Frozen meals...work of the devil or heaven sent?

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FunkBunny
FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So...I was pressed for time this morning and had an empty fridge, so rather than try and scrounge up an unhealthy lunch from home or from the cefeteria at work, I stopped at the store instead. I grabbed three frozen "meals" one for breakfast, lunch and dinner and for a snack later (I work 12 hour shifts so all meals on work days are done at work).
I bought Michelina's Lean Gourmet Breakfast Snacker and Michelina's Lean Gourmet sesame chicken for lunch, then dinner is a Lean Cuisine mushroom tortelloni. I also grabbed up a Michelina's Lean Gourmet Baked Pizza Snacker for later if I'm still hungry.
With all these foods entered into my food log, I am under all of my nutrition goals...including sodium.
I was thinking this makes portion control so much easier for me than just eyeballing food and they are on sale right now at the store. Should I stock up and make this my regular work day? Or should I forget I ever heard of frozen entrees and stick with home prepared? Or is moderation the key, and have these time and again, but nothing beats a good old fresh salad?

(I think I know the answer already, but curious for other's POV) Thanks!

Replies

  • LJK100
    LJK100 Posts: 39 Member
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    Here's what I think...ok...you know their NOT the best for you, but still way better than not eating or eating bad fattening stuff. I actually eat a lot of those things, and have done really well in the past. I am just now starting up again, so will see how it goes this time. I really don't watch all the "nutrient" part of the daily intake, I am just really concerned with "calories in - calories out"...probably not the healthiest way, but it has worked and is easy to do. Since I don't have to work anymore and my kids are gone now, I just really don't want to cook very much. Done that...glad I don't have to anymore. I think if you balance out with some salad and veggies along with your meal, you will be fine. Just my own experience...
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
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    Frozen meals are good in a pinch. But, I wouldn't make them a daily staple. Although they can be low in fat, calories and even sodium sometimes, they are still a "processed food". Eating natural, whole foods is always best! :drinker:
  • recipe4success
    recipe4success Posts: 469 Member
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    The trouble is that the portion sizes of those meals are quite low, so yes although y ou would be under your calorie etc goals, they are still very high in fat and sodium. Personally I wouldn't be full eating those meals..did you find you were full after? The other problem is that I do not see any (or very little) vegetables, no fruit, and very little to no dairy in those meals...

    I would definitely not eat them all the time and only save them for emergency/quick meals when necessary, fresh is always best and avoiding processed food as much as possible is the preferable option
  • Clew
    Clew Posts: 910 Member
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    Probably not great to eat them all the time, but I think they're okay once in a while, assuming it's within your own "eating morals" (obviously they are since you bought some).

    Healthy Choice has a line that is all preservative free - I like to go for those when I frozen meal it. :)
  • kendra1976
    kendra1976 Posts: 90 Member
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    Personally I think they are fine in moderation, but I am one that enjoys to cook and takes left overs the next day. I am also not one for all of the preservatives in them. They are good in a hurry vs grabbing a fast food restaurant. But reading your schedule, I can see how they would be easier. Can you make at least one meal at home?

    Also if you are packing your lunch and worried about portion control, the laptop lunch boxes are great for portion control.

    :-)
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
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    You can always buy some fresh salad greens, keep a good dressing in the fridge at work.... then when you have to stop at the store before work, pick up a rotisserie chicken (if your store has them. our grocery stores always roast fresh chickens throughout the day)... or a small bag of frozen, cooked shrimp that you can thaw before lunch....or you can even top your salad with some canned, low sodium beans (black or white beans are really good)
  • RedneckWmn
    RedneckWmn Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I'd have to agree that they are okay within reason. That's what I used when I first started this journey. Then I learned how to cook my own meals. I still bring them from time to time when I don't have time to prepare something and don't want to go grab McDonalds. I would go for the Healthy Choice meals over the Michelinas though. But that's just my personal preference.
  • FunkBunny
    FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
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    Thanks all! usually I'm not horrified about portion, beacuse typically I'll eat a salad made of an entire romaine heart and some cherry tomatoes and 3 oz chicken breats...vinegar for dressing. nto awhole lot there to go over with.
    As for the leftovers, yeah that's usually where I get my lunches for work, that and oatmeal at breakfast and a salad at lunch, i'm usually set! But today in a pinch...it's frozen dinner time!
    As for beign full...well...I tend to eat big portions of everything (see my description of a salad, lol) so I don't know if I'm not totally full after eating a frozen meal because it's too small or if it's because I'm used to eating too much! :huh: So, I slow down while I eat these, make them last and drink water between each bite. (I eat much slower when there's less to consume I've noticed!)

