Frozen meals are better than nothing....right?

cashidy
cashidy Posts: 152 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello!
I have a very busy lifestyle and usually buy frozen "health" meals for lunch at work, instead of going out to eat. I try to get the healthiest ones I can. Max I eat one for breakfast and lunch and then have a home made dinner.

Right now, preparing and bringing food is not an option for me. It may be in the future.

For now, do you think this is okay? Am I really destroying my health?
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Replies

  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    You gotta do what you gotta do. Look for ones lower in sodium, and go from there. Bagged salad with some lunch meat is another option, as is maybe doing some oatmeal or a non frozen meal for breakfast.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited February 2017
    I eat frozen meals at lunch sometimes. No problems there. Because they aren't as filling as what I can make from scratch, I choose the highest protein varieties and add some steamed veggies.

    Breakfast is a cinch though. No need to buy a frozen breakfast. Good (no time needed) options: Homemade egg McMuffins - Bake 9 eggs + 9 egg whites in a 9" square dish. Cut into 9 portions and freeze in ziplock bags with a slice of Canadian bacon. As I use these, I place a frozen baggie in the fridge overnight. In the a.m. I toast a high fiber English muffin and warm the eggs in the microwave.....add a piece of 2% cheese and I'm out the door.

    Greek yogurt breakfast "parfait." Spoon yogurt in a covered dish, add a few frozen berries and refrigerate until the morning. In the a.m. I add a pre-measured snack bag of high fiber cereal and nuts.

    Edited to add - check websites for frozen food options. Lean Cuisine is especially helpful. You can sort by protein level.
  • JustMissTracyToo
    JustMissTracyToo Posts: 74 Member
    You need to do what is right for you. If frozen meals is what you are able to get in during the day, that is definitely better than nothing, or worse, high calorie low nutrient takeout...

  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    It's fine. Add some veggies on the side - just buy a bag of baby carrots to keep in the fridge at work. They're portion controlled and easy. I aim for around 300