Poll: Frozen Dinners and other processed items

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Replies

  • guardian_of_freedom
    guardian_of_freedom Posts: 14
    I rely on Lean Pockets when I'm running low on time, which means maybe one per week or less. Otherwise, I have no interest in frozen foods - pizza and stuff like that doesn't fit in my plan (or I have to adjust other meals too much to work around it), and I have yet to have a frozen meal (i.e. banquet) that had flavor or resembled actual food.
  • ripemango
    ripemango Posts: 534 Member
    i just prefer to make my own frozen dinners and granola. it's so much cheaper and i know exactly what is in it.

    i can't have store bought or homemade granola bars in the house....they are so caloric and i don't just stop at one. I did the cals on my homemade granola bars ppl just love for me to bring...the calories are like a brownie.
  • RainHoward
    RainHoward Posts: 1,599 Member
    I think it depends largely on the quality of the product. Take a close look at the label, the ingredients and the nutritional information. Some of the frozen meals have some pretty gross things in them. And most are pretty darn high in sodium. I don't mind the sodium so much but I watch for MSG as it has a very negative effect on me.

    I generally look first at the serving size and calories per serving. If those numbers are out of acceptable parameters I won't eat it. However, there are some pretty decent frozen dinners out these days and they're quick, easy and convenient.
  • Amberh82
    Amberh82 Posts: 468 Member
    I don't really mean throw them out...but I mean going forward. I'm not a big food waster either.
  • megleo818
    megleo818 Posts: 595 Member
    Well, I can hardly say I make "everything" from scratch -- I buy canned tuna, beans and tomatoes, dried pasta, almond milk, ready-made bread and stuff like crackers and tortilla chips -- and I do like granola bars better than cookies (but they really ARE cookies ... I don't kid myself that they're good for me!) I also sometimes buy jarred pasta sauce, which I mix with meat and veggies to make more-better. Oh, and I don't make my own cheese, nor do I vint my own wine.

    That being said, the only things I purchase that can be heated in the oven or grilled and served as-is are meatballs and sausages. I buy good-quality, organic versions of those, not only because they're better for me and my family, but also because they just taste better. I never, EVER buy canned soups (not even broth -- it's so easy to make and so delicious from scratch), frozen entrees, dehydrated noodle things (like Cup O Noodles, Top Ramen or Hamburger Helper), or pre-marinated meat or poultry -- that stuff scares me with all of the unpronounceable chemicals and boat-loads of salt that go into them.

    When my kids started eating solid foods and I became more diligent about reading labels (about a dozen years ago), I did a purge and donated a bunch of canned goods (soups and chili, mostly) to a local food drive. Anything that was expired got tossed. I haven't looked back.

    I am, by now means, a "clean" eater. I just don't do ready-made stuff. It doesn't make sense for my family -- I'm a good cook and it's just as easy for me to put something tasty on the table that's got ingredients I understand and over which I have control. :smile:
  • lessofkimberly
    lessofkimberly Posts: 98 Member
    Toss them or at least finish them and dont replace them. All the articles I have read state that processed foods/frozen foods especially are in the top 5 dont eat again. And if you read the label I understand why. It's your choice, but eating fresh/clean is best and gets better results!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Toss them or at least finish them and dont replace them. All the articles I have read state that processed foods/frozen foods especially are in the top 5 dont eat again. And if you read the label I understand why. It's your choice, but eating fresh/clean is best and gets better results!

    Any article that tells you not to eat certain foods at all is absolute bunk.
  • groversa
    groversa Posts: 450 Member
    Moderation is key. I used to eat smart ones every day for lunch. When i started to eat ACTUALLY healthy, I cut them out. Now I will have them sometimes (once every few weeks) if I really am craving something like that and don't have time to make an actual meal. i also do eat protein bars a lot, I am vegetarian and it is hard for me to get enough protein otherwise.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    love them. easy. convenient. preportioned. i have 5 kids, 4 who play sports, 1 with a heart condition, im a full time college student, and my husband is a drama queen. i also have a huge house to clean and take care of, 2 dogs, and 3 cats. i weighed 246 in september, as of today, i am 186. im very happy eating these horrible evil processed diet meals!!! love smart ones seasame seed chicken over a bed a fresh spinach, and the lean cuisine beef ranchero with sweet potatoes!
  • My0WNinspiration
    My0WNinspiration Posts: 1,146 Member
    Eat them.
  • sgrubby
    sgrubby Posts: 103 Member
    For the record: Fresh, whole foods are always a better choice. Frozen dinners are full of sodium, sugars, simple carbs and chemical colorings and preservatives.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    For the record: Fresh, whole foods are always a better choice. Frozen dinners are full of sodium, sugars, simple carbs and chemical colorings and preservatives.

    the average fruit and veggie from the grocery store is also full of chemicals and poisons. from them adding chemicals to ripen faster for sale, to them spraying chemicals to detour bugs... unless your eating food off an amish farm, or atleast from your own garden, your eating a bunch of chemicals and poisons no matter how "clean" you eat. the majority of people buy thier food from a grocer, where the meet is full of hormones, and the fruits and veggies full of chemicals!

    whats the orac value of a peach now, compared to 50 years ago? its a huge difference! 50 years ago, things were grown naturally, now they arent.
  • peace_frog21
    peace_frog21 Posts: 108 Member
    I say, be aware of what you're buying. There's a huge difference in quality out there between something like Hungry Man and something like Kashi or Amy's Organics. Read up on what chemicals and things to look out for and if it has a simple, pronounceable ingredient list, then go for it.

    There's also a huge difference in "granola" bars as well. From a completely processed bar to something like a Kind bar that is all natural.

    It's all about reading the labels and knowing what's in what you're eating.

    For example: I eat Greek yogurt every day. I usually always get Chobani. Nothing really suspect on that label. They were out of blueberry one day and the store brand Greek yogurt was on sale so I picked some up. As I was eating it, I read the label. Not only was it not as good as Chobani and didnt have as much protein in it but it also contained blue dye and artificial sweetener!!! Two things that are not healthy and that I try to avoid. Goes to show why comparing labels really makes a difference.

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