Pre packaged "diet" meals...good for you?

barberella · January 2011

Ok, when I lost some weight year and half ago, I was eating a LOT of Healthy Choices and Lean Cuisines frozen meals; mostly at lunch, and some at dinner, but almost daily. It helped with portion control and of course, convenience. I would only select a few of them and I always looked for whole grains (no white pastas or rices, etc) in the meals and lots of vegetables, and I would never pick deserts like the Smart Ones. Well, this time around, I am trying to cook all my meals in advance to bring to lunch, but I have fallen a little behind at times, so today, I bought one.
Here's my dilemma: I think a lot of em have really high carbs and a lot of other preservatives, etc. The one I chose to day was relatively lower in carbs (27g) especially when I looked at few that were up to 54g. Holy crap, Batman. But what do others think about these meals? I hate to think I'm eating all this sodium and all the other ingredients I cannot pronounce when I am trying to stay away from stuff like this...

pilotgirl2007 · January 2011

I don't eat them too often because of all the preservatives and sodium etc. Not to mention you don't get a lot of food for the calories. IMO they are great for once in a while when you don't have time to cook something or you don't feel up to it.

I am super busy and I sometimes don't plan properly for the week in advance so they are my fall back but what I try to do most of the time is I cook on the weekends and then the left overs are lunch and dinner for the upcoming week. Easy enough for me to plan left over though because it is just me so anything I cook has TONS of leftovers.

puddles76 · January 2011

I think they are great fillers for on the go. I too try to make everything fresh but sometimes my schedule just won't let me. So I eat the Hormel completes. They may not be that great for me but I would rather have that than skipping lunch which causes me to eat out of control at dinner because I'm starving. Everyday...probably not so good....Couple times a week as a filler...absolutly.

MisdemeanorM · January 2011

I would not make them a daily thing, but grabbing them to fill in here and there is just fine. Just think how much better it is than stopping for fast food. It's impractical (for most) to think that you will actually make a meal for every meal forever. Sometimes convenience is nice.

SarahNicole317 · January 2011

No processed food is terrible on your body. Not only are they not beneficial for getting lean, but they can wreck havoc on your system because your body has a hard time digesting all of that processed junk. I used to eat a lot of this stuff and although I was always within my caloric limits I ended up having yeast overgrowth in my intestines from it which led to weight gain and food allergies.

porcelain_doll · January 2011

Almost all foods that are processed contain chemicals, preservatives, flavor enhancers, and fillers that are not good for you. All of those frozen meals have been processed, regardless of what is actually in them, and it is better to eat them as rarely as possible. I know so many people eat them and enjoy them - and lose weight while eating them - and it will work weight-wise because of the calorie counts, but health-wise it is not the best thing to put into your body. That being said, moderation is key. I think once in a while is fine, but not every day.

ladyhawk00 · January 2011

Even the diet meals have some kind of price to pay. While they may tout them as being lower in fat, sugar or carbs - there is SOMETHING added in there to replace the flavor lost in removing those elements. Low fat = more sugar & sodium. Low carbs = more fat and sodium.

Fresh is always best. End of story. Sometimes that's not option, but it's what you should aim for. I buy a lot of chicken every week or two, cook it all at once, then divide it up into individual servings or enough for a meal and then refreeze it. Then I can add some quick veggies and have it ready in 10 minutes.

Lots of ways to make convenient meals ahead of time when you can't cook every day. Good luck with it!

catcrazy · January 2011

I never buy ready meals, never have but I'm a stay at home mum so have the time to cook from scratch each day. I think theyre fine if you really have nothing else in theyre better than going hungry and better than popping to the bakery for a pastry etc but avoid using too often. If you can, make double of every meal you make and put the extra portions in tubs in the freezer.

milaxx · January 2011

Wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole. Even if they d manage to be both ow in carbs and sodium, it's just a box of chemicals. Low cal chemicals, but chemicals nonetheless.

As much as it's a pain in the butt, I'd rather take one day a week and cook up food for the week, 2 weeks if I can. I then just divide it into single servings and freeze. This also works well for taking to lunch. Same thing with snacks. I get the snack sized ziplocks and toss in 10-12 almonds and a few pieces of dried fruit that I can stick in my bag for on the go snacking.

mandypizzle · January 2011

THis is exactly what I was going to say! I think they are ok to have once in a while when you are out or don't have time to cook or something but I definitely wouldn't eat them regularly. I cook a lot but I always make leftovers so I am not constantly cooking! When I make dinners, I usually make enough for 3 days worth so there aren't times where I need something like that.

I don't eat them too often because of all the preservatives and sodium etc. Not to mention you don't get a lot of food for the calories. IMO they are great for once in a while when you don't have time to cook something or you don't feel up to it.

I am super busy and I sometimes don't plan properly for the week in advance so they are my fall back but what I try to do most of the time is I cook on the weekends and then the left overs are lunch and dinner for the upcoming week. Easy enough for me to plan left over though because it is just me so anything I cook has TONS of leftovers.

Panda86 · January 2011

I definitely agree that you should take one day to make meals ahead of time. You will be able to use fresh ingredients and you will know what is going into the food you are eating. It may be a lot of work for that one day, but it would be worth it if you are aiming not only to be more slender, but healthy as well.

heathersmilez · January 2011

They can be a good start for people who have no idea what portion control looks like or how to put healthy meals together but it’s just to get people on the right foot, it’s not a long-term plan.

For Nutrisystems $350 + vegetables/dairy a month plan I hope no one is doing this long term, that’s crazy!!!

Having them occasionally on a super rush day is ok, it’s better than caving and having to buy a slice of pizza in the closest cafeteria. But get rid of them overtime. The sodium will cause you to bloat, retain water and weigh more and the preservatives and chemicals will sit in your body and defeat all the healthy work you've done thus far to extend your life.

barberella · January 2011

Thanks for the responses, guys. You all told me what I needed to hear. I think that what I know is in my food is way better than all the other toxin-ladeled ingredients. I definitely won't be making a habit of this anyway. I prefer the satisfaction of getting up extra early to plan and prepare my meals on a daily basis. It keeps me in check anyway, and I rarely crave anything that's not on the menu!:glasses:

Pre packaged "diet" meals...good for you?

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