    Everyone seems to be where I figured they would be, here and there is fine, but not an everyday thing. I don't think I could eat from the freezer day in and day out...there are only so many variations of dishes, and I'm a girl who loves variety!
  • tammyhoff2004
    tammyhoff2004 Posts: 89
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    Jillian Michaels says that processed foods are like putting poison in your body. I never thought of it that way but it makes complete sense and since I had cancer already, my thoughts are I don't need any more poison to add to the chemo so....just sayin'.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
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    I am 100% in favor of frozen meals. I get a lot of my food from the frozen section of Trader Joe's, and that's my dinner every night. Before I buy something, I check the sodium and calories and I won't buy it if it's too high. I've found some great frozen dinners and dinner side dishes with pretty low sodium counts. I live alone and I don't want to spend a ton of time preparing dinner, so frozen food works great for me. I'm almost always under on sodium and it actually helps with staying under calories since I won't buy higher calories foods.

    MY shopping trip yesterday, I bought frozen roasted potatoes, frozen organic sweet corn, lasagna, frozen fruit for smoothies, and frozen fish. My freezer is always stocked. It's just what works for me best. I still get fresh fruit and salads in for snacks and lunch.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    Okay in moderation but keep in mind, they are processed.
  • recipe4success
    recipe4success Posts: 469 Member
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    MY shopping trip yesterday, I bought frozen roasted potatoes, frozen organic sweet corn, lasagna, frozen fruit for smoothies, and frozen fish. My freezer is always stocked. It's just what works for me best. I still get fresh fruit and salads in for snacks and lunch.

    Those are not frozen meals, they are frozen staples...which are fine to eat all the time. I always buy frozen fish and meats.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
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    I almost always do frozen for lunch. But 3 meals per day-I think you should look at getting some fruits and vegetables worked in there somewhere. It is really a convenience for me, and I stock the freezer at work with a week's worth of lunches so I can pretend like I am choosing-hmm, do I want Italian, pizza, thai? Some of them are tasty but some are disappointing. I have not tried the ones you mention, but of course frozen can be great for veggies and berries when they are out of season.
  • thenebean9
    thenebean9 Posts: 216
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    I too buy frozen meals and keep them in the freezer for days when i really dont feel like cooking or eating something more substantial. What i would recommend is taking a couple of hours on a weekend and cook up a few things in bulk for the week. Chili, soups, healthy lasagna or wraps are ways to go. make a few, freeze them up in portion sized containers, and have your own "frozen" meals ready to go! :)
  • Clew
    Clew Posts: 910 Member
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    Jillian Michaels says that processed foods are like putting poison in your body. I never thought of it that way but it makes complete sense and since I had cancer already, my thoughts are I don't need any more poison to add to the chemo so....just sayin'.

    I used to never think about chemicals in food but about a year ago I started to eliminate them from my food choices and I feel 1000% better. The days of me trusting the FDA to tell me chemicals I can't pronounce are perfectly fine for my body are over!
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
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    MY shopping trip yesterday, I bought frozen roasted potatoes, frozen organic sweet corn, lasagna, frozen fruit for smoothies, and frozen fish. My freezer is always stocked. It's just what works for me best. I still get fresh fruit and salads in for snacks and lunch.

    Those are not frozen meals, they are frozen staples...which are fine to eat all the time. I always buy frozen fish and meats.

    hahaha... I see the difference. I do eat the frozen prepackaged meals, but maybe 2 times a week. I'm pretty much eating frozen staples then. I do buy frozen prepared bags of pasta or something, but I feel a bit better that its different. I hate waiting to cook meat and stuff... haha
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
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    When I was working and pulling 70-80 hour weeks I ate a lot of frozen diet foods. I was always kind of sluggish and exhausted after eatting. I started cooking my own once I got my work schedule under control (50-60 hrs) and felt a ton better! The frozen dinners just don't have the nutritional value that home cooked fresh foods do. I don't use salt when I cook, I can spice stuff up as much as I like, I control what kind of fats go in and I control what kind of carbs go in. I usually cook 2-3 different dishes on my day off, portion them out and put them in the freezer. Then it is grab and go.

    Store bought frozen meals are ok, I just prefer not to use them unless I have to.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
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    I read this now and I think I really should stop it with the frozen meals, especially since I am heating them up in their plastic cartons and we know that can't be good. I would be better off just keeping some salad/soup/sandwich fixings in the fridge at work and breaking my lean cuisine habit. Very good discussion!
  • Jewelz87
    Jewelz87 Posts: 12 Member
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    yea i wouldn't eat them all the time! but i have a reeeally busy life and they do save me from skipping meals once in a blue moon (which lowers my matab. and then i get really hungry and "pig-out" later)! :)
  • FunkBunny
    FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
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    Jillian Michaels says that processed foods are like putting poison in your body. I never thought of it that way but it makes complete sense and since I had cancer already, my thoughts are I don't need any more poison to add to the chemo so....just sayin'.

    I used to never think about chemicals in food but about a year ago I started to eliminate them from my food choices and I feel 1000% better. The days of me trusting the FDA to tell me chemicals I can't pronounce are perfectly fine for my body are over!

    How Chemical free are you, Clew? Just curious!

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