Commercial Pre-Portioned Meals

Is any one currently eating any pre-portioned meals and how is it working for you?

I am struggling with accuracy in how to figure out calorie intake and thought that I should give these a try.

Just had a Healthy Choice and it was not bad but the calories are only 330. I need to get to 1500 calories
when I work out and am struggling eating them yet I am scared to go over if I cook and am not accurate.

Let me quickly mention that I am a Latina and cook very traditionally. Counting calories is new to me and
can't seem to nail it myself.

For instance I only cook using "Sofrito" always as a base for my food... i just feel like am not getting it accurate.
So I am resorting to pre-counted/pre-portioned meals.

Any helpful thoughts?!

Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Is any one currently eating any pre-portioned meals and how is it working for you?

    I am struggling with accuracy in how to figure out calorie intake and thought that I should give these a try.

    Just had a Healthy Choice and it was not bad but the calories are only 330. I need to get to 1500 calories
    when I work out and am struggling eating them yet I am scared to go over if I cook and am not accurate.

    Let me quickly mention that I am a Latina and cook very traditionally. Counting calories is new to me and
    can't seem to nail it myself.

    For instance I only cook using "Sofrito" always as a base for my food... i just feel like am not getting it accurate.
    So I am resorting to pre-counted/pre-portioned meals.

    Any helpful thoughts?!

    Get a kitchen scale and weigh out how much of the veggies and everything you use if you want to try and be accurate
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Is any one currently eating any pre-portioned meals and how is it working for you?

    I am struggling with accuracy in how to figure out calorie intake and thought that I should give these a try.

    Just had a Healthy Choice and it was not bad but the calories are only 330. I need to get to 1500 calories
    when I work out and am struggling eating them yet I am scared to go over if I cook and am not accurate.

    Let me quickly mention that I am a Latina and cook very traditionally. Counting calories is new to me and
    can't seem to nail it myself.

    For instance I only cook using "Sofrito" always as a base for my food... i just feel like am not getting it accurate.
    So I am resorting to pre-counted/pre-portioned meals.

    Any helpful thoughts?!

    Are you making your own sofrito? Just enter the ingredients in the recipe builder.

    It sounds like you are going to enjoy your foods a lot more if you can eat traditionally, so it is important that you learn to figure out the nutritional value.

    If you are afraid foods, you will never learn to do this right and will just have to do it over and over. It is better to learn now.
  • Lieann22
    Lieann22 Posts: 67 Member
    But yourself some scales and a set of measuring cups - its a pain in the butt at first weighing and counting everything but after a few days it feels like second nature.

    You are never going to be far out - if anything people tend to over estimate on the cals.

    Can't substitute good healthy food for packaged chemically altered food.

    Also add recipes to your food page that you use often it will make the whole process easier.

    Happy counting :)
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    Packaged meals are fine for convenience occasionally but the thing with them is they are extra high in sodium. They also don't teach you how to eat so as soon as you go off them you will most likely regain the weight.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    In cooking, the food scale is your friend. You just measure all the ingredient that you are putting in the pan, add them up, then when you take some out of the batch, you weigh that and divide.

    My problem when I was doing the pre-packaged meals is that they were too expensive and lacked adequate protein. You could and probably should supplement the pre-packaged meals with things that it doesn't matter so much if you are inaccurate in calorie counting, like vegetables.
  • chasetwins
    chasetwins Posts: 702 Member
    I try to avoid them as I find I can make something A LOT healthier and with less crap! And usually the same calories but more substance.
    Start small - get a scale (digital) and a measuring cup and spoon set. You will do fine!! You will be better off avoiding those as much as possible. they are convenient - yes..healthy..not always :(

    For instance - weight watchers deserts had trans fat in them..the WORSE fat and a diet food had it!! Mix them in here and there if you really need to but try and incorporate home cooking inbetween and eventually do away with them :)
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
    It may take some time, but the suggestion to weigh/measure is a good one. As for preparing home cooked meals, if it's something you make regularly, use the 'recipe' section here! It's actually really helpful for working out how many calories one serving of a meal will come out as. (I personally used it for an overnight oats recipe recently, and it saves me inputting the individual ingredients time after time.)
  • UrbanLotus
    UrbanLotus Posts: 1,163 Member
    I'm not sure what Sofrito is, but if you are cooking yourself you can measure calories very accurately - just enter them into the recipe builder. I eat frozen meals when I haven't had time to make lunch, but I try not to. If it isn't a time issue, cook yourself. Use a food scale, measuring cups, etc.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Buy a kitchen scale, measuring cups and spoons and measure everything out.
  • being in the grocery industry for 25 years you have to watch out for those froze dinners. they tend to have MEGA amounts of sodium. We need sodium but not the amounts that come from the brand you are speaking of. Of course if it's a once a month kind of thing it may be o.k. but make sure your blood pressure at a good level.
  • Is any one currently eating any pre-portioned meals and how is it working for you?

