TV Dinner Diet?
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LittlestHedgehog wrote: »tlflag1620 wrote: »As long as you stay in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight, even if you are eating frozen dinners every night. I'll share this - when I was about 16 my parents remodeled the kitchen. For a few weeks, we lived on microwaveable things (a lot of TV dinners). I was concerned that I would gain weight eating that way, but what was funny is at I actually lost a few lbs. Why? Because TV dinners and other pre-portioned meals/snacks tend to be pretty reasonable in calories (do read labels and log tho! Not all are created equal), and obviously I was taking bigger portions (and therefore more calories) of home cooked foods previously. And that's what it boils down to.
That said, I find TV dinners to not be terribly filling. If you find that to be the case, maybe try buying some bagged salad or microwaveable frozen veggies to add some bulk to those (often dinky) frozen meals without adding a lot of calories (or requiring any serious cooking skills).
I believe in that theory. Basically you could eat twinkies all day long as long as you stay under your calorie deficit you will lose weight. I think I will buy perhaps some bagged salad because yes, some of the dinners aren't filling and are so tiny, so unless I eat them SUPER slow I just feel unsatisfied moments later. I just don't want the tv dinners to impact my health so negatively either, but they seem a lot better than breaking down and getting fast food!
Thank you for your reply!
What I do sometimes is I add a bag of frozen veggies. Like if I get the smart ones broccoli beef. It's not a lot but I add about half a steam -in-bag broccoli (or whatever frozen veg you like) and that will bulk up your meal for relatively less calories.
I use frozen broccoli and frozen cauliflower to bulk a lot of things. Tonight I'm making a rich French onion soup with cheese. I cannot have a lot because of calories so I will have a side salad or some broccoli with cottage cheese with a serving of soup and some toasted french bread.2 -
I would advise adding fresh stuff along with them to bulk them out a bit, as tv dinners tend to be small portions. I have them once in a while, but i think I'd be craving fresh "real" foods before too long if i had them every night.
As for weight loss, you may see some water retention due to a lot of frozen meals having higher sodium, but other than that as long as you stick to your calories you'll be fine.0 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I would advise adding fresh stuff along with them to bulk them out a bit, as tv dinners tend to be small portions. I have them once in a while, but i think I'd be craving fresh "real" foods before too long if i had them every night.
As for weight loss, you may see some water retention due to a lot of frozen meals having higher sodium, but other than that as long as you stick to your calories you'll be fine.
I eat them sometimes for lunch - make a nice change from my usual fare. I don't eat big lunches so the smaller sizes work great. I have found the Healthy Choice or the Stouffers Fit Kitchen work really well for my husband for snacks - working on maintaining his weight and he can't cook so they work out well for that.0 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I would advise adding fresh stuff along with them to bulk them out a bit, as tv dinners tend to be small portions. I have them once in a while, but i think I'd be craving fresh "real" foods before too long if i had them every night.
As for weight loss, you may see some water retention due to a lot of frozen meals having higher sodium, but other than that as long as you stick to your calories you'll be fine.
I eat them sometimes for lunch - make a nice change from my usual fare. I don't eat big lunches so the smaller sizes work great. I have found the Healthy Choice or the Stouffers Fit Kitchen work really well for my husband for snacks - working on maintaining his weight and he can't cook so they work out well for that.
Roger that, i think they'd make a decent lunch portion. Some people may find them just right and filling for dinner, others like myself who like big bulking meals, probably not so much.0 -
I found a high protein chicken satay frozen meal that I'm having this Saturday night, hubbies going fishing so wanted something quick and easy just for me. I'm hoping the higher protein may make it a bit more filling, 900mg of sodium though, it better be good!0
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Lots of good comments here, so I'll just add another thought... have a look around your supermarket, especially in the deli and refrigerated section rather than the frozen section. Depending on where I shop, some places have ready cooked casserole type meals in the deli section, others have things like pulled pork or chilli con carne in the refrigerated section. Then you can add rice (cook it in a rice cooker or buy the already cooked stuff if you are prepared to pay a premium) and veggies (either frozen or fresh stuff like broccoli steamed in the microwave). That way you are just buying the meat part ready to go and you can vary the veggies etc that you have on the side.
