Frozen "Healthy Meals"

MsDavis99

So are the frozen Healthy meals like "Healthy Choice" actually healthy for you? I mean they are 5 for 10 bucks and taste really good.

What are some meals I can get that are healthy, things I can pack for lunch?

Yes I know I can meal prep and all that but out side of meal prepping.

RelCanonical

They're a little salty for me. That's pretty common for frozen foods, though. I find some of them pretty good but I'm just so thirsty the rest of the day that it doesn't seem worth it. Some are better than others on that front.

PrincessMel72

I have either a Lean Cuisine or a Smart Ones meal for lunch every day during the week.

FreyasRebirth

I try to get the ones that are vegetable-heavy but I don't avoid them otherwise.

estherdragonbat

I don't usually buy frozen meals, but I do buy Gardein. I find it's great, so long as I don't use the sauce. (The sauce is wonderful, but the reheated leftovers are not. I do a lot better either buying the fish filets, which don't come in sauce, or their other products just baking or sauteeing them plain and adding them to stir-fries, wraps, etc.)

TeaBea

I have them once or twice a week. I typically bring an extra veggie because there just aren't enough of veggies in most of them. Love HC Crustless Chicken Pot Pie & HC Red Pepper Chicken Alfredo

Broth based soups are good. Campbell's Healthy Request are a little lower in sodium (no medical issues for me).

Tuna pouches - these come in flavors. There are also tuna salad kits with little crackers.

Cottage cheese comes in single packs. Nice to pack with a pineapple (or peach) snack cup. Then add some veggies and maybe a few whole grain crackers.

sammyjo0218

They can be handy when you're short on time but it's not worth it to me. Lean cuisine has good selections even those aren't the greatest. It's better cooking big portions at once and separate to freeze. Just focus on the nutrition labels as they can be loaded with sodium and sugars. Packing your own salads can be a great choice you can get creative with dressings and toppings, bag steamed microwave veggies, cooking pasta I love the ones made of brown rice and quinoa they don't take much time, making sandwich wraps or pitas.. then for sides yogurt and fruits are great. just plan ahead in advanced what you want to make for work.

quiksylver296

Healthy Choice Honey Glazed Turkey and Potatoes for lunch today...so freaking yummy!

220 calories
2g fat
500 mg sodium (21% of daily)
780mg potassium - that's good. Need more of that!
37g carbs
14g protein

Plus, quick and easy to grab if I don't have anything else prepped for lunch.

MsDavis99

TeaBea wrote: »

I have them once or twice a week. I typically bring an extra veggie because there just aren't enough of veggies in most of them. Love HC Crustless Chicken Pot Pie & HC Red Pepper Chicken Alfredo

Broth based soups are good. Campbell's Healthy Request are a little lower in sodium (no medical issues for me).

Tuna pouches - these come in flavors. There are also tuna salad kits with little crackers.

Cottage cheese comes in single packs. Nice to pack with a pineapple (or peach) snack cup. Then add some veggies and maybe a few whole grain crackers.

I forgot about the tuna pouches, those are great ideas thank you!

MsDavis99

quiksylver296 wrote: »

Healthy Choice Honey Glazed Turkey and Potatoes for lunch today...so freaking yummy!

220 calories
2g fat
500 mg sodium (21% of daily)
780mg potassium - that's good. Need more of that!
37g carbs
14g protein

Plus, quick and easy to grab if I don't have anything else prepped for lunch.

I had the 4 cheese Ravioli and chicken marinara today and it was sooooo good

Krby13

sammyjo0218 wrote: »

They can be handy when you're short on time but it's not worth it to me. Lean cuisine has good selections even those aren't the greatest. It's better cooking big portions at once and separate to freeze. Just focus on the nutrition labels as they can be loaded with sodium and sugars. Packing your own salads can be a great choice you can get creative with dressings and toppings, bag steamed microwave veggies, cooking pasta I love the ones made of brown rice and quinoa they don't take much time, making sandwich wraps or pitas.. then for sides yogurt and fruits are great. just plan ahead in advanced what you want to make for work.

I agree with all of this. I find frozen meals to just taste too fake to me and lack flavor. I always find myself adding salt and pepper to try to salvage the meal when I do try to eat one. I'd much rather make my own lunch of stuff I know I like. It's worth the effort to me.

melaniedscott

Smart Ones were my go-to's for quick, I-don't-have-time-to-pack-something but lately the sodium content has been going up and variety is going down (well, for the ones that get sold for 5 for 10$--I got 6 for $8 this weekend) and I've found when Lean Cuisine Marketplace meals are on sale, I like them better. They have more variety. Husband disagrees as he doesn't like fish or 'weird' dishes (like putting chicken in an apple-cranberry reduction...yum!) so we tend to keep both around. But we also freeze leftovers, so we have some home-made versions which are yummier and have a lot less sodium.

I do like Amy's frozen dinners, but they are pricey...

nichell88

Love Atkins. I keep them in the freezer as "just in case" meals when I'm short on time, probably eat them once a month. I like the teryaki beef stir fry, beef Merlot, meatloaf and mushrooms, and sesame chicken

cozytimes

amy's frozen meals are my favorite! especially the pesto tortellini... i'm planning on trying more of the meals

Krby13

Probably the only frozen lunch style meal that I will eat is the Lean Cuisine chicken ranch club flatbread. It cooks up really well and taste like normal food and only 370 calories

stelly76

They're tasty and usually would fill me up if I also had a piece of fruit with it. I used to eat them almost every day for lunch (Healthy Choice or Smart Ones), but when I stopped, I lost 2 lbs in one week. Too much sodium!

