Frozen Meals ok???

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  • sleibo87
    sleibo87 Posts: 403 Member
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    So my dad lost like 35 pounds without exercise (hes in his 70s) just eating those meals. I personally like eating clean and not eating food that is super processed but really weight loss is a science, eat less, lose weight. It was about learning to portion control for him and it worked. Before, one night a week I had to close and work and would bring a frozen meal for dinner, usually I used AMY's Organic frozen meals, they are delicious and are a little better quality but more $ then lean cuisines. Since I am so short I notice though that I lose faster if I eat quality non processed foods. It's all in what works for you.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
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    If they work for you, they are fine. Personally, I can't stand the sodium, taste, calories, and portion. I do much better cooking big batches of stuff and freezing or making a sandwich with sides
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,540 Member
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    I currently have a client who's single, lost 40lbs and she's maintained that eating frozen lunches and dinners. She showed me her last physical report and her numbers were well within normal.
    If macro/micronutrient values are met daily, the stomach doesn't know if that meal was frozen or just picked because it breaks ANYTHING consumed down to it's simplest form for digestion.
    If it's working and you can sustain it, then keep it up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • Mauigirl62
    Mauigirl62 Posts: 55
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    I agree with the rest - if you are staying under your sodium goal for the day then it's OK to eat these for lunch. Pick the healthier ones like Healthy Choice or Amy's (Amy's are all organic and have some interesting ethnic varieties to choose from).
  • Mauigirl62
    Mauigirl62 Posts: 55
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    http://www.amys.com/products
  • SmaugHugs
    SmaugHugs Posts: 60 Member
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    I always have some in my freezer... I usually make my own lunches, but I'm no saint and forget some nights to prepare my lunch for the next day or I'm too tired. I stock up when they go on sale and they make an easy lunch on days that I forget to prepare one. So long as you're not living off them and they are within you daily guidelines, then you should be good to go.
  • tiffanyaldrich512
    tiffanyaldrich512 Posts: 9
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    Frozen meals are really not good for you, I used to eat them till I heard they put chemicals in them. And one thing you can do, if you are always on the run is take one to two hours out of a day and cook, and freeze for food for the week or two weeks. That way you know what's in your food.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Other than tasting like *kitten*, being loaded with sodium, and not all that filling they're fine. I'm a food snob though and pretty sure I wouldn't eat a frozen microwave meal even in an emergency...
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    edited January 2015
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    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    Aviva92 wrote: »
    I find the names of these things to be insulting to my intelligence. For that alone, no thanks. "healthy choice", "smart ones", "lean cuisines". this implies that it is a better choice than what I was already eating.

    I have actually never taken it that way (not that I'm a big frozen meals eater)...I think the intimation is that they're healthier (whether this is true or not for any specific meal) than other frozen foods, not that they're healthier than something you'd whip up yourself.

    yeah, you're probably right. i kind of find that to be insulting too. Is it really healthier? It might be less calories because it's smaller portions, but that seems to be about it.
  • HardworkEqualResults3
    HardworkEqualResults3 Posts: 3
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    I think they are ok most times but a lot off ppl don't like the sodium amount in frozen meals. Creating your own meals by prepping prob best
  • terar21
    terar21 Posts: 523 Member
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    Nothing wrong with them at all. They might be a little high on sodium but sodium isn't detrimental to weight loss (just bloating which is easily fixed) and not an issue unless medically specified for you.

    The only issue I have with them is the portion size. Just too small on so many of them. But if you find some you like, go for it! I used to be fond of one that had dumplings because I'm not taking the time/effort to make those myself so they'll be cooked by a company or restaurant for me.
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,110 Member
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    I wouldn't want to eat them all the time but some of them can be good. Rather have fresh food though. Just do what works for you
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Not OK for me. Too much sodium. I taste that stuff now and ALL I taste is salt. I used to eat those things every day.

    If you want to eat them, though, fine by me! :)
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    edited January 2015
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    If you are eating at a calorie deficit and added sodium & sugar and many things you can not pronounce, are not a concern, go for it.

    I ate a few of them when I first started MFP, but very quickly decided that I could prepare meals that taste better and have better nutrition benefits, and cost less, for my family and my self. Freeze individual portions and have them on hand for quick meals during the week.
  • MindySaysWhaaat
    MindySaysWhaaat Posts: 401 Member
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    I like Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones brand frozen dinners. They're not horrible when it comes to calories, but I will say this: They do have a ton of sodium, so if you're trying to stay away from it, I would consider a different option if you can. The other thing is that like other people have said, they tend to have smaller portions. For this reason, I have been staying away from them since I have found if I make my own dinner, I can eat more for the same amount of calories.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    They're fine, I just don't think they are filling at all for the calories is all, and too high in sodium.

    I find them fantastic when I have a craving though.
  • xosunny520
    xosunny520 Posts: 23 Member
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    I use Fooducate to determine what foods are OK. I am a huge fan of frozen meals cause they're great for school/work.

    My favorites are Evol teriyaki chicken, Amy's burritos, and Amy's light & lean spaghetti. You can find them in the freezer section for $2-$4 and they're organic, all natural ingredients.
  • AmazonMayan
    AmazonMayan Posts: 1,168 Member
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    I eat them when I have no alternatives other than something really bad for me. I find most of them have too much pasta or rice compared to the meat and veggies for me. I need something that will fill me up and keep me full. When I can, I also get a small bag of chopped or shredded lettuce and dump the cooked meal on it.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,540 Member
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    tiffanyaldrich512 wrote: »
    Frozen meals are really not good for you, I used to eat them till I heard they put chemicals in them. And one thing you can do, if you are always on the run is take one to two hours out of a day and cook, and freeze for food for the week or two weeks. That way you know what's in your food.
    What chemicals are you referring to? Preservatives? Cyanide?
    Many people who hear the word "chemical" in food forget that all foods are chemically bonded many with small traces of arsenic, iodine, and prussic acid to name a few.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Turning_Hopes_to_Habits
    Turning_Hopes_to_Habits Posts: 103 Member
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    I have a few select brands that I absolutely love, they are preservative free and have limited ingredient lists and as far as I can tell are not different from me making meals myself and freezing them. And I find they are invaluable about once a week or so when I'm exhausted at the end of the day and not in the mood to cook but still want to sit down with my family and have a healthy dinner. It's sure healthier than the alternatives, at least for us. The alternatives tend to be my husband making dinner from a box or calling Domino's.

    That said, I love salt and don't worry about sodium or constrain it. I know I eat lots, so I kept track and when I had my blood work done and my physical told my doctor I was eating at least twice the daily recommended allowance, sometimes more. He said my numbers looked good, I didn't have any problems associated with high salt intake, and that too much sodium is only a problem if you have high blood pressure or another problem. In other words, sodium wouldn't GIVE me problems, it would exacerbate existing problems, which I don't have, so not to worry. He said about a third of the populate doesn't seem to be affected by salt, so as long as I wasn't exhibiting any symptoms and by blood work continued to be great, have at it. So, ummm...(forgive me for what I'm about to do...) take my advice with a grain of salt. :smiley:

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