You might find a bit more variety and freshness this way, to add to your existing choice of frozen meals.0 -
OP I use frozen meals quite often for lunches at work - there are so many options nowadays. I love the Evol brand if you can find them (target has them and now my grocery store top), the meals are a bit more filling and some more ethnic flavors. As others have said, if the meal alone isn't filling enough might want to add some extra veggies or a salad, or what I do is buy those pre cooked chicken strips (Tyson or Oscar Mayer) and throw in 2-3 oz of those too.
You also might want to look at the frozen skillet meals instead of or in addition to the single serve "tv dinners". Brands like Bertolli, Evol, Barefoot Contessa, and PF Changs are really tasty, take about 10 minutes, and make you feel a bit like you are cooking... Or things like a rotisserie chicken from your grocery, bag of frozen veggies and a bag of the Ready Rice. Meals like that are a good way to ease into cooking as you may start thinking of way to jazz it all up.
I actually love to cook but with a busy job and two busy kids I rely a lot on convenience foods. It didn't keep me from losing the weight I set out to lose and now I'm maintaining... But I also ate pizza and pork/rice too...3 -
Believe it or not, the servings are very accurate with packaged meals. When I was in high school, I lost 30 lbs. one summer eating weight watchers meals. I don't eat them now, because it's cheaper for me to make big meals. For example, I just made a pot of chicken Ziti. That is five meals for me. I don't eat it every meal. If I make a pan of lasanga, I'll eat some and freeze the rest. Cooking really is not difficult. Most meals I make take very little prep. I do eat frozen food maybe twice a week.0
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Cost is another thing. A lean Cuisine is $6.69 here, and the satay chicken meal I'm having on Saturday cost $7.59. I couldn't afford to eat like that everyday, especially for two of us. No doubt they're much cheaper in the US.0
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llaurenmarie wrote: »llaurenmarie wrote: »I imagine it would be efficient...in the short term. But you'll get super tired of eating those...and pretty soon they will all taste the same. It would be difficult for the average person to eat a tv dinner every night for a month before quitting. Good luck though!
You do realize how any different varieties there are? I sure wouldn't want to cook myself all those different things all the time, but I live alone and prefer convenience.
This^
There is a lot of variety out there, and the OP isn't replacing every single meal either. Pair your frozen meals up with a veggie side and you'll be fine.
Eventually you might consider making your own frozen meals. I batch cook on the weekend & set up a few frozen dinners a week. Even Wal-Mart sells frozen dinner containers (Reynolds).
How long before "eventually" kicks in? Also, the OP never said anything about pairing them with a veggie side. My comment was about eating just tv dinners for dinner every night. I'd challenge anyone to not get sick of those after a month...despite whatever variety exists.
Welp, even if "eventually" never kicks in.. that would be their preference. Who cares, as long as it works for them. What is the need to challenge? So you'd get sick of them, doesn't mean someone else wouldn't.
It would kick in...that's my point. It's not a sustainable way of eating for long term weight loss and maintenance. If the OP never gets sick of them and can eat them forever, then awesome, but my opinion is she would get sick of them or her boyfriend would. One of them would crack within a month...0 -
llaurenmarie wrote: »I imagine it would be efficient...in the short term. But you'll get super tired of eating those...and pretty soon they will all taste the same. It would be difficult for the average person to eat a tv dinner every night for a month before quitting. Good luck though!
You do realize how any different varieties there are? I sure wouldn't want to cook myself all those different things all the time, but I live alone and prefer convenience.
This^
There is a lot of variety out there, and the OP isn't replacing every single meal either. Pair your frozen meals up with a veggie side and you'll be fine.
Eventually you might consider making your own frozen meals. I batch cook on the weekend & set up a few frozen dinners a week. Even Wal-Mart sells frozen dinner containers (Reynolds).
How long before "eventually" kicks in? Also, the OP never said anything about pairing them with a veggie side. My comment was about eating just tv dinners for dinner every night. I'd challenge anyone to not get sick of those after a month...despite whatever variety exists.
When I was on weight watchers, I lived off fast food lunches and frozen dinners for...er...dinners. And this was for something like 2 years.
So there.
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Somebody above already mentioned the Evol frozen meals, but also check out the Amy's line, too. I work third shift and it's just easy for me to toss a frozen meal into my lunchbag every night. The Evol and Amy's are filling enough to carry me through for quite a while because they are higher calorie. But they're so tasty and so easy! I thought I was going to have to beat away one of my staff members one night as he was eyeballing my Amy's cheese enchiladas, black beans, and rice.1
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Pizza and pork and rice is not healthy.CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
how is pizza or pork/rice not healthy? I can see not being fond of those things but you can still eat those things if you want to,just not as much.
