However, it’s essential that customers buy pre-made meals from qualified food companies or supermarkets.

另一个主要的担忧是预制菜中的添加剂问题。然而，中国对食品添加剂有着严格的标准，而且目前中国食品工业已拥有成熟的预制食品保存技术，无需过多使用添加剂。一些食品可以在烹饪后先消毒、密封，并进行低温贮藏，以延长保质期。尽管如此，消费者仍需确保从有资质的食品公司或超市购买预制餐。

It is hoped that regulations on pre-made meals can be strengthened to better ensure nutrition and hygiene (卫生). This way, “pre-made meals will be more accepted by the public,” Liu said. 

为了更好地确保预制菜的营养和卫生，希望相关监管措施可以得到加强。只有这样，刘老师说：“公众才更愿意接纳预制餐”。