Pros and cons of eating prepackaged foods

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rcadogs
rcadogs Posts: 23 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
It's been brought to my attention that all I pretty much eat is prepackaged foods.

Pros: I like the convenience of them and microwaving them and eating them.

Cons: Even with products like Healthy Choice and Birds Eye and even if I reach my calorie deficit, I can't lose the weight! I lose a couple pounds and I gain them back within weeks! I guess because of all the sodium, fat and other stuff that's in them.

Should I give them up completely? If not, how often should I eat prepackaged foods?
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Replies

  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
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    Pros: Convenient

    Cons: Generally higher in sodium and taste much worse than a homemade version.
  • MandyLion76
    MandyLion76 Posts: 45 Member
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    Hmm...I'm kinda weird when it comes to prepackaged food in terms of meals. The only prepackaged/premade meals I ever eat are things like maybe a lasagna or a frozen pizza. That's as close to quick convenience food as I will get. I don't even own a microwave, much to my husband's displeasure. The stuff just tastes horrible to me, the strange chemicals freak me out and the salt in premade meals is insanely high.
    My opinion will always be to make meals and freeze them myself/yourself and package them in appropriate portions if you do in fact require quick and convenient cooked food.
    If you like packaged food and really enjoy it then at least have some fresh veggies with it...I suppose that would be a decent compromise. :)
  • Lcmcks
    Lcmcks Posts: 10 Member
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    I started doing the Beyond Diet a year or so ago and it taught me what all the pre-packaged foods do to your body. Once I gave them up (for the most part), I feel better...I try to stick to the rule that if you can't pronounce it, don't eat it! It's amazing the things you can find to eat that aren't processed...go organic wherever you can!
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    pros: they are easy

    Cons: the price the taste and they aren't as satisfying to me
  • Minnie2361
    Minnie2361 Posts: 281 Member
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    I avoid them , if you want to check them out you can run each item by its bran name through fooducate. I did that for a few of my items.
    I disposed of a number of them
    Just read the labels where it lists the ingredients. Lots of chemical additives. I take the time to homemake my food then freeze it in separate glass containers. I can defrost them and reheat in the microwave. They taste ever so much better and do not have all the additives.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,018 Member
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    Pros: chef in a box.
    Cons: chef can't cook.
  • igotabulletproofheart
    igotabulletproofheart Posts: 104 Member
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    The food isn't the reason you can't lose weight. Check your calories and macros.

    For me:
    Pros: Easy, helps me reach my calorie/macro goal when I'm finding it difficult.

    Cons: Some aren't so high in protein.
    The one I have the most is ocean pie with baked beans. Strange combination but my focus is hitting my macros and calories so it's alright.
  • jetlag
    jetlag Posts: 800 Member
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    Expensive!

    Learn to cook for yourself.
  • Cal28
    Cal28 Posts: 514 Member
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    There was an article on the 99 Best Packaged Food in Aussie Womens Health Mag.

    The US version seems to be online: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/best-foods

    Pro: Convenience
    Cons: Usually not so tasty or healthy
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    Honestly, pre-packaged foods are not as expensive as people make them out to be especially if you get them on sale. A lot of the nutritional isn't that bad at least if you exercise. I really don't care about sodium levels.

    I think the major issue is with pre-packaged foods is there is tendency to not feel full. The cons for me is just more of a spacial thing. If you get a lot of single serves it takes a lot of freezer room and creates a lot of trash and refuse in the end.

    The pro's are you: know exactly the macros you're consuming, convenient, generally balanced nutritional profile.

    People automatically assume making things yourself is cheaper... this is not always true. It costs more to make a 7 layer dip than it is to buy it by volume.
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
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    Pros: chef in a box.
    Cons: chef can't cook.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    personally I don't buy them, haven't done for years cos they were never satisfying and they're expensive usually! its not hard to make a meal, eggs take a few mins...most other things 20! its not hard to wait that long to eat :)
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
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    Pro: The convenience - knowing which prepackaged pre cooked food to eat if you are traveling so you can pick the least worse one to eat.
    Cons: I need to eat like three of them at one meal to get my protein minimum each day generally speaking.
  • BlackPup
    BlackPup Posts: 242 Member
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    I keep some in my freezer for convenience. I often add some extra vegetables to them. Usually I cook up a family sized meal then put it in individual serves in the fridge or freezer. Then it's just as easy to have a home cooked meal.
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
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    A lot of the nutritional isn't that bad at least if you exercise.

    The nutritional content doesn't get any better only because you might work off the calories afterwards? :huh:
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    A lot of the nutritional isn't that bad at least if you exercise.

    The nutritional content doesn't get any better only because you might work off the calories afterwards? :huh:
    Nutritional meaning things like sodium. People who sweat need the extra sodium. If you sit on your bum all day.. then not so much. This is true regardless of caloric intake.
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
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    even if I reach my calorie deficit, I can't lose the weight! I lose a couple pounds and I gain them back within weeks! I guess because of all the sodium, fat and other stuff that's in them.

    No, it's because you're not in the deficit you think you are.
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
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    Hi - try the Steamfresh frozen veg.. the veg in there is absolutely delicious and low calories/good to fit MFP macros :)

    I like to strive to eat less of certain types of fattening processed foods, however, i buy fresh veg and it sits there because i am too lazy or tired or busy to cook, so i have a lot of frozen vegetables because they are good and will last longer in my fridge. I think frozen veg like Steamfresh even fits what some people call 'clean foods" if you want to go that route.

    you can get some canned stuff like canned beans and canned soup broth that is labeled "low sodium" or "no sodium" but the little bit of sodium in the low sodium tastes way better than no sodium which tastes like water. Canned tomatos - low sodium are delish for some reason.. and i HATE canned food except for a few things and im a picky eater.

    i do watch my sodium intake to try for 1500 mg a day, and its doable. i tend to hold onto water weight if i eat too much sodium in a day.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
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    It's simple: they taste bad. Cook fresh and freeze in advance -- once you start eating good fresh food you'll never go back. I have black bean chili, vegetable soup, and turkey lasagna in my freezer right now, all made from scratch and all delicious.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Pros: Convenient

    Cons: Generally higher in sodium and taste much worse than a homemade version.

    This would be me.

    I try to have my food brought from home...but some times I don't have it.
    So like for todays lunch, I resorted to Perdue's Short Cuts Chicken and ate that...but you can taste the sodium/salt in the stuff....

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