Frozen Diet Meals

kschwab0203

What is everyone's take on frozen diet meals such as lean cuisine, weight watcher meals, etc?

I usually eat a turkey sandwich with cheese and mayo on wheat just about every day for lunch. Well, after logging this in for the first time yesterday, I was shocked at how many calories and such my little turkey sandwich had. All this time I thought I was eating a pretty decent lunch.

So now, I have to come up with better choices for lunch.

Any thoughts???

Alyssa_Is_LosingIt

Nothing wrong with Lean Cuisine or similar meals really. They are convenient and easy. My main issue is that they do not fill me up, so I have to add more veggies or protein. They're also expensive.

There is nothing wrong with a turkey sandwich, either. There are ways to lighten it up. I eat a turkey sandwich with good ol' processed white bread, processed cheese product, and light mayo on the regular. I like to pile on the turkey and add a half serving of potato chips on the side with raw veggies like cucumbers and carrots.

Not too bad calorie wise and keeps me full.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

The frozen meals don't taste all that great, are high in sodium, expensive and not very filling (like I'd need 2).

I agree that changing up your turkey sandwich would be a better option. Mustard instead of mayo. Drop the cheese, and add more veggies. Maybe those sandwich thin things.

StaciMarie1974

It depends on what works for you.

If you like sandwiches and they're easy, look for ways to cut the calories without losing flavor/filling. Lighter bread for example. Or switch to light mayo or even mustard. Less cheese/more lean meat. Or keep your original ingredients and have 1/2 a sandwich with a salad. To keep salads lower cal, be careful of your dressing/cheese quantities.

I do eat the frozen meals also. I like some better than others.

kschwab0203

Thanks for the feedback!

I can definitely cut the cheese out, that's not a big deal, but the MAYO has some grip on me!

I recently saw an ad for Sabra spreads. They are supposed to be like 75% less fat and calories than Mayo. I really like hummus so I think I might give it a try. Has anyone tried them?

jessicarobinson00

I don't tend to eat these because they are very high in sodium...that said: actual calorie counts can differ from package to package..so I would imagine it's pretty hard to actually calculate calorie counts of what you are eating in these frozen pre-packaged meals. For example it can say 1 serving = 1 package (320 g) = 400 calories...and the package might actually weight 410 g. This one simple example if added up through tiny decisions throughout the day...adds up. For me, I just make my own food, but I understand the simplicity of grab and go.

The answer is: do what works for you. If you like them, they fill you up, worth the extra cost, and keep you in a deficit..I say do it!

endlessfall16

BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »

The frozen meals don't taste all that great, are high in sodium, expensive and not very filling (like I'd need 2).

.

This.

Just about anything I can find outside of home is better than packaged frozen meals. Foods from supermarket deli are unarguably better; fast foods are tastier, freshier. Can foods are at least cheaper.

French_Peasant

I love Healthy Choice Simply Cafe Steamers, for between 190-300 calories, as a foundation for my lunch. I have been known to add basil, green onions, other sauteed veggies, slices of chicken breast, and/or balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to improve the flavor. I keep sea salt and black pepper grinders at my desk for them as well. The packaging says "nothing artificial," whatever that means, and for what it is worth. With some fruits and veggies and some cheese etc. alongside, they are very helpful for keeping you disciplined if you are aiming for a 500-calorie lunch.

ETA: obviously I am not tracking sodium!

Spliner1969

All pre-packaged foods are full of sodium. Usually somewhere in the tune of your entire daily recommended amount of sodium or more in one meal. Otherwise, I really like the Fit Kitchen stuff, lots of protein. But I don't eat them often because it just adds to my already high sodium count. ;(

elisa123gal

When i started 77 days ago... to keep on track.. i ate Lean Cuisines. I had my favorites. .i would put a handful of frozen broccoli or other green vegetable on top ...add a salad and eat those twice a day. It helped to keep me on track... it was hard enough to start a diet and exercise program without thinking of weighing and measuring every single thing.


