Frozen Healthy Dinners? Are they really healthy?

joshmiller1998

I am curious to what you guys and girls think about meals like healthy choice and smart ones, if you think they are really as healthy as they claim to be. I know it's hard for me to always cook since I work 2 jobs and it's easy to pop one of these in the microwave, but I have read that they are not that good for you, then I read that they are. What do you think?

wyze

I cannot speak to how healthy they are, but i know that they are always loaded with sodium. I also find that i am still hungry after eating them. I guess a once in a while kind of deal wont hurt. One of the ways to deal with cooking is to maybe cook for the week on Sundays and then pack your own food. I cant remember the last time i ate a frozen dinner

Katie1951

Sodium is the kicker! I use to eat the WW Santa Fe and loved it, but if you care about the sodium they are definitely a no no. If it's calories in, calories out you can make them work for a convenient meal.

Isolt

The trouble is that most of these so-called 'healthy' ready meals work on the premise that low-fat = healthy. However, in cooking terms, if you take the fat away you have a bit of a taste issue to address....and they tend to do that by whacking up the sodium or sugar content to create what they call 'mouth feel'. These 'healthy' labels are just one more marketing gimmick.

If you have trouble finding time cooking during your work week, I'd suggest investing in a freezer and batch cooking from scratch on weekends. If you cook up soups, stews, curries, pasta dishes (whatever it is you're eating on your diet) and freeze into portions then you have something you can pop out, defrost and reheat without all the added nasties. I can pretty much guarantee it'll also be cheaper and tastier too.

jfl613

I agree 100% with wyze. I used to eat those all the time but I too found that I was still hungry. Also, my last couple of doctor appointments showed an elevated blood pressure reading. This worried me. I look forward to going back to the doctor to see if cutting out the frozen meals and cooking my own has made a difference in my BP. Sunday is my day to cook &/or prep my meals for the week. It helps a lot in saving time during a busy work week. Try looking for some 30 minute meal cookbooks. The Jenny Craig 30 minute meals helps me on a weekly basis. My husband also enjoys these meals and has lost weight by default! Best wishes and stay healthy!

melaniecheeks

They're certainly not as healthy as making your own!

Ok for emergencies, but I wouldn't rely on them daily.

StarkLark

In my opinion they are good in a pinch but are way too high in.... yeah, sodium!

Is there an echo in here? haha

Yes, they are easy to make and it is easy enough to find flavors/recipes that you like. You can certainly lose weight by having frozen meals as part of your plan but there are also healthier, less processed, less sodium packed ways to do it. Try and find a balance between your frozen meals and your fresh/non-processed/natural foods and you'll be better off.

Dethea

My dad eats these a lot, (he's doing WW) and he eat's one of these with a bunch of extra veggies. The main thing with frozen meals is sodium, but as long as you are careful about the sodium in other foods you should be okay. Just drink lots of water to help combat any bloating!

RAFValentina

Tesco in the UK have some great ones... no reason why they shouldn't be OK.. also sodium is only a real issue if you're not working out and have high blood pressure. Personally, I need the extra salt or I get super light headed!

I lost a lot of weight making them my meals plus they're portion controlled in most cases, and because they're quick and can be frozen, no excuses for not going to the gym or staying a bit longer! Cooking a frozen meal isn't hard!

billsica

Same thing. Low calories, insanity high sodium. During the week, if it keeps my from a trip to a fast food place, then was it worth it?

Which is the lessor or two evils?

jacksonpt

Virtually nothing is healthy or unhealthy in and of itself. It depends on how it fits into your overall diet. If it fits in your cals/macros, then it's fine. If it doesn't, then it's not fine.

kimharrod

Dedicate one day such as sunday or one of your days off, by making different chopped up salads in the fridge. Cook all your chicken for the week, store it in the fridge. Get the tuna out and ready, store it in the fridge. Etc etc. That way you've always got something to quickly get, dump in the frying pan or oven without any preparation.

gemiwing

Anyone on my friend's list knows how I feel about 'diet' food. :laugh:

The frozen meals have too low protein, too high carb and way too high sodium. I don't need four servings of pasta, a measly 4 ounces of chicken and some twenty-odd peas.

One would be better served to take a day, cook some chicken, pasta and tons of veggies and parcel it out through the week. Hate leftovers or eating the same thing all the time? (like me!) Then precook the individual ingredients and mix and match them throughout the week.

LorinaLynn

My complaint about them isn't the sodium. There's some where the sodium content is pretty low... just check the labels before you buy 'em. It's the lack of protein. Some only have about 9g per meal. I've compared labels and Hot Pockets are more nutritious.

That, and they're tiny. I can make a similar dinner with the same calorie count with a LOT more food and nutrition.