    I am struggling with accuracy in how to figure out calorie intake and thought that I should give these a try.

    Just had a Healthy Choice and it was not bad but the calories are only 330. I need to get to 1500 calories
    when I work out and am struggling eating them yet I am scared to go over if I cook and am not accurate.

    Let me quickly mention that I am a Latina and cook very traditionally. Counting calories is new to me and
    can't seem to nail it myself.

    For instance I only cook using "Sofrito" always as a base for my food... i just feel like am not getting it accurate.
    So I am resorting to pre-counted/pre-portioned meals.

    Any helpful thoughts?!

    Are you making your own sofrito? Just enter the ingredients in the recipe builder.

    It sounds like you are going to enjoy your foods a lot more if you can eat traditionally, so it is important that you learn to figure out the nutritional value.

    If you are afraid foods, you will never learn to do this right and will just have to do it over and over. It is better to learn now.

    Agreed! Plus those prepackaged "diet" foods are very processed and contain lots of sodium. In my opinion, they are good for a rushed meal or a lazy night but aside from that they are not a good food regimine as they themselves are not good for you.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Yeah those meals have too much sodium, that's why I don't really buy them anymore.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Thanks for mentioning sofrito, I used it in our dinner tonight!

    Sofrito is just a mixture of bell peppers, onions, garlic and tomato that is used as a base. It gets its own name, because it is made in big batches and used up as needed.

    If your local store carries it, it is in the freezer section under the brand name Goya. Maggi has just started producing a shelf stable version that is found with the soups and bullions, but I live in Texas and have only seen it one store.

    It is a fast and easy way to make sloppy joes or taco meat with veggies, rather than all the added stuff in seasoning packets. I add it to ground turkey or lentils, then add other seasonings according to what I am aiming for. Sloppy joes just get a splash of Worcestershire sauce, tacos get chili and cumin, Indian gets curry powder and some more tomato...
  • leonaedithlewis
    leonaedithlewis Posts: 75 Member
    If you like the food you cook, it is important to measure it by weight or volume and use the recipie builder to calculate the calories so you can learn to eat within your calorie goal while eating the foods you love. Unless you plan to eat pre portioned meals forever, what will you do once you reach your goal weight?
  • Coyoteldy
    Coyoteldy Posts: 219 Member
    because of my job I take things like healthy choice or lean cuisine for lunches...everything else I make.. I also bring a salad, fruit whole grain snacks and so forth because I try to eat every three hours ( no small feat working at a college)....
  • normakenn
    normakenn Posts: 14
    Is any one currently eating any pre-portioned meals and how is it working for you?

    I am struggling with accuracy in how to figure out calorie intake and thought that I should give these a try.

    Just had a Healthy Choice and it was not bad but the calories are only 330. I need to get to 1500 calories
    when I work out and am struggling eating them yet I am scared to go over if I cook and am not accurate.

    Let me quickly mention that I am a Latina and cook very traditionally. Counting calories is new to me and
    can't seem to nail it myself.

    For instance I only cook using "Sofrito" always as a base for my food... i just feel like am not getting it accurate.
    So I am resorting to pre-counted/pre-portioned meals.

    Any helpful thoughts?!

    Are you making your own sofrito? Just enter the ingredients in the recipe builder.

    It sounds like you are going to enjoy your foods a lot more if you can eat traditionally, so it is important that you learn to figure out the nutritional value.

    If you are afraid foods, you will never learn to do this right and will just have to do it over and over. It is better to learn now.

    Your right... I need to quite being so scared! I am new to this and am so afraid of messing up and hurting any progress!
    Yes I do make my own... I added a few thing to it like cilantro and a bit more garlic than the norm :' )

    Is their a site that will help we figure my protein calories?
  • normakenn
    normakenn Posts: 14
    If you like the food you cook, it is important to measure it by weight or volume and use the recipie builder to calculate the calories so you can learn to eat within your calorie goal while eating the foods you love. Unless you plan to eat pre portioned meals forever, what will you do once you reach your goal weight?

    Oh my goodness, I didn't even realize that there was a "Recipe Builder" here. I just checked it out and will give it a try in the next few days....Thanks!!!!