Frozen Meals

skwhatley

Okay so I'm a single 26 year old trying to get a hold of my weight and eat as healthy as I can, I'm doing much better than I thought some days. Well some nights I get home too late to cook so I usually want something quick and easy for supper and lunch the next day so I tend to buy Lean Cuisines and lately Kashi frozen and steam meals. What I'm wondering is what are ya'lls take on frozen meals? I know they are full of sodium and unhealthy preservatives but are there some that are better than others, perhaps? Does anyone else eat these? Thanks!

Sidesteal

Okay so I'm a single 26 year old trying to get a hold of my weight and eat as healthy as I can, I'm doing much better than I thought some days. Well some nights I get home too late to cook so I usually want something quick and easy for supper and lunch the next day so I tend to buy Lean Cuisines and lately Kashi frozen and steam meals. What I'm wondering is what are ya'lls take on frozen meals? I know they are full of sodium and unhealthy preservatives but are there some that are better than others, perhaps? Does anyone else eat these? Thanks!

Strictly in the context of weight loss and body composition, there's nothing wrong with eating frozen dinners. You may find, for various reasons (micronutrient sufficiency, satiety, etc) that whole foods would make a better "majority" of your diet, but I wouldn't worry too much about the occasional pre-packaged dinner outside of sodium content.

Now that being said, you may find it more palatable and diet-friendly to dedicate one or two nights per week to cooking, and just prepare things in larger quantities so when you run into your evenings with time-constraints, you can just heat up some leftovers

Bonny619

I do! And I don't care who knows it!

Maybe 3 or 4 meals per week are a Lean Cuisine or Amy's or something like that. My sodium is always well below what's recommended for me. It's quick and easy portion control and that's what I need. But I also eat a lot of fresh food as well, besides my sugar free pudding cups and fiber one, this is pretty much the extent of my processed foods.

laurie571

i eat them, i think they are a great way to solve a craving sometimes.

Lina4Lina

My biggest weight loss issue is portion control so I've started to use frozen meals to help get myself back into alignment with proper portions. I'm using Amy's, Tandoori Chef, Trader Joe's and a few others. I don't eat them exclusively but just using them to supplement my other foods.

kaybeau

stir fry ( 3 minutes and your done with no chicken al la ding in sight)

chivalryder

I've gone to and from frozen meals over the past few months. I found that every time I turned to them, I ended up putting on 4-8 lbs of weight in a short period of time. It was mostly water weight, so it was probably due to the sodium found in them.

Want something else that's quick and easy? Try making a small sandwich.

Elen_Sia

I don't eat frozen meals because of financial reasons: they're so expensive compared to making meals ahead of time and freezing them.

FelicityEliza36

Personally, I just dont like the TASTE of frozen meals. I feel like when I eat ones that have green beans or certain veggies, they taste watered down or full of water? And I try to stay away from anything microwaved anyways because of all the sodium and maybe processed foods.

When I know that I am going to have a busier week - on Sunday nights I will cook up 1-2 packages of chicken and maybe some beef and all the fresh veggies I can and I pack up 4-5 meals/dinners. That way I know the food is fresh / organic / not processed / less sodium etc.

So far its worked out very well for me..... just an idea; to plan your meals ahead of time good luck!!

rf1170

You could try making your own frozen meals, that way you know exactly what's in them. One of my favorites is a good burrito, and you can make it pretty cheaply if you want. I usually include some rice and beans, chicken (I pick the meat off the chicken I use for soup stock, and use that if it's not too tough), some diced veggies (tomato, onion, cilantro, pepper, whatever I've got on hand), and maybe some cheese. I wrap it up in a tortilla, then wrap that in aluminum foil and put all the burritos in a plastic bag in the freezer. When you want to eat one, you can just pop it in the microwave, or you can defrost and then fry it in a little oil. You can make a big batch of them in an hour or two one day when you have time, and then you'll have quick homemade meals whenever you need them!

Ichristini

I have them nearly everyday at work. I like the new Healthy choice Steam meals as well! Good luck!

divinenanny

I usually cook way too much (for example because I want to use an entire can of coconut milk and not throw any out). When I put the food on my plate, I also fill some plastic containers (number dependent on portion size, which I determine by pre-entering in MFP). This way I don't eat to much, and the containers go in the freezer, for an easy meal when I need it. I know exactly what went into them, and a couple of minutes stir frying the meal (I usually put them in de refrigerator the night before so they are defrosted) you have a nice, hot, good, home-coocked meal.