However.. I no longer eat them. I had a gut instinct that the high carb content and processed food element to the meals were hardly the best thing for me. Since then.. I've been eating whole foods that I prepare..and i think I lose better. I keep a few in the freezer for emergency times...but I'm glad I grew out of using them.

MarziPanda95

I like them. For me, sodium isn't a problem, so they're good. The ones I get taste good and are low calorie. I get British brands though.

folgers86

Some of the Fit Kitchen stuff from Stouffers tastes great but the sodium content is almost inexcusable. Sugars/carbs can be high too. That being said, those WOULD fill me up. Depends on the rest of your day...

Aaron_K123

For me meal evaluation is about three things. Taste, satisfaction, calories. If its high in satisfcation to calories and tastes good then its a good choice. Funny thing is that can sometimes be things you might not think of. I like Panda Express for example, I find their chow mein and brocolli beef to be very filling, very satisfying relative to the amount of calories and I enjoy the taste. I find I'm not hungry and I'm still within my calorie budget when I eat foods like that. If I eat just low calorie foods I tend to be disatisfied and or hungry and or struggling.

If you don't look at all three (taste, calories, satisfaction) and you instead only look at calories...chances are you are going to be picking foods you don't like the taste of that aren't very satisfying and thats just going to drive you crazy.

So as far as frozen diet meals go I'd just suggest you apply the criteria. Do you like the taste? Do you find them satisfying? How many calories until you are satified by it? If you apply all three criteria, you might find that turkey sandwich is actually better.

cwolfman13

Personally, I'd find a way to tweak my sandwiches to be less calorie dense...IMO, these frozen meals are garbage...they don't taste good IMO, they're loaded with sodium, and they're so tiny...I'd have to eat like 3 of them to be remotely satisfied.

For myself, highly processed stuff like this also gets my gout going.

TeaBea

kschwab0203 wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback!

I can definitely cut the cheese out, that's not a big deal, but the MAYO has some grip on me!

I recently saw an ad for Sabra spreads. They are supposed to be like 75% less fat and calories than Mayo. I really like hummus so I think I might give it a try. Has anyone tried them?

I like mixing mayo with mustard.....then I can use less. I like 2% cheese slices or ultra thin (Sargento). Then I lighten the bread somewhat. I tried sandwich thins, too soggy (nasty).

That said, I eat a couple frozen meals a week. I look for those with more protein, and add more veggies. Healthy Choice Steamers are good ($2.50 at Wal-Mart).

Skyblueyellow

I sometimes use them, but I can't stand the texture of meat in those meals so I go for vegetarian options. I ate one last month but I don't use them regularly as I don't have the sort of job where I can be guaranteed access to a microwave.

I eat roasted chicken lunchmeat with provolone cheese on a flatbread a lot. I like to add cucumbers to my sandwiches. I find that I'm pretty satisfied and my lunch is around 300 calories.

littlechiaseed

They are kind of salty if you are watching salt for whatever reason that can be a problem. I have been told not to go on a low salt diet because of the medication I am on so whatever. But I like lean cuisines. It's an easy lunch or dinner, why not?

WinoGelato

I have a frozen meal about once or twice a week at work when I don't have leftovers from meals prepped or dinners the night before. I like Lean Cuisine, the Healthy Choice Steamers, and the EVOL brands the best. They aren't totally filling, so I often add some extra protein (store bought grilled chicken strips) or veggies, or grab a salad from my work cafeteria. I think they are good in a pinch and those saying they think they taste terrible - wondering if you've tried them lately because I think they have a lot more choices and the quality has definitely improved from when I used to eat them daily years ago.

