The reason I love frozen meals...

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Francl27
Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
in Food and Nutrition
They're fantastic to get rid of a craving, for less than 350 calories. The other day I was craving lasagna... Just bought a $1 frozen meal and had lasagna for 300 calories. I've been craving pizza, so I bought a 350 calorie pizza for tomorrow's lunch.

Just something to think about next time you're craving something...
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Replies

  • EmmieBaby
    EmmieBaby Posts: 1,235 Member
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    num num, just be careful of the sodium levels on some of those frozen meals.

    used to make my own mini pizzas to freeze....really should make some....
  • k8mcminn
    k8mcminn Posts: 49 Member
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    I love them because when I have not packed a lunch they keep me from going out to lunch and eating way too many calories and spending too much money.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
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    num num, just be careful of the sodium levels on some of those frozen meals.

    used to make my own mini pizzas to freeze....really should make some....

    ^^^^^^^^

    And there are often many time the sodium in the frozen "diet" foods than their higher calorie counterparts. The extra calories once in a while are far safer then the excessive sodium.
  • mamahannick
    mamahannick Posts: 322 Member
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    Agree about the sodium. There is always a way to make a craving a little healthier by making it yourself at home. :)
  • Lindsay_1984
    Lindsay_1984 Posts: 85 Member
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    I recently started eating Lean Cuisine meals and I was actually surprised by how little sodium they contain. The ones I picked out have only around 400-600mg each. Haven't had one that has more than 600mg yet.

    Also, I think they taste really good compared to ones I have had in the past. I eat them during the work week, it really helps me since I am not a fan of cooking and hate taking time to prepare lunch in the morning before work.
  • missjones513
    missjones513 Posts: 345 Member
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    I like them for lunch at work during the week if I didn't prepare anything. I don't like the amount of sodium or sometimes sugar they contain.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Sodium doesn't bother me once in a while, honestly. But pizza is just way too much work for me to make, lol.
  • CJisinShape
    CJisinShape Posts: 1,404 Member
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    Im using them to train myself portion control. If I cook a meal, I tend to put more on the plate.
  • _jayciemarie_
    _jayciemarie_ Posts: 574 Member
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    I love the Smart Ones Thin Crust Pizza. They have 300 calories and curb my pizza cravings. We all know that preparing your own food is better in a lot of ways. I just use these when I don't want to buy enough supplies to feed an Army because I'm more tempted to overeat then.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    Yep, I used to have them on hand for stuff like that, as well as to keep me from going out at lunch if I didn't have time to get food together. The Mexican-themed ones (quesadillas and enchiladas and stuff) are good for that, too. The sodium isn't so bad if they're not all you're eating.

    I wish I could find more options that fit my macros better. I'm not LOW low carb by any means, but I do tend to eat on the lower end (120-150 ish) and I try to keep lunch somewhat low and have my carbs other places, and there's very few frozen meals that aren't bread or noodle or rice-based.
  • feelin_gr_8
    feelin_gr_8 Posts: 308 Member
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    I used to buy frozen meals but the main problem was they didn't fill me up! I'd have to eat 2 to not feel hungry. Of course, I haven't eaten them since I started this lifestyle change and I only work part time from home, so that makes other meals a lot easier! I like the idea of making from home and freezing leftovers, so you have more control over what is in the meal. My main problems (because my husband takes a lunch to school everyday) are 1-not having enough tupperware containers for a variety of leftovers...and we have a considerable amount and 2-sometimes things get freezer burned before we might get to them.
  • htimpaired
    htimpaired Posts: 1,404 Member
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    I will use the lean cuisines or smart ones for lunch at work, because I was starting to eat Chipotle WAY too much. But they don't fill me up my themselves, so I also pack a large back of cucumber and tomatoes to go with it, or some fruit. Sometimes I just really want some mac and cheese...
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I love the Smart Ones Thin Crust Pizza. They have 300 calories and curb my pizza cravings. We all know that preparing your own food is better in a lot of ways. I just use these when I don't want to buy enough supplies to feed an Army because I'm more tempted to overeat then.

    Exactly! If you make extra, it's tempting to overeat, if you buy extra, it's tempting to make more than one serving... I typically have a Greek yogurt with them and it's good enough now, but I typically eat small meals.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
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    I do almost all of my meal prep in large batches on Sundays. I prep and cook and immediately portion into container that go in the fridge or the freezer.

    It's healthier than any frozen food meal. I know what's in it. It's less expensive. I get variety. I have built in portion control.
  • SEAFOODMAN
    SEAFOODMAN Posts: 342
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    its all about calories, not sodium numbers.........everyone always stresses over sodium........blah
  • Laughter_Girl
    Laughter_Girl Posts: 2,226 Member
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    The frozen meals are quite convenient as it relates to time and portion sizes. Unfortunately for me though, I can no longer have them. The sodium is just too high.
  • sophiek1964
    sophiek1964 Posts: 79 Member
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    I do the same as OP when I'm craving pasta. I always have mine with a big side salad and it's a filling meal.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    its all about calories, not sodium numbers.........everyone always stresses over sodium........blah
    Indeed. IF you have problems with high blood pressure and so on, sure, worry about it.
    But for most people it shouldn't be a big thing.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
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    its all about calories, not sodium numbers.........everyone always stresses over sodium........blah

    For weight loss, if you exclude water weight, perhaps.

    The human body needs 200 mg of sodium per day to function properly.

    Ideally, you would want to below 1,500 -2300

    The average American consumes 3,000-3,600 mgs per day.

    Too much on a given day is not bad, but too much every day puts strain on your kidneys and vascular system.

    Occasionally overconsuming to eat soemthing you really enjoy? Fine. Doing it to eat something "eh?" Not so much.
  • amosmoses88
    amosmoses88 Posts: 163 Member
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    I like the healthy choice meals and I don't normally have issues with Sodium a whole lot, but I used to when I was eating garbage. Sodium causes you to retain fluid, so therefor your scale is going to read higher numbers--for those who are sensitive about what the scale says! But what I always do, because those meals are NOT ENOUGH to fill you up at all, is I add veggies with them. Veggies are great for you and I eat broccoli a lot of times with mine. I like to eat the little dinners because it teaches me portion control and allows me to splurge on something healthier like broccoli with cheese sauce (Green giant) It works for me, but it may not others. Not everything will work for everybody, so you just gotta play around with stuff! I haven't tried any other quick meals other than the healthy choice ones. :)

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