Another tip is one I stole from Runs with Cookies:
Heat some oil in a skillet, and add about 6 cloves of garlic, sliced paper thin.
Cook on medium-low for a few minutes until garlic is transparent or light golden, being careful not to burn it.
Add a vegetable (green beans, brocoli, aspargus for example).
Add a protein (I usually do chicken).
Add a (cooked) grain (pasta, quinoa for example).
Add a cheese (feta, mozzarella, parmezan).
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir it all up and serve.

Easy, doesn't require much thought, and pretty quick.

4schrocks

I've had frozen Lean Cuisines every day for lunch at work and have managed to lose 7.4lbs....With that being said, I'm also starting to feel slightly guilty from eating such processed meals and do plan on eating more whole and real food for lunch once my supply runs out.

clairegreen1974

I make my won frozen ready meals... as in, When im making something such as a casserole, spaghetti Bologna or anything, if there is excess, instead of it going to waste, or being shared out, i put it in a container and freeze it, so that next time, when i cant be bothered cooking, its there ready for reheating - at the moment i have virtually a full Sunday lunch, some chicken kebabs, and a beef curry - I know exactly what's in it, because i made it!

As for ones you buy from the supermarket, they baffle me, as they tend to taste of not very much and usually taste quite sweet or salty! sometimes i used to look on the plate and think... i KNOW that's a piece of chicken there.... but it doesn't TASTE anything like chicken??! what on earth have they done to it?!

muffintopminx

I used to eat frozen meals ALL THE TIME and loved them but stopped because of the high sodium. I tried Amy's low sodium and they were not that great - salt makes a big difference with these imo.

Now I eat cashew butter sandwiches, salads, and wraps and I feel more satisfied. I get more food with less calories and sodium compared to frozen meals. I still love the occasional Lean Cuisine pizza tho - those are so good!

I've also noticed my body just looks better without that layer of sodium bloat - a bit more muscle definition and tummy is flatter and my wedding ring fits better. :P

I wouldn't worry too much about eating frozen meals tho especially if you really like them. I have to remind myself to not over think diet and exercise. Just eat less, move more and enjoy the process - otherwise you'll fail forcing yourself to do things you don't like.

kluvit

I eat them and even ate them more often during my weight loss phase because there's virtually no way to buy lunch out and get fewer than 400 calories unless I wanted to pay $8 for a salad. I found that I liked the taste of Marie Callendar's and Boston Market meals better than the Healthy Choice and Smart Ones, so I just looked for choices under 500 calories. One of my favorites is the pot roast w/ mashed potatoes and green beans...good satisfying comfort food for < 400 calories. I also love the El Charito enchilada dinners (not the "grande" size). They may not be the "healthiest" choices, but I enjoyed them and didn't find myself craving snacks after lunch as I did with "diet" meals.

jaded_rose

I don't see a problem with them but they don't work into my food budget. I kinda compromise since I make some meals ahead of time and freeze them so I can pull them out when I don't have time to cook myself. There is also the fact it's just me & my hubby & we don't like leftovers so I cook part and freeze part to be used another night. Sometimes he's not home since he works night & I don't feel like cooking for 1.

I also don't have a microwave since it caught fire last month. I also like to keep lunch meat to make a really quick wrap if I don't feel up to cooking either.

cblevitron

You can prepare and freeze your own meals for the week on Sundays or whatever day works best for you. A lean cuisine meal can easily account for over 1/3 of your recommended daily sodium intake.

kristen6022

I don't eat them because there isn't enough food to fill me up and I don't really like the taste. Then there's the sodium and preservatives thing. I used to eat a ton of them and would freak out when my supply in my freezer was getting low, but then I realized how much I loved "real" food and decided to make time to cook.

I don't think they impeded your weight loss and if that's the easiest way for you to get a meal in and they satisfy you, then proceed.

misticache

I make frozen meals all the time but they don't come out of a box. I spend every other saturday cooking and prepping meals like soups, chilis, casseroles, breakfast burritos, homemade calzones. I freeze everything and pull stuff out as I need it. I can zap burritos in 3 minutes. Put a calzone in toaster oven for 5 minutes. Quick, easy, and low in fat, sodium, sugar. It's simply a matter of portion control for me so I weigh all my ingredients when I make my meals and enter the recipe on here so I have an exact count of what I'm getting.