Neither Pizza nor pork and rice is very healthy. That of course depends on how you make it, but regular pizza is crap, it tastes good, but it's crap, don't be fooled because it may have vegetables on it.
so tell me how they arent healthy? there is protein/nutrients in pork,rice has some protein and healthy carbs and other nutrients. how is pizza crap too? I lost weight eating those foods and Im healthier than I was when I was a smaller size. so how are they unhealthy?
The typical pizza that is bought in stores or from delivery places is fatty and greasy. You can make pizza which could be healthy, but generally pizza isn't healthy. It's like saying a cheesecake is healthy. Pork and rice can be healthy, BUT my man wants grandma's home cooking taste which means a TON of grease and love. We all know home cooked meals. Lol. That is what I meant by it.0 -
Colorscheme wrote: »I think the only issue with pre-packaged meals where it comes with a box and film is that you can't accurately weigh the product to make sure the calories add up with the nutritional label. Unless maybe you weigh it after cooking in a bowl that's been tare'd.
You could weigh it, eat it, then weigh it again....of course by then the calories are already inside
I just have a question, not judging, I eat plenty of TV dinners myself but...how can you be not a leftover person and still want TV dinners? They're the exact same concept, meals stored in individual containers that you microwave to reheat.
Yeah, I know. It doesn't make sense, but if like someone else does it. It's fine. I think the sight/smell of leftovers before being cooked bothers me? I'm weird. :P
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Christine_72 wrote: »Cost is another thing. A lean Cuisine is $6.69 here, and the satay chicken meal I'm having on Saturday cost $7.59. I couldn't afford to eat like that everyday, especially for two of us. No doubt they're much cheaper in the US.
whoa
...when I do buy those, it's usually on sale for about $2.50. I think they typically range between $2.99 and $3.99. 0 -
I eat the healthy choice steamers .. They are pretty good .. Very convenient just rip off box throw in microwave hit 4 minutes boom you done .. Some times I add the single serving libby's single serve vegetables like corn 30 Val's adds a bit more food for low calorie add. you just got to line them up so you don't go over your sodium. Other meals like salads, fruit bowls and eggs so not much cooking skills needed. Also making turkey chili or some crockpot stuff is very easy as you just cut stuff up and throw it in and have like a weeks worth of food in fridge.2
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LittlestHedgehog wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Pizza and pork and rice is not healthy.CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
how is pizza or pork/rice not healthy? I can see not being fond of those things but you can still eat those things if you want to,just not as much.
Neither Pizza nor pork and rice is very healthy. That of course depends on how you make it, but regular pizza is crap, it tastes good, but it's crap, don't be fooled because it may have vegetables on it.
so tell me how they arent healthy? there is protein/nutrients in pork,rice has some protein and healthy carbs and other nutrients. how is pizza crap too? I lost weight eating those foods and Im healthier than I was when I was a smaller size. so how are they unhealthy?
The typical pizza that is bought in stores or from delivery places is fatty and greasy. You can make pizza which could be healthy, but generally pizza isn't healthy. It's like saying a cheesecake is healthy. Pork and rice can be healthy, BUT my man wants grandma's home cooking taste which means a TON of grease and love. We all know home cooked meals. Lol. That is what I meant by it.
Fat is not unhealthy. Unless it's trans fats, which admittedly many prepackaged foods rely on. That's where it pays to read ingredient lists. Fat is a necessary nutrient. Nothing wrong with fat (some fats are "essential" meaning your body requires them for survival, but cannot make them, so you need a dietary source), so long as you don't go over on calories.
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tlflag1620 wrote: »LittlestHedgehog wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Pizza and pork and rice is not healthy.CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
how is pizza or pork/rice not healthy? I can see not being fond of those things but you can still eat those things if you want to,just not as much.
Neither Pizza nor pork and rice is very healthy. That of course depends on how you make it, but regular pizza is crap, it tastes good, but it's crap, don't be fooled because it may have vegetables on it.
so tell me how they arent healthy? there is protein/nutrients in pork,rice has some protein and healthy carbs and other nutrients. how is pizza crap too? I lost weight eating those foods and Im healthier than I was when I was a smaller size. so how are they unhealthy?
