FROZEN MEALS OK?

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laurenwarwick
laurenwarwick Posts: 29
in Food and Nutrition
i eat a lot of frozen meals. i am a teacher and have about 20 minutes to eat by the time i get down to the fridge and get my food ready. i know they are TERRIBLE as far as sodium, but are they balanced otherwise? i love eating them because of the convenience and because they help with portion control. any suggestions on healthier, low cal frozen meals? any favorites?

Replies

  • Remi79
    Remi79 Posts: 346 Member
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    Counteract the sodium with a ton of water.
  • BamBam1113
    BamBam1113 Posts: 542 Member
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    I try to make enough for dinner the night before to be able to take some leftovers with me. Frozen dinners are good for emergency lunches when you have to grab something quick, but I wouldn't depend on them because of the sodium.
  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
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    anything amy organic....its amazing especially the burritos...
    Lean cuisines are pretty good..
  • eeeekie
    eeeekie Posts: 1,011 Member
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    If you can try to make your own meals on a day off and freeze them. The amount of sodium in smart ones/lean cuisine and other frozen foods is INSANE. If you have to eat them just drink TONS of water (10+cups a day)
  • savvystephy
    savvystephy Posts: 4,151 Member
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    Could you make sandwiches or something to leave in that fridge to get? I have been a big fan of egg salad lately. If you pack it, you can portion it out also. I understand the lack of time from doing substitute teaching for a short while.
  • dragonbug300
    dragonbug300 Posts: 760 Member
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    My mother is a teacher, too. She makes her lunches and snacks the night before--usually a sandwich, some meat, mustard, and lettuce in a separate bag to keep from wilting. She also keeps mini tubs of hummus in the fridge to dip baby carrots into for a snack. Since she packs ahead, she just takes it with her in the mornings and eats when she can.
  • christy_frank
    christy_frank Posts: 680 Member
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    Avoid them. The sodium is horrible. There are other options for a quick lunch...pack it the night before, salad w/ chicken & hard boiled eggs (watch the dressing) tuna, left overs from the night before.
  • A_New_Horizon
    A_New_Horizon Posts: 1,555 Member
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    I eat a frozen dinner (like Lean Cuisine, Healthy choice, etc) for lunch almost everyday because of time. I haven't had any problems. Just make sure to be getting your water in because they are high in sodium. I do alot of pre-packaged stuff with having 2 babies in the house and not having much time.
  • beverlyl64
    beverlyl64 Posts: 381
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    Also frozen dinners almost always have white rice and pasta, which u should be avoiding to lose weight. I agree with the other comments try to make a little extra for dinner so you can have healthier lunches the next day. To help w/portion control buy small containers to carry your lunch in.

    Read the ingredients, make sure it's make with whole wheat, not processed white flour.
  • denise980
    denise980 Posts: 296
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    I try to make enough for dinner the night before to be able to take some leftovers with me. Frozen dinners are good for emergency lunches when you have to grab something quick, but I wouldn't depend on them because of the sodium.

    I agree. I'm a teacher and when I don't eat at the cafeteria, I pack a lunch from leftovers from the night before.
  • Msaip
    Msaip Posts: 482 Member
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    I eat them for lunch at work. I've only got 30 min so time is not on my side. Yes they are high in sodium BUT water intake also matters!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    As much as I love a good sandwich, the sodium in two slices of (most) bread is probably higher than in the frozen dinners. Not to mention in the lunch meat.
  • karenbobaren
    karenbobaren Posts: 127 Member
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    I love Marie Calender's frozen dinners because they fill me up, but they are high on sodium and calories. The roasted herb chicken is about 460 calories though and I stay drinking water all day. Just recently I started buying different ones: Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones and Healthy choice. I tried the Lean Cuisine - Panini - Southwest-Style Chicken, and Smarth Ones - Chicken Parmesan and both were delicious, but I definitely recommend a healthy side because they are not fulfilling (at least not for me).
  • darling_nickie
    darling_nickie Posts: 117 Member
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    I love the Amy's burritos too :) not a big frozen meal fan but I have also wanted to try the Kashi meals...as long as its all natural I think its the best option. Stear clear of preservatives :)
  • lsd007
    lsd007 Posts: 435
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    Everyone know the sodium is bad, but does it put you over the daily limit? I eat frozen meals sometimes just because I like them and appreciate the portion control. On the days I do, I just try to be sure I keep the rest of my foods low sodium and rarely go over my allowance. Even if they put you over a little, just be sure to drink lots of water. (-:
  • mosneakers
    mosneakers Posts: 343 Member
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    I really like the Lean Cuisine meals - Healthy Choice and Smart Ones just don't taste right to me, they taste like diet food!
    It's nice to be able to have something heatlhy when I'm craving pizza or Chinese food. The Asian dishes are great! The convenience factor of the foods is beyond measure and you should be ok if you watch the sodium and drink plenty of water the rest of the day.
  • txjulie
    txjulie Posts: 190 Member
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    I know plenty of people who have no problem losing weight eating frozen diet dinners so it is completely do-able. Just drink lots of water - and not just 64 oz a day. Aim for 1/2 of your body weight in ounces to flush out the sodium. I've been eating Healthy Choice meals all this week at lunch & other "fresh" foods the rest of the day and my scale is going down. Yes, there are other options out there but I wouldn't stress about it. It's still a TON better than fast food or lunch meat.
  • laurenwarwick
    laurenwarwick Posts: 29
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    I try to make enough for dinner the night before to be able to take some leftovers with me. Frozen dinners are good for emergency lunches when you have to grab something quick, but I wouldn't depend on them because of the sodium.

    i also coach volleyball most nights from 6-8, and am at the gym the other evenings. i don't cook much because of lack of time. i usually pick up panera or salata, so there aren't any leftovers. when i do cook, i don't cook extra because i will eat all the leftovers that same night, instead of saving them. i know my limits as far as will power, and i don't have much... i drink at least five 16oz bottles of water a day, cuz i know i need them to balance out the sodium. i should still probably drink more!

    when i don't take frozen meals, i take 100 cal pack quac and pita chips with fruit or carrots, or 2 oz lunch meat and pita chips with a mini babybel light cheese and a fruit or veggie. i usually only take frozen meals 3 or less times a week. getting toward the end of the year, though, it has been more.

    i know they're not the best, but i'm sure they're better than some alternatives. i feel like everything else i eat is very fresh and lean and healthy, so i feel that eating them no more than once a day isn't going to be horrible.

    my favorites are lean cuisine pizzas, smart ones santa fe style rice and beans, smart ones three cheese ziti, and lean cuisine salisbury steak and macaroni and cheese.

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