Frozen microwaved food...
whalenmich7295
Posts: 21 Member
Hey everyone. I know that the proof is in the numbers, but I was curious what your thoughts were on frozen food found in your local grocery store. EG those marie Callanders meal. While nothing will beat a homecooked meal, and almost anything better than fast food. For instance the meatloaf with gravy mashersm and veggies has the following nutritional facts.
Cal- 450
Fat - 19
Saturated - 7
Carbs - 40
Protein - 31
Sugar - 6
What do you think? is it a healthy alternative when you are on the go, and when you dont want the fast food?
Thanks!
Cal- 450
Fat - 19
Saturated - 7
Carbs - 40
Protein - 31
Sugar - 6
What do you think? is it a healthy alternative when you are on the go, and when you dont want the fast food?
Thanks!
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Replies
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Lots of fat and high in sodium! I personally feel that as long as you are not eating the frozen meals daily or fast food daily, you can have either when you need to. Just drink a lot of water to help combat all the sodium in either choice.0
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What's the sodium count on that bad boy? :happy:0
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What's the sodium content?
Honestly, I've never really understood why people don't just cook batches of freezable meals from home and keep them frozen in microwaveable containers. Just as portable, just as easy to heat and eat, but you actually KNOW what you're eating.
not to mention less packaging = less waste0 -
Marie Calendars, no. If you look at Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, and Smart Ones, you're headed in a better direction. Just watch the sodium. It can get pretty gnarly.0
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That's on my 'Don't Do List'.
I consider frozen food to be part of the dreaded 'processed' food group. There are exceptions like veggies (sometimes) but that it.
Go fresh or go home... :flowerforyou:0 -
Sodium levels on those things are HORRIBLE...But if it isn't all the time they should be fine...Everything in moderation is fine...0
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No, no . . . did I mention "NO". You didn't post the sodium in your list . . . bet it is WAY off the charts. I have not read a single nutritional information panel, or the ingredience on any of those prepackaged frozen foods that were any good. They are all crap.
I have realized that the better my plan, the better my results. I do up a weekly (actually I do it for every 2 weeks because that is how we are paid) food plan including all meals and snacks . . . then I build my grocery list from that. We no longer waste anything and it had actually made the grocery bill cheaper. I usually spend a few hours on Sunday in the kitchen cooking chicken breasts to slice (for salads and sandwiches), hard boiling eggs, making my husbands Splenda banana bread for the week, washing and portioning veggy "snack" bags, etc.
On the rare occassions that I have left my lunch sitting on the kitchen table I will hit a Subway and either get a salad or a 6" on whole wheat, but ONLY the roasted chicken breast with LOTS of veggies.0 -
SODIUM SODIUM STAY AWAY!!!! I only reccomend frozen fruits and veggies that are flash frozen no add crap!!!!0
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Eat Amy's frozen meals instead - they're more all natural.0
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As long as your not eating one for every meal the sodium should be managable. I use them when I need to, it is better than fast food or nothing at all! If I am home I like to "hook them up" by adding in extra frozen (or fresh) veggies just throw it all together in the stir fry pan, I also add brown rice if I have it on hand to add in some fiber. mmmmmm makes for a much bigger and more satisfying meal!0
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So much sodium! I stay away from all those frozen things.....just not good for you......0
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I eat the Healthy Choice meals sometimes if I'm not in the mood to cook. Check them out... they aren't that bad but I wouldn't reccomend eating it every day. Home prepared meals are much better for you
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I agree. why not just pre-make healthy, freezable meals for those times when you are in a rush. atleast that way you can help control what goes into your body.0
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Oh yeah she is right I usually but Lean cusine they seem to be lower in sodium than the others....Marie Calendars, no. If you look at Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, and Smart Ones, you're headed in a better direction. Just watch the sodium. It can get pretty gnarly.0 -
I eat the fire out of those Michelina's Lean Gourmet meals. They're cheap and quick. Granted it's not a home cooked meal but I don't always have time to cook during the weekend to prepare for the next week.0
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I use them for lunches and whatnot. I need all the leftovers I end up with to feed me and hubby throughout the week. I use Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice though. Honestly too, the sodium on these suckers is often less than what I cook for dinner. Making a Hungry Girl Meal tonight for dinner and the sodium is TWICE what my Lean Cuisine was. And that's not a unique occurrence. So "home-cooked" food is only better depending on WHAT your home-cooked food is and how you make it. I agree with others, just make sure that you don't eat it every single meal, make sure you get veggies into your day as well (at dinner or as snacks).0
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I buy Healthy Choice Complete Meals, my personal faves being the Country Herb Chicken (only 430mg of Sodium) and the Lemon Pepper Fish (360mg of Sodium). Today I had the Golden Roasted Turkey Breast (460mg of Sodium). These are an easier, cheaper option for me at work.0
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yeah, i do the Sunday huge cooking spree to make my own frozen meals for the week too! This week is a yummy pork, black bean, sweet potato and mango stew. So yummy! I was scared to put in the calories for the stew, but despite the portions being large and really tasty, it's only around 500 cals for dinner! And so much better than Marie Callendar's. I know it's hard to get the motivation to cook up a storm on Sunday, but it is so worth it!
Having said that, I agree with people advocating 'everything in moderation.' Sometimes you're just so tired that it's hard work to put a frozen meal in the microwave let alone make dinner. Just try not to do it every night!
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I will agree with everyone that said to make your own. When you have time of course do a big batch of frozen dinner in microwave containers and you are set for those days when you have to run....just grab and go but you know what is in it and its far healthier!0
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Marie Calendar tries to be sneaky and put those bars on the front that say
10% of your carb intake / 15% of your protein needs / %18 of your veggie needs!
The of course skip the "250% of your daily fat needs! / 400% of your daily sodium needs / 75% of your daily calorie needs" labels as well!
The pot pies are AWFUL! They are sooo tasty though so I have maybe 2 a year. :blushing:
Also look - is that 450 PER SERVING - because there are likely 2 "servings" in the box!
Healthy Choice is a lot better if you have to do frozen meals. But, just because you're in a hurry does not mean you can't plan ahead. Beef stew keeps a while in the fridge. You can crock pot some one day and have leftovers all week. You can control the content (sodium, plus no preservatives - I can't read 1/2 of what's on the other boxes!) and it heats up in just as little time. Lots of other things you can make quick or on the go. I can have an egg sandwich shell to stomach in less than 6 minutes if I'm rushing!
Kashi makes good ones too, though they are out of my price range!0 -
Don't overlook an opportunity to learn to cook fast fresh meals for yourself. If you are armed with a microwave you can create some awesome meals in a flash and control the sodium! Pasta is the easiest. Look for the whole wheat noodles - they work well and taste great! Cooks in five minutes. Throw in favorite veggies and find a nice bottled sauce (read labels some are wonderful). You'll have a tasty nutritious meal and be surprised how making it yourself helps you appreciate the food without gulping it down and grazing for more. (Yeah thats what I find myself doing). Amazing you can do this in the time it takes to microwave a frozen prepackaged meal. Really.0
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Look for the whole wheat noodles - they work well and taste great! Cooks in five minutes.
And reheat in only 2!! I lived off a giant pot of chicken and pasta with broccoli for lunch for over a week!0 -
What pasta sauce are you guys buying? What I find at the store has often has at least 500-600 sodium in it.0
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What pasta sauce are you guys buying? What I find at the store has often has at least 500-600 sodium in it.
The Classico sauces are usually pretty good. There's another one I can't remember the name... Francesco or something like that. Message me and I'll look it up for you later. :happy:0 -
What I do with frozen foods (although I don't typically buy meals) is to eat half serving with frozen veggies, and eat the other half with frozen veggies at a later time. Almost everything I eat is frozen because since I started this site, I have limited time for counting the calories in cooked foods. Try to mix the food with healthier options that don't contain sodium like veggies, and you'll do fine.0
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if you must have frozen food...stay away from marie calander's, those are some of the worst for you... kashi makes great frozen meals..OMG the mayan harvest is soooooooooo freaking good!!!!! my dad LOVES it, and so do i!0
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Agree with these posts, had to stop the healthy choice quick fix meals because of the sodium. Also gave up canned soup. Now I premake things like black bean soup, salads, even healthy muffins with carrots, zuchnin and fruit. With some pre planning and careful shopping you can take along meals to heat up in the oven as well as healthy snacks. Saves money and waste of all that packaging, tastes better and is better for you!!0
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:flowerforyou:
You will be well on your way to leaving your 'old' lifestyle behind by staying away from frozen, prepared, processed foods and meals.
Your new lifestyle is knocking! Open the door step through and don't look back. Take that next step and get rid of this boat anchor holding you in the past....
:flowerforyou:0 -
What pasta sauce are you guys buying? What I find at the store has often has at least 500-600 sodium in it.
we use Bertolli sauce with whole wheat pasta.0 -
As I started eating more healthily, the frozen stuff started tasting really bad. Salty, like preservatives, etc. I started cooking in larger batches, and using the leftovers to make my own frozen meals that fit my health goals and taste buds better. I even invested in some metal pans with paper lids (like you get your leftovers in at some restaurants) to package certain recipes in so that I can pop the container in the oven.
I have chicken soup, turkey chili, turkey burgers, lentil stew, baked ziti, bbq teriyaki chicken and a few other things in my freezer right now. Most are packaged as single meals some are packaged as meals for 2-4 people. I package up protein and carbs (and sometimes veggies too), then add fresh or frozen veggies to complete the meal if needed. I can have a healthy meal in about 10 minutes, either at work or at home. Not too salty, not too greasy, not full of all kinds of preservatives and ingredients I choose not to pronounce, etc.0
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