Pre Packaged Meals

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jennyiscool13
jennyiscool13 Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey Guys,

What are your thoughts on pre packaged meals? Such as Weight Watcher or lean Cuisine.

I just brought a bunch of these meals, because I find if I cook myself I add too many calories. These meals are roughly between 300 and 500 calories.

Discussion welcomed.

Thanks
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Replies

  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
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    I think for a short term solution it's not terrible, because it shows you just how small a normal portion actually is. It's not all that great nutrition-wise, but that is my personal opinion.

    In the long term, you'll probably need to bite the bullet and learn just what a normal portion looks like in home cooked food. You can enter your recipes and start from there. Good luck :-)
  • OsricTheKnight
    OsricTheKnight Posts: 340 Member
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    I'm a huge fan, because I have a lot of trouble with portion control.

    The main thing to watch with the prepackaged meals is their sodium content. Some of them are ridiculous! You'll want low calories of course, but not if it packs 800mg of sodium in one wallop.

    Frozen foods + salads makes it easy to hit your calorie goals. Depending on what you believe about protein, you might need extra protein as well. Note that protein is 4kcals/gram so it isn't free, you have to account for those calories too.

    Osric
  • MizSookeh
    MizSookeh Posts: 106 Member
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    They're great for lazy days or time-poor days, but I don't like to rely on them. This is coming from someone who HATES to cook, but enjoys tasty fresh food.

    As it's getting warmer here, I'm doing a lot of protein + salad dinners, but do have a couple of 'heartier' microwave meals in the fridge for when it's been a chilly day and a salad won't cut it. :smile:

    Also good for when the dishes have piled up from the real cooking and can't be bothered! :laugh:
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    The sodium is generally outrageous so be sure to drink plenty of water.

    I like them for lazy days, but I don't think it would be very healthy to eat them for every meal.
  • SeriousBen
    SeriousBen Posts: 41 Member
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    Buy a kitchen scale if you don't have one and enter your ingredients in MFP, see if the thing fits your macros then start cooking. I see no reason why you'd eat more when you cook your own food than with the frozen stuff. These are expensive and full of sodium/preservatives.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
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    I eat "Healthy Choice Gourmet Steamers" for lunch and supper. They are low in calories and taste pretty good.

    I think they are called something else in the US though.

    I am not worried about them .. as I don't cook, so if it cannot go into my microwave then it probably won't happen. I have also been steaming veggies too (mainly broccoli) .. so I think that is all good.
  • maca416
    maca416 Posts: 143 Member
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    Short term fine but you cant beat good low fat home cooking & if time is a factor then a stiryfry is quick & easy.

    Get cooking real food :)
  • nikkiclaire123
    nikkiclaire123 Posts: 119
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    i always keep the weight watchers frozen meals in stock at my house. last year i lost a ton of weight on these without even trying. theyre great for the odd meal when you really cba but i dont live off them anymore, they dont always fill my and they do lack in veg
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    I agree with everyone else. I usually take them for lunch, along with a side salad and some type of fruit to round out the meal. But keep an eye on the sodium, as they can be pretty high. I generally try to stick with the meals that are less that 600mg. I only use them if I don't have any left overs from dinner or if I just don't feel like putting that much effort into lunch for that day (I am up at 4 AM for work so sometimes I just dont' care lol).
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
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    I use them a lot for work. I work 12 hour shifts and often bring one for lunch, dinner or both. When I first started yet another attempt at losing weight, I thought a lot about why I had failed in the past. One of the reasons was because I hate to cook and I would get frustrated and give up when I tried to cook elaborate low cal or carb meals. I like the Lean Cuisines the best personally, although Weight Watchers arent too bad.
  • RyanJK85
    RyanJK85 Posts: 580 Member
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    Sodium is high, but I like both of those kind for quick meals to take to work.
  • Michelle_dirtracer
    Michelle_dirtracer Posts: 245
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    I eat Smart Ones. They are the best on sodium and very low calories. I find that they have more flavor and choices than the rest.
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
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    Lunch is my main meal, so I rely on some frozen dinners. I'm in this for the long haul, and know I won't always have time to pre-prep enough for 5 days. The sodium is a nuisance for what it does to the scale, but it's not a health issue for me. I'd rather to have a hot packaged meal than have to go through a fast-food drive-through.
  • luke_miller3
    luke_miller3 Posts: 1
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    I don't really like the prepackaged meals because yes it might help you loose weight but what happens afterward when you get tired of them you most likely will go back to eating bad i think it is just better to train yourself now here are some breakfast foods that are way more delicious, healthy and easy to make. http://bit.ly/1bv11W0
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
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    They're okay. As long as you watch the sugars and sodium because this can hinder a loss on the scale.

    I have gotten away from them and Sunday night I measure and prepare my food for the week and put the portions in tupperware. This way I can grab them in the morning and I know exactly whats in them. Also I found this to be cheaper.
  • Joannesmith2818
    Joannesmith2818 Posts: 438 Member
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    I really like the tescos light choices. The sodium isnt too bad and its a great way to have a quick meal on those day whenim jsut soso busy. These were the days i would have usually ended up with takeaway....so its got to be better than that!
  • joeylu
    joeylu Posts: 208 Member
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    I like them for lazy days or a quick grab lunch but I try to stay away
  • gabbygirl78
    gabbygirl78 Posts: 936 Member
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    I eat Smart One's everyday almost for lunch and sometimes i will eat one for Dinner also if I don't feel like cooking.. The Smart ones are not outrageous on Sodium i have found which is important to me because I retain A LOT of water!
  • Pelly57
    Pelly57 Posts: 169 Member
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    I love to cook, and like knowing exactly what I am putting in my food. That being said, I work full time and want to spend my free time doing more than obsessing over food and life is all about balance isn't it? I use a combination.
  • twikoff
    twikoff Posts: 65 Member
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    they have been a good option for me for lunches..
    it beats going out to lunch everyday.. and if i relied on myself to make my lunch and bring it to work, i would end up going out everyday....
    after trying a few.. i found like the marie callender meals the best... kroger typically has a large selection, many of them are between 250-350 cals, and in my opinion they taste much better than any of the other brands Ive tried..

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