Your favorite frozen dinners/meals?

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13

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  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
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    Michael Angelo's eggplant parm is a huge portion for the calories. The lasagna is good too, but more calories and a bit smaller bit of food.
  • UrbanLotus
    UrbanLotus Posts: 1,163 Member
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    I LOVE Lean Cuisine Pizzas

    Not only does not everyone have the space to freeze leftovers, not everybody wants to. I'm sorry, but I take as little time as possible preparing meals most days. I also have a small kitchen. The chances of me preparing a weeks worth of food on Sunday night instead of spending quality time with my family are extremely slim.

    The only excuse OP gave for not cooking his own is he eats too many portions so I gave him the answer to that.

    I cook two Sunday nights a month for tops 2 hours. Gives me my entire month's worth of meals.

    Wow what kind of stuff do you make?? It usually takes me 2 hours to make like 2 dishes lol
  • rocknlotsofrolls
    rocknlotsofrolls Posts: 418 Member
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    it pretty much all tastes like cardboard to me.
    However, the Stouffers french bread pizza is pretty good.
    Just stay away from the frozen mexican dishes. They are almost unedible.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    Also, I have found Lean Cuisine Salad Toppers in a couple of stores. I really like the Southwest Chicken one - it is a bag that has chicken, poblano peppers, corn and black beans (I think), which you microwave, then a packet of chipotle ranch dressing which you thaw in a cup of water, and some tortilla strips to put on top. All you need is the lettuce/salad base - which you could buy bagged salad and a couple of those salad toppers and have meals for a few days.
  • marvybells
    marvybells Posts: 1,984 Member
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    Michael Angelo's eggplant parm is a huge portion for the calories. The lasagna is good too, but more calories and a bit smaller bit of food.

    ^i'll have to try that one, i love eggplant parm

    oh that reminds me, there is a brand called "cedarlane" that i really like. I have tried the vegetable lasagna, eggplant parmesan & Roasted Chile Relleno. all very good, eggplant parm is my favorite though. The supermarkets near me usually stock this in the vegetarian/gluten free area, not with the lean cuisines & smart ones.
  • EDollah
    EDollah Posts: 464 Member
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    Trader Joe's, as mentioned previously, has some mighty fine options. My personal favorite is the lamb vindaloo.

    I also give my approval to Marie Callendar's, Ethnic Gourmet and Saffron Road. Evol is decent too. The others I've had, at least among the big names, blech.
  • edwardrz
    edwardrz Posts: 7
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    Pre-packaged meals and frozen entrees are a good way to conveniently control portions and calories as the first step in losing weight and changing lifestyle. The are also good for those times when you are super busy and on the go.

    You might like the book, "Simple Diet" by James Anderson which discusses using frozen foods to begin the weight loss process. The book gives a list of favorite frozen entrees. Go to http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Diet-Doctors-Science-Based-Plan-ebook/dp/B004XFZ7SI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393622472&sr=8-1&keywords=simple+diet

    Here are some guidelines to help pick out meals:

    ENTREES:
    Calories: 140- 300 KCAL
    Protein: 10-25g
    Fat: < 9g

    SHAKES, SOUPS, BARS:
    Calories: 100-200 KCAL
    Protein: 10-26g
    Fat: < 6g

    CONDIMENTS < 15 CAL

    To bulk up frozen meals: Add extra vegetables, beans, salad, etc.
  • DustyMarie506
    DustyMarie506 Posts: 65
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    I am currently in a living situation where I do not have much access to the kitchen (hopefully, not too much longer). Therefore, I have also been searching for "healthy" frozen meals. Amy's Kitchen is my current go-to. I have only sampled two of those meals thus far but have been pleasantly surprised at the taste. I tend to lean both organic and vegetarian, so for me, these are the best alternative.

    Of course, homemade is always better, but in my current situation, it is virtually impossible. Whatever you choose, just be sure to pay attention to the ingredients list. You want to make sure you are getting as many "recognizable" ingredients as possible. Also, as with all frozen meals, watch the sodium. Numbers tend to be pretty high in that category. Good luck with your search!
  • silken555
    silken555 Posts: 478 Member
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    I LOVE Lean Cuisine Pizzas

    Not only does not everyone have the space to freeze leftovers, not everybody wants to. I'm sorry, but I take as little time as possible preparing meals most days. I also have a small kitchen. The chances of me preparing a weeks worth of food on Sunday night instead of spending quality time with my family are extremely slim.

    The only excuse OP gave for not cooking his own is he eats too many portions so I gave him the answer to that.

    I cook two Sunday nights a month for tops 2 hours. Gives me my entire month's worth of dinners. As for space all I have is my fridge freezer. I use bags wherever possible to save room. It's stuffed to the gills anyway.

    Frozen meals are obviously not the devil. They are quick and easy and some are quite delicious (Smart Ones Three Cheese Ziti=yumoliscious). That said they have a LOT more sodium in them thus why I believe they shouldn't be eaten on a daily basis.

    You have a valid point. Immediately after I posted, too, I knew I just posted it because I'm just a little crabby today. I don't believe frozen meals are the best option, but they also aren't the worst.

    I do wish I would cook for the week on Sunday nights so maybe I'm bitter too lol. In any case, I know my comment was not helpful and it will go down as one of my most useless, semi-*****y posts.

    Eh...we all have them moments...if I knew how to make the flower smiley, I'd give you one...lol!
  • srr728
    srr728 Posts: 549 Member
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    The steak fajitas and chicken fajitas from Smart ones are good, you get the meat mixture, tortillas and a bit of rice. It seemed a little more than just a stew

    Sometimes I'm just plain lazy and I don't like to cook so these are always in my freezer so I don't order a pizza or go to a fast food place.

    Everything in moderation.
  • Losingthedamnweight
    Losingthedamnweight Posts: 535 Member
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    Welp, the haters showed up pretty quick! We get it. "Frozen food? Blech. I would never let that processed crap touch my precious mouth". Well. You don't have to. Do you?

    Anyway, I'm really diggin the stouffers meals lately. The baked ziti is hands down one of the best frozen foods I've ever had. Almost tastes like real food ;-) the Marie calendars chicken parmigiana and cheesy chicken and rice are also the bomb. I live off these at work and they have such a good variety, I never really get sick of them
  • brynnsmom
    brynnsmom Posts: 945 Member
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    I don't eat many frozen meals anymore, but when I did I was a huge fan of the Lean Cuisine wood fired pizzas and paninis. I thought they were a pretty good substitute for when I was craving the real thing.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    Welp, the haters showed up pretty quick!

    As another poster mentioned, the OP was looking for frozen meals as an option in controlling portion sizes. I don't think everyone was hating on your frozen meals, they were just giving the OP ideas on how to store leftover food ahead of time.
  • taekwondo_bitch
    taekwondo_bitch Posts: 158 Member
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    Sue me, tell me to call it Mac and Cheese, tell me it's not frozen... But I LOVE KRAFT DINNER. There, I said it.
  • silken555
    silken555 Posts: 478 Member
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    I LOVE Lean Cuisine Pizzas

    Not only does not everyone have the space to freeze leftovers, not everybody wants to. I'm sorry, but I take as little time as possible preparing meals most days. I also have a small kitchen. The chances of me preparing a weeks worth of food on Sunday night instead of spending quality time with my family are extremely slim.

    The only excuse OP gave for not cooking his own is he eats too many portions so I gave him the answer to that.

    I cook two Sunday nights a month for tops 2 hours. Gives me my entire month's worth of meals.

    Wow what kind of stuff do you make?? It usually takes me 2 hours to make like 2 dishes lol

    I make it a point to look for recipes that take a maximum of 30-60min tops to cook from start to finish. I also go looking for recipes with around 5 ingredients.
  • silken555
    silken555 Posts: 478 Member
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    Sue me, tell me to call it Mac and Cheese, tell me it's not frozen... But I LOVE KRAFT DINNER. There, I said it.

    I lovvvve it. I make a mean tuna noodle casserole with it...:) I make it when I'm feeling too lazy to make my homemade mac...:D
  • silken555
    silken555 Posts: 478 Member
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    Welp, the haters showed up pretty quick! We get it. "Frozen food? Blech. I would never let that processed crap touch my precious mouth". Well. You don't have to. Do you?

    Anyway, I'm really diggin the stouffers meals lately. The baked ziti is hands down one of the best frozen foods I've ever had. Almost tastes like real food ;-) the Marie calendars chicken parmigiana and cheesy chicken and rice are also the bomb. I live off these at work and they have such a good variety, I never really get sick of them

    Assumptions, assumptions...didn't read past the first response, hmm?
  • dietcoke281
    dietcoke281 Posts: 226 Member
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    I like Sainsburys vegetarian frozen meals, I find them tastier than the ones with meat in them!
  • meca85
    meca85 Posts: 81 Member
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    I actually really used to like the Lean Pockets. They have a wide selection of flavors. I wouldnt find a good variety at the supermarket though, so I would buy them at Target. I would look for the least calories, greater protein count, less fat, and the flavors.
    I liked them because not only were they tasty, they ranged in 180-300 calories and I would pair them carrot sticks, yogurt, fruit, and/or nuts. That would be my usual lunch meal at work.

    I am now no longer working. So trying to stick to preparing my own meals. I feel i get to eat more when I prepare it myself but I'm still consuming less calories.
    So if the kitchen or time is not your friend right now, you could try the Lean Pockets.
    Some of the flavors I remember included Supreme PizA, Meatballs, Chicken Carbonara, Philly Cheesesteak
  • aekaya
    aekaya Posts: 163 Member
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    I love trader joe's frozen foods, but I try not to eat them every night since they're high in sodium. but they're pretty tasty! I get their veggie or chicken gyoza, and they have a special gyoza dipping sauce. Their garden vegetable lasagna is amazing as well.

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