WinoGelato

I keep some on hand for days when I don't have leftovers to bring for lunch. My favorite brands:

Healthy Choice Steamers
Weight Watchers Smart Made (newer than the Smart Ones - they have some interesting combinations and less preservatives)
Stouffer's Fit Kitchen - tend to be a little more filling, higher protein
Evol - more expensive but some interesting combinations - I think these are the best tasting.

I also sometimes find them not so filling, so I often bring extra precooked sliced chicken breast or a single serving frozen vegetable pack, or get a salad from the work cafeteria.

You asked if they can be healthy for you - unless you have a specific reason to restrict sodium (and even some of these are not particularly high in sodium) - I don't think they are unhealthy. I also think canned soup is a great quick back up for me for work lunches, I usually keep one and a clean tupperware in my desk drawer in my office.
Otherwise I mostly bring leftovers from dinner the night before, I always try to grill an extra piece of chicken or make some extra veggies. I also like the Birdseye Protein Blends (mix of grains, beans, and veggies) in the freezer section and just throw some chicken or shrimp in with those.

pinuplove

cozytimes wrote: »

amy's frozen meals are my favorite! especially the pesto tortellini... i'm planning on trying more of the meals

I really like the Amy's frozen meals - they are tasty! Bit light on protein, and definitely pricey. They are the best-tasting frozen meals I've ever had though. The broccoli & cheddar bowl is my fave

Penthesilea514

I like Lean Cuisine from time to time- the Vermont Cheddar Mac and Cheese is one of my favorites. I do this when I want to eat some comfort food without overindulging.

Has anyone tried the Evol stuff? I haven't yet but I have heard some good things.

Sp1tfire

Lean cuisine spinach artichoke ravioli. omg. yum.

WinoGelato

Penthesilea514 wrote: »

I like Lean Cuisine from time to time- the Vermont Cheddar Mac and Cheese is one of my favorites. I do this when I want to eat some comfort food without overindulging.

Has anyone tried the Evol stuff? I haven't yet but I have heard some good things.

Yes, I like Evol. They are a little more expensive, but the choices are a little different and I think they are tasty. Chipotle Chicken Mac n Cheese is really good, as is the Butternut Squash Ravioli.

alice_schmalice

I vote for Amy's too. more expensive but still cheaper than eating out if you are looking for the convenience factor. I do better when I don't eat as much wheat/gluten and they have gluten free options. I love the pasta bowls but found they caused afternoon "brain fog" with all the carbs. Lately enjoyed the Matter Paneer and the tamale meal.

AnnPT77

For my preferences, they usually have too many calories for the amount of protein, and too many carb-y add-ins where I'd prefer more veggies for the micros/fiber. Especially when in a deficit, this doesn't help me accomplish my goals:

This is partly because I'm vegetarian, but I've spot-checked some of the meat/fish ones, and found many of those not a whole lot better.

Protein & high-volume/low-cal foods are what's satiating for me, and I want to be getting around 25g of protein in a meal at minimum.

Overall, I can get much better satiation and nutrition by eating regular foods, even things that require little or no prep. Clearly, others' mileage differs.

rustychili1

Sweet Earth Brand taste fabulous you can get them at Target now

BlueSkyShoal

Amy's frozen meals taste great, but they cost more than a lot of them.

But they also taste better than Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, etc IMO.

nowine4me

I'll eat em in a pinch, usually dumped over a bag of frozen broccoli to bulk it up

BurlzGettingFit

I eat one everyday for lunch during the work week! I also just started putting them on a plate (makes me feel like I'm eating more) and adding a serving of chicken and it keeps me fill up until dinner! I love it!

ChelzFit

I have started eating them everyday for lunch just because I was in a food rut and too lazy to come up with new ideas for lunch other than chicken salad or sandwiches. Smart Ones make a really good ravioli with only 210 calories, I pair it with veggie noodles and avocado. I usually buy the lower cal ones just so I can pair it with more options that fill me up.

Allgaun

I used them to kick off my weight loss. I love pizza and the French bread pizza fills me up and feeds the urge. I keep them in the freezer for days I don't have anything easy to prepare.

Now I weigh and measure "real" food. Yet they do come in handy if I'm running out the door or want a snack, most of them have less calories than a chocolate bar.

toxikon

Why not do some meal prep yourself and freeze pre-portioned meals to enjoy throughout the month!?

That's what I do. I bought a ton of small tupperware containers on Amazon (like 150 of them) and do meal prep on Sundays. I'll make anywhere from 10-24 portions of food. Stuff like lasagna, casseroles, chicken, roasted/steamed veggies, potatoes, rice, soup, chili, stew, quiches, pasta... etc. The possibilities are pretty limitless.

As I cook, I write down the weight of each ingredient to input into MFP as a recipe. So it's easy to grab a tupperware and know the calorie count of the meal inside. And each one works out to a fraction of the price of buying pre-made... I'd be surprised if the ingredients in each meal added up to over $1.