The typical pizza that is bought in stores or from delivery places is fatty and greasy. You can make pizza which could be healthy, but generally pizza isn't healthy. It's like saying a cheesecake is healthy. Pork and rice can be healthy, BUT my man wants grandma's home cooking taste which means a TON of grease and love. We all know home cooked meals. Lol. That is what I meant by it.
Fat is not unhealthy. Unless it's trans fats, which admittedly many prepackaged foods rely on. That's where it pays to read ingredient lists. Fat is a necessary nutrient. Nothing wrong with fat (some fats are "essential" meaning your body requires them for survival, but cannot make them, so you need a dietary source), so long as you don't go over on calories.
Exactly. Pizza actually has a good balance of protein, fat and carbs, especially if you load it up with veggies and other things.4 -
Colorscheme wrote: »tlflag1620 wrote: »LittlestHedgehog wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Pizza and pork and rice is not healthy.CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
how is pizza or pork/rice not healthy? I can see not being fond of those things but you can still eat those things if you want to,just not as much.
Neither Pizza nor pork and rice is very healthy. That of course depends on how you make it, but regular pizza is crap, it tastes good, but it's crap, don't be fooled because it may have vegetables on it.
so tell me how they arent healthy? there is protein/nutrients in pork,rice has some protein and healthy carbs and other nutrients. how is pizza crap too? I lost weight eating those foods and Im healthier than I was when I was a smaller size. so how are they unhealthy?
The typical pizza that is bought in stores or from delivery places is fatty and greasy. You can make pizza which could be healthy, but generally pizza isn't healthy. It's like saying a cheesecake is healthy. Pork and rice can be healthy, BUT my man wants grandma's home cooking taste which means a TON of grease and love. We all know home cooked meals. Lol. That is what I meant by it.
Fat is not unhealthy. Unless it's trans fats, which admittedly many prepackaged foods rely on. That's where it pays to read ingredient lists. Fat is a necessary nutrient. Nothing wrong with fat (some fats are "essential" meaning your body requires them for survival, but cannot make them, so you need a dietary source), so long as you don't go over on calories.
Exactly. Pizza actually has a good balance of protein, fat and carbs, especially if you load it up with veggies and other things.
Yep, two slices of peppers & onion pizza with a side of tomato & cucumber salad is an awesome healthy dinner in my book
The dose makes the poison!
So my vote is - Use your TV dinners for 5 nights a week. Make one night a week a "stay home date" where you find a recipe online and you guys try to cook it together - it'll be fun even if it tastes awful. And on night 7 - order pizza!0 -
I don't know where you are but a few of the pizza pizza small thin crust pizzas clock in around 550 for the whole thing...just an option.1
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And my takeout pizzas are delicious and healthy, broccoli, tomatoes, red peppers, mushrooms and chicken...delicious, and satisfying but oh...the salt
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For what it's worth I'll chip in my own experience... It sounds like you've got breakfast and lunch sorted fine, similar to my own. Also, I've effectively been eating TV dinners as my main meal for the last 18 months. I think the key is to make sure they are good quality, well balanced meals. I'm a lazy/terrible cook so I simply have these with microwaveable rice or potatoes and a small tin of mixed veg. So far I've lost more than 100lbs and am currently maintaining and still improving my fitness. I do still have occasional pizzas, burgers etc without a problem. Couldn't be happier!! Good luck 2
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I'm not going to lie, I love LeanCuisine macaroni and cheese and pizza. Mainly because they are two things that I love to eat, but they are not good for you. No, LeanCuisine isn't the best choice, but if I am on a low fat diet and crave mac and cheese, it is my go-to. I really should give the cheese up entirely.1
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Christine_72 wrote: »Cost is another thing. A lean Cuisine is $6.69 here, and the satay chicken meal I'm having on Saturday cost $7.59. I couldn't afford to eat like that everyday, especially for two of us. No doubt they're much cheaper in the US.
Holy crap. These are usually 3 for $10, sometimes less, at my market.
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Christine_72 wrote: »Cost is another thing. A lean Cuisine is $6.69 here, and the satay chicken meal I'm having on Saturday cost $7.59. I couldn't afford to eat like that everyday, especially for two of us. No doubt they're much cheaper in the US.
