Frozen foods.. Lean Cusin, smart ones, etc

I used to be big on the Lean Cuisines, especially when I was working in freezing cold warehouse and couldn't face eating cold lunches every day. I love the pasta ones, but for healthier eating, the roasted chicken ones are a bit better for you- The roasted chicken and veggie, chicken stir fry, and the chicken pecan were my favs.

The slightly healthier and more budget conscious trick is to make a big crockpot of something on the weekends, then freeze it in portions then you always have something fast to grab on your rush out the door.

I love frozen meals like Lean Cuisine, Evol Foods, Amy's Organic, Healthy Choice, etc. I think they're awesome for single serve convenience meals providing variety so you don't end up eating the same thing every day like I have a tendency of doing out of pure laziness to cook. Sure, cooking your own meals may be healthier, but sometimes it's nice not worrying about that! I really enjoy any brand's Swedish Meatballs (discovered Lean Cuisine's first), but my absolute favorite(s) from Lean Cuisine are the Mushroom Mezzaluna Ravioli (tastes just like the Ravioli di Portobello from Olive Garden), Chicken Carbonara, and the Roasted Turkey Breast with Cinnamon Apples. They had a line of salad additions and I really liked all of those, but I think they discontinued them and I haven't had the chance to try some of their newer stuff yet! I like a lot from Healthy Choice, but my favorite has always been the Pumpkin Squash Ravioli just because it reminds me of fall!

I just started last week but all I have eaten for lunch and dinner are the lean cuisine meals. I lost 9 pounds! I think they taste good. And they are a better option for me right now, just starting out because it's giving me the portion I need to eat and I don't get to go back for seconds. But honestly they fill me up

Frozen meals aren't bad, but there are other options. Cold turkey sandwich or a pita wrap are my quick meals when I can't prep.

I don't eat a lot of frozen meals because of the sodium, but I love Amy's! They're a little more expensive and caloric than the other options mentioned, but they use organic ingredients and have fewer preservatives. My favorites are their bowls, macaroni and cheese, and matar paneer if you like Indian. I could eat that last one every day! Amy's soups and refritos are also tasty.

enzaloccisano wrote: »

First off, please add me! Are these frozen meals good? If so which are the best ones? I need some ideas for lunch at work for days I can't prep. TYIA

What does "good" mean?

IMO -

Pros: They can be an easy way to manage portion sizes. They are extremely convenient.
Cons: Can be hard to balance micros/macros if you eat them often.

They aren't something I'll eat every day because of the sodium BUT it is nice to add 2 or so a month to my lunch mix just for variety! I like the Healthy Choice steamers.

If you like small serving sizes of bland food, sure. I would personally rather eat just about anything else. I left frozen dinners back in my miserable 1200 calorie diet days - never again.

markrgeary1 wrote: »

enzaloccisano wrote: »

Yeah the sodium on these meals are a killer!

Exactly. I won't eat them due to sodium, makes my BP spike. Past that I won't eat them either. Ever look at the chicken in them? It's not real chicken, some kind of chicken byproducts with some soylent green mixed in. No thanks.

How is that helpful for the OP? Surely she can look at the box and decide for herself if it works for her or not. Just because you have bp issues doesn't mean the OP will. She was asking about which ones were good and not, not the sodium content.

I keep one or two in the freezer at work at all times for emergencies (I try to bring my lunch every day, but sometimes stuff happens and I can't get out at lunchtime to get something that fits my day). I wouldn't choose to eat them, generally, and they always blow my macros (too many carbs, too little fat and protein) and my sodium, but they're better than not eating at all.

Honestly, as much as these things are generally quite low on protein anyway, I try to stay away from ones with meat. There's just something about the texture of it, no matter what it is, that I find offputting. I like the tomato pastas and most of the pizzas from Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones. And the cheddar/potato/broccoli Lean Cuisine isn't bad.

They are low calorie and taste alright but they leave me wanting more which leads to snacking later. I'd rather have a "Real meal" and not feel deprived.

I love these for lunches honestly. Yesterday I was craving Chinese food and forced myself to go to the grocery on my lunch and get a frozen meal instead of going to Panda Express, and it hit the spot. What I do when purchasing is I look at the nutritional content. A lot of these WILL leave you starving, but I learned a few tricks from eating these through the years. Look for ones with at LEAST 5 grams of fiber. Smart Ones has a few options. Lean Cuisine USED to have a ton of whole grain pastas, but they've gotten away from that and a lot of their meals will leave you hungry later. Healthy Choice not only has the lowest sodium of the bunch but also has the biggest variety of whole grain options. (And Healthy Choice has a new Simply line that has 'nothing artificial' that is awesome.) Kashi is another favorite brand of mine; they lack variety, but when you eat one of their meals, you are full for the rest of the day.

Tl;dr look at the nutrition label of any that you are considering buying - I usually lean on whichever brand is on sale that week then grab a few of my favorites of other brands. Typically I find when picking whole grain/lots of veggies options (or at least ones with 5+ grams of fiber), those meals keep me satisfied for longer.

Colorscheme wrote: »

markrgeary1 wrote: »

enzaloccisano wrote: »

Yeah the sodium on these meals are a killer!

Exactly. I won't eat them due to sodium, makes my BP spike. Past that I won't eat them either. Ever look at the chicken in them? It's not real chicken, some kind of chicken byproducts with some soylent green mixed in. No thanks.

How is that helpful for the OP? Surely she can look at the box and decide for herself if it works for her or not. Just because you have bp issues doesn't mean the OP will. She was asking about which ones were good and not, not the sodium content.

Well thanks for reading. I guess I don't understand why you don't understand. Too much sodium tastes bad, qualified with my personal reasons to avoid a large dose. I don't like gristle and cartilage in my food so I no longer choose to eat low quality food. Not to mention that the veggies and or carbs are very overcooked and mushy. So that's why I wrote what I did, to help the OP make up their mind.


And your post added value to the OP how?

kmsoucy457 wrote: »

I don't eat a lot of frozen meals because of the sodium, but I love Amy's! They're a little more expensive and caloric than the other options mentioned, but they use organic ingredients and have fewer preservatives. My favorites are their bowls, macaroni and cheese, and matar paneer if you like Indian. I could eat that last one every day! Amy's soups and refritos are also tasty.

YES!! and they have "Smart and Lean" with lower sodium. I love the matar paneer.. I think its about 500mg of sodium.

ElizabethOakes2 wrote: »

I used to be big on the Lean Cuisines, especially when I was working in freezing cold warehouse and couldn't face eating cold lunches every day. I love the pasta ones, but for healthier eating, the roasted chicken ones are a bit better for you- The roasted chicken and veggie, chicken stir fry, and the chicken pecan were my favs.

The slightly healthier and more budget conscious trick is to make a big crockpot of something on the weekends, then freeze it in portions then you always have something fast to grab on your rush out the door.

This is what I do also. And dinners during the week, there's only 2 of us, but I always cook double or triple the amount that I need and freeze individual portions.

My problems with the frozen meals was that for the calories, I was always still hungry. I've seen lots of people say to just add some more frozen vegetables to help add some volume of food, which may help.