If you could only buy packaged or "just heat" foods...

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  • Kcarroll01
    Kcarroll01 Posts: 18
    For lunches at work, I make chopped salads of fresh veggies like cukes, mushrooms, green onion, tomatoes, and sprouts. I package them up in tupperware containers. Then, I use Newmans Own Sesame Ginger low fat dressing...yummy! You could probably add some tuna (without the mayo) to the salad too :)
  • Kcarroll01
    Kcarroll01 Posts: 18
    EEK! Well that certainly puts things into perspective. I buy lean cuisine and weight watcher frozen meals. This makes me think twice. Not even joking....that could be a public announcement poster.
  • paulaviki
    paulaviki Posts: 678 Member
    Aren't microwave/package meals high in salt and sugar? Even the 'healthy' ones. If I don't have time to cook I find things like poached egg on toast are quick and easy.
  • Kcarroll01
    Kcarroll01 Posts: 18
    package food = toxic preservatives = cancer

    EEK! Well that certainly puts things into perspective. I buy lean cuisine and weight watcher frozen meals. This makes me think twice. Not even joking....that could be a public announcement poster.
  • cabbagesoupnala
    cabbagesoupnala Posts: 4
    Trader Joes "Just Chicken " its just a package of yummy healthy chicken you can add that to anything from a bag of salad mix to any sauce.

    I love it, but you are paying a lot more...
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    make your own just heat foods. It's simple enough.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    Can't you purchase one of those machines that suck out all the air out of the pouches and then you can just throw that in and heat and eat almost anything. While I'm not so sure about all the microwaving going on until a study comes and says it's bad for you I guess I'll keep doing it.
  • dvnjustina
    dvnjustina Posts: 114 Member
    I don't try to buy pre-packaged meals because we are seriously cutting back on processed foods. My freezer is full of portioned meats, frozen fruits and veggies and a few breakfast items. I have a few cans of soup, boxed potatoes and pasta/rice mixes. I cook for my husband and daughter, and I find it easier and more practical to just make a from scratch meal than to fix something out of a box.
  • wolfi622
    wolfi622 Posts: 206
    package food = toxic preservatives = cancer

    EEK! Well that certainly puts things into perspective. I buy lean cuisine and weight watcher frozen meals. This makes me think twice. Not even joking....that could be a public announcement poster.

    But it's mostly not true:

    http://www.cancerwa.asn.au/resources/cancermyths/food-additives-myth
  • kadins_momma07
    kadins_momma07 Posts: 328 Member
    I LOVE the Weight Watchers Healthy Choice pepperoni pizza and the smart ones three cheese marinara!! They are fast and so good. They do have a little more sodium than I'd want in just the one thing, but if oyu just balance it with the other meals in your day you'll be fine. They are so good and worth it, cheap too :)
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    Frozen veggies & fruits -- without added seasonings, syrups, or sugars are fine. anything else is a waste. So overloaded with sodium and sugar and crap. don't eat them.

    Same thing with packaged meals (i.e. hamburger helper, chef boyardee, etc).
  • Spice_4_Life
    Spice_4_Life Posts: 225
    For veggies, I like fresh. I just put them in a veggie ziplock bag with a couple paper towels, and make sure most of the air is out. The paper towels help to soak up moisture in the bag. They usually stay for quite a while. As for frozen stuff...There is only one that I eat that has decent protein, and lower sodium. It's Healthy Choice Modern Classics/Golden Crusted White Fish - 360 cals, 17 protein, 6 fiber, 10 fat, 51 carbs, only 390 for sodium. Good luck on your search :))
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    Why is your food spoiling though? Are you buying too much to begin with? Poor supply at the store (produce that spoils less than 3 days after you buy it)? Relying too much on take out because you are tired and don't feel like cooking?

    Generally speaking, I do not buy any frozen dinners anymore. I used to buy them frequently and use them as lunches -- the week I cut them out, I did nothing else radical to my diet and lost 3 pounds in a week. I'm close to my goal, so a loss like that is huge for me. The sodium is just off the charts -- and for the same calories, I can make a MUCH larger meal.

    I use packaged foods -- among my favorites are Morning Star Black Bean Burgers, Rotel Canned Tomatoes, and Swanson Canned Chicken. But I make full meals out of them using fresh ingredients. I also keep a supply of frozen veggies in the freezer.

    I know you say you don't like your own cooking -- but honestly, I'd google "recipes that freeze well" and try that before buying tons of prepackaged food.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    package food = toxic preservatives = cancer

    EEK! Well that certainly puts things into perspective. I buy lean cuisine and weight watcher frozen meals. This makes me think twice. Not even joking....that could be a public announcement poster.

    But it's mostly not true:

    http://www.cancerwa.asn.au/resources/cancermyths/food-additives-myth

    Oh Geez! Stop spreading stupidities and use your brain. Nobody is talking about salt and vinegar. Look at the ingredients on processed food and do a thorough search. Your link is totally irrelevant. I bet the FSANZ is as sold out as the FDA. Do you really believe the big companies are going to admit that their preservatives are responsible for cancer? Come on! It would mean a loss of billions and billions of dollars for them. They have too much power.
  • leah379
    leah379 Posts: 11
    I love egg salad and saw someone saying to substitue greek yogurt instead of mayo. Is there a conversion for that or do you just use as much greek yogurt as you would mayo? Does it taste the same??
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    I buy all my veggies in those steamfresh bags (the kind that doesn't have sauces or spices or anything, just the veggies). They're AWESOME! 5 minutes in the microwave and I've got nicely steamed veggies to go with whatever else I'm fixing for dinner (typically chicken or fish). Fruit is a hot commodity in our house (seriously, we go through an entire bunch of bananas in like 2 days), so I don't typically worry about it going bad, but frozen fruit is a good option too. That's really the only type of thing I'll buy in pre-packaged form. I batch cook enough chicken breasts for a few days at a time, and really the longest I spend cooking dinner is 30 minutes (you can bake a filet of salmon or some chicken breasts in like 20 mins or less).

    Most frozen entree options are loaded with sodium and preservatives, so I just stay away. I really don't spend much time on food prep and I eat pretty clean foods. It's not realistic for a lot of people to shop entirely fresh when it comes to produce, and frozen produce (as another poster said--that doesn't have any added sugar, preservatives, syrups, etc) is perfectly good to eat and a lot more practical for many people.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    I buy all my veggies in those steamfresh bags (the kind that doesn't have sauces or spices or anything, just the veggies). They're AWESOME! 5 minutes in the microwave and I've got nicely steamed veggies

    Don't cook your veggies in those plastic bags. I know it's convenient, but plastic leeches toxic chemicals in the food.

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