Holy crap. These are usually 3 for $10, sometimes less, at my market.
Double holy crap. 2/$5, sometimes $2 each here.0 -
I'm not going to lie, I love LeanCuisine macaroni and cheese and pizza. Mainly because they are two things that I love to eat, but they are not good for you. No, LeanCuisine isn't the best choice, but if I am on a low fat diet and crave mac and cheese, it is my go-to. I really should give the cheese up entirely.
? Why should you give up cheese entirely? Cheese is a wonderful, tasty source of protein and fat. Unless you don't tolerate dairy, there is no reason to give up cheese.
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I'm not going to lie, I love LeanCuisine macaroni and cheese and pizza. Mainly because they are two things that I love to eat, but they are not good for you. No, LeanCuisine isn't the best choice, but if I am on a low fat diet and crave mac and cheese, it is my go-to. I really should give the cheese up entirely.
Why are they not good for you? They are portion controlled and usually under 400 calories. Most of the ones I get have meat, starch, and vegetables. How is that different than if I meal prep at home and make grilled chicken, rice, and vegetables and put it in a tupperware to take to work? They can be high in sodium, but if there is not a medical reason to restrict sodium, most people will not have an adverse impact.
Why give up cheese entirely?2 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I'm not going to lie, I love LeanCuisine macaroni and cheese and pizza. Mainly because they are two things that I love to eat, but they are not good for you. No, LeanCuisine isn't the best choice, but if I am on a low fat diet and crave mac and cheese, it is my go-to. I really should give the cheese up entirely.
Why are they not good for you? They are portion controlled and usually under 400 calories. Most of the ones I get have meat, starch, and vegetables. How is that different than if I meal prep at home and make grilled chicken, rice, and vegetables and put it in a tupperware to take to work? They can be high in sodium, but if there is not a medical reason to restrict sodium, most people will not have an adverse impact.
Why give up cheese entirely?
I think they were actually saying that the mac & cheese and pizza they would otherwise eat are not good for you, so they eat the Lean Cuisine versions instead!
But yeah, why give up cheese entirely? Sometimes it's so good that portion control is hard, but it's worth finding ways to make it fit 0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I'm not going to lie, I love LeanCuisine macaroni and cheese and pizza. Mainly because they are two things that I love to eat, but they are not good for you. No, LeanCuisine isn't the best choice, but if I am on a low fat diet and crave mac and cheese, it is my go-to. I really should give the cheese up entirely.
Why are they not good for you? They are portion controlled and usually under 400 calories. Most of the ones I get have meat, starch, and vegetables. How is that different than if I meal prep at home and make grilled chicken, rice, and vegetables and put it in a tupperware to take to work? They can be high in sodium, but if there is not a medical reason to restrict sodium, most people will not have an adverse impact.
Why give up cheese entirely?
I think they were actually saying that the mac & cheese and pizza they would otherwise eat are not good for you, so they eat the Lean Cuisine versions instead!
But yeah, why give up cheese entirely? Sometimes it's so good that portion control is hard, but it's worth finding ways to make it fit
Ahhh - I totally misread that! That makes more sense, but I still want to know what's wrong with cheese!?2 -
WinoGelato wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »I'm not going to lie, I love LeanCuisine macaroni and cheese and pizza. Mainly because they are two things that I love to eat, but they are not good for you. No, LeanCuisine isn't the best choice, but if I am on a low fat diet and crave mac and cheese, it is my go-to. I really should give the cheese up entirely.
Why are they not good for you? They are portion controlled and usually under 400 calories. Most of the ones I get have meat, starch, and vegetables. How is that different than if I meal prep at home and make grilled chicken, rice, and vegetables and put it in a tupperware to take to work? They can be high in sodium, but if there is not a medical reason to restrict sodium, most people will not have an adverse impact.
Why give up cheese entirely?
I think they were actually saying that the mac & cheese and pizza they would otherwise eat are not good for you, so they eat the Lean Cuisine versions instead!
But yeah, why give up cheese entirely? Sometimes it's so good that portion control is hard, but it's worth finding ways to make it fit
Ahhh - I totally misread that! That makes more sense, but I still want to know what's wrong with cheese!?
Nutirionally, nothing. Some people are under the impression that fat from cheese = bad and low fat = good. It's not true, but remember the low fat craze of the 90s?0
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