That said, I also eat turkey sandwiches fairly often, I use Sara Lee 45 Cal Delightful Wheat Bread, turkey, and a piece of cheese, this tends to be about 200-225 cals. I'm not a mayo fan - but if you enjoy it I'm sure there are lower calorie options available. I've tried sandwiches with hummus or guacamole - both are tasty but I prefer just eating those with chips or veggies instead of on my sandwich.

alyssa0061

I eat some version for lunch more often than not. I buy Lean Cuisine, Michelina's, Healthy Choice Steamers and Smart Ones. I add one bag of frozen steam-able vegetables and I'm good to go with a lunch under 400 calories. It works for me. I like them, I enjoy eating them and being able to try so many different varieties. It's an easy way for me to eat a lot of different foods I'm not willing to cook for myself. I only buy them when they're on sale at Kroger; usually there's an additional coupon through the app as well so I end up paying around $1 - $2 each. With a $.99 bag of vegetables it's much cheaper than anything I'd order out and not much more than if I were cooking something myself. I do not track sodium so while I don't love how much they have, it doesn't prevent me from consuming them.

ivygirl1937

I like the Lean Cuisines and such for something fast and easy, especially right now when we are in the middle of moving and the kitchen is a disaster, and the kinds I get usually aren't horrible about the sodium (and I don't track sodium anyway so I'm not too concerned but I do tend to pick those that are somewhat lower). I can see how they wouldn't be filling enough for some people, I know they would for me if I didn't have snacks as well that I can eat during the day at work but I find with a decent breakfast and a couple of snacks, a Lean Cuisine is just the right amount of food for me to feel satiated and I'm not killing my calories for the day. That said, sometimes I will have some veggies with it or something as well to help bulk up the meal a bit if I'm feeling extra hungry. I like the Healthy Choice sometimes too but for me, those really depend on which one you get, some are not very good and others are actually quite tasty.

That said, I do like turkey sandwiches too but I have a longer commute and they tend not to stay very fresh and yummy (more like squished and mushy, bleh). That, and I tend to make sandwiches that are a lot higher in calorie than I should be eating for lunch! But if you like turkey sandwiches better, I agree with the above, there are ways to make it work for lower calories if you don't want to do frozen meals.

leejoyce31

I strictly eat Jenny Craig foods because I don't cook. I watch my sodium intake and it averages less than 1400 milligrams daily. I eat only 2 of their meals and always pick the lowest sodium foods. The rest of the day I eat raw veggies, fruit, and nuts. I also volumize the meals with roasted veggies so they are filling.

I must say, I don't care for the grocery store frozen dinners though, and they also have a higher sodium content than Jenny Craig.

One caveat though... Jenny Craig is a bit more expensive than the store frozen dinners, but I don't mind. It is within my budget.

CMNVA

I've been eating the Evol and Luvo brands of frozen foods. Much lower sodium than Lean Cuisine and a more "real" taste. Some lunch meats are high in sodium as are breads so I don't think you're doing worse to try a frozen meal if you are trying to shave off some calories. They are okay once in awhile.

geneticsteacher

I used to eat these daily, but found they didn't contain enough protein in the ones I liked. The sodium was not a problem - most Lean Cuisines contain around 500 mg. or so, 25% of the upper safe limit listed (plus I don't track sodium).

quiksylver296

ivygirl1937 wrote: »

I like the Lean Cuisines and such for something fast and easy, especially right now when we are in the middle of moving and the kitchen is a disaster, and the kinds I get usually aren't horrible about the sodium (and I don't track sodium anyway so I'm not too concerned but I do tend to pick those that are somewhat lower). I can see how they wouldn't be filling enough for some people, I know they would for me if I didn't have snacks as well that I can eat during the day at work but I find with a decent breakfast and a couple of snacks, a Lean Cuisine is just the right amount of food for me to feel satiated and I'm not killing my calories for the day. That said, sometimes I will have some veggies with it or something as well to help bulk up the meal a bit if I'm feeling extra hungry. I like the Healthy Choice sometimes too but for me, those really depend on which one you get, some are not very good and others are actually quite tasty.

Same. The meals I get are around 24% of my daily sodium. Not sure why that's so terrible, as I only have 3 meals per day...

lmew91

I like to make sandwiches out of Arnold's or Natures Own sandwich thins/rounds, lunch meat, mustard, and a Laughing Cow cheese wedge. (If you've never had this, it's a very soft cheese that can be spread. For me, it replicates the mayo portion of the sandwich satisfactorily. If you're a die-hard mayo lover, you may hate this idea.) Not sure if you're the type who make your sandwich in the morning before work, but I do this rather than the night before so that it doesn't get soggy or taste stale, etc.