Very convenient, though. I like to have some in the freezer for lazy days.

heathersmilez

I like the fact that they are 1/4-1/8 the price of Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig if you are in a time crunch. Sure they are high in sodium, Lean Cuisine is 650mg each but that means even eating 2 a day you are still well under your 2500 max even at ideally <2000.

chachita7

Most of them are high in sodium - high sodium can lead to retention of water which equals to weight # going up on the scale. I would suggest what most have already suggested - precook your meals - brown rice stays nice and fresh for about 7 days, chicken... etc...

dcmat

*bump*

mamagooskie

IMO they can be healthy options for people on the go or who don't have time or don't like to cook. The worst thing about them is sodium!! The portion sizes are good and some are quite tasty. I think they are best for occasional use as nothing honestly beats a home cooked meal.

boggsmeister

I don't generally do frozen meals, the "healthy" ones don't generally fit my calorie needs. My fiancee eats them occasionally, and she almost invariably get's an Amy's meal. Good food that actually tastes real. They are all vegetarian, but you won't miss the meat if you are eating them only occasionally. As a general rule though, both of us are staying away from processed food. Making it yourself gives you better flavor and way better control over ingredients.

lindalou4850

they are ok in a pinch, I add a salad or extra veggies

jbella99

In my own humble opinion you are best to stay away from processed food healthy or not. No one will every be able to sustain eating such small portions for the rest of your life. You can't just eat 1200 calories a day until you lose the weight you have to make a lifestyle change that you can live with forever.

iuew

I am curious to what you guys and girls think about meals like healthy choice and smart ones, if you think they are really as healthy as they claim to be. I know it's hard for me to always cook since I work 2 jobs and it's easy to pop one of these in the microwave, but I have read that they are not that good for you, then I read that they are. What do you think?

i have eaten a ton of them; they were an important tool for me in the weight loss portion of my diet. some argue that the sodium is high. i suppose if you're on specific instructions from your doctor to cut sodium, that would be a consideration. i wasn't, so i ate them frequently for quite a while.

heathersmilez

If you have trouble finding time cooking during your work week, I'd suggest investing in a freezer and batch cooking from scratch on weekends. If you cook up soups, stews, curries, pasta dishes (whatever it is you're eating on your diet) and freeze into portions then you have something you can pop out, defrost and reheat without all the added nasties. I can pretty much guarantee it'll also be cheaper and tastier too.

I did that once (a few weeks ago) with stir-fry and it turns out wet when you re-heat it and yes, I waited until it was cool before freezing. Perhaps it works better with chili but unfortunately the 1-week batch of cooking means significant reduction in quality. You are better off pre-cutting/cleaning your veggie to save time then cooking everything nightly. Technically yes its cheaper, $2.50 ish for lots of veggies, a chicken breast and 2/3 cup brown rice when you compare it to Lean Cuisine which is about 1/2 the size at $1.97 each.

neverstray

When I first started my diet years ago, I started by eating lean cuisine for dinner. I did that every night for about a month. It really shaved off the weight quickly for me. After that, I just started learning how to eat regular food and get off those things. So, as a kick start or even a once in a while thing, I think they're ok. But, I would try not to make a habit of it.

Raiderxx

I have been eating Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, and Healthy Choice meals pretty much everyday since I started my journey. Like everyone else has said, they are packed with sodium but honestly if you are drinking plenty of water and you are under your calories it won't make that big of a difference. One other thing I would mention is that, since someone said the meals don't fill them up, is that you will need to eat something else along with the meal more than likely. The meals usually don't go over 350 calories so I always have some sun chips and some fruit with mine usually giving me a 500-700 calorie lunch.

brenteesha

I don't think they are quite as worthless as people make them sound... yes, they are loaded with sodium. Without a doubt. But so are canned foods. I just try to buy reduced sodium items whenever I can. Additionally, people complain that they are still hungry... but that's only because the amount of calories in these things are so low. Most Healthy Choice frozen dinners I see are around 250-350 calories. Most people could eat two of these for one meal, and still easily stay within their calorie count for the day. But, one of the bad things that I'm surprised no one has mentioned is the processed food aspect. I hear over and over again on TV and while reading that processed food isn't nearly as good for you as fresh food is.

So, I think it's a pro/con list type of thing. Are they healthy enough to live on 100%? Probably not, but I'd rather eat a ton of these than eat fast food constantly. I keep 4-5 of these in my freezer, because a few times during the week I'm usually too worn out from work to cook, and sick of eating leftovers from the weekend. I feel like this will turn into another diet soda debate... everyone has their own opinion on the subject. I say, use your best judgement as whether or not to eat them, and how often. Just don't eat them every day.

Gordie580

I generaly buy a couple of smart ones if I need for when i Work, but like everyone said they are loaded with sodium. I buy alot of turkey, roast beef and ham. I got a deli slicer and I cut up my own meets. Very nice and alot less sodium. Also if you don't have much time for cooking put something in a crockpot/ slow cooker and then you can have a few meals to eat and have a good food choices.

sallywilson06

They're probably not the "healthiest" but considering your other fast food places like subway, one of their meals from Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones has less sodium than most of the 6' subs you will find on Subway's healthy choice menu.

FaithHopeBELIEVE

I try mainly Amy's organic, Kashi or similar if I am going to even have a frozen dinner and sometimes Lean Cuisine natural ones. But I try to stay away simply because of the sodium. I gain lots of water after having a day with over 1500 mg in sodium.

minkakross

I talked with my nutritionist just last week about frozen dinners and mentioned the sodium and she said that even if you ate them 3 times a day you'd still be under your daily sodium and that even if you were on restricted sodium if you're using them once a day you're probably going to within your limits. She also recommends using TV dinners for people who need to learn portion control. while the ratio of protein/starch/veg/fruit may not be correct the overall size of a complete meal is pretty spot on.

laurarpa

I try to keep a few Kashi frozen meals for if I get into a real pinch for lunch. Some of them are decent, they're more filling and lower in sodium than many other frozen meals.

But I find it much quicker to make extra stuff on my day off and reheat that for dinners/lunches. So today's lunch is turkey burgers, salad, avocado and leftover veggie stirfry - it'll take about 30-40 seconds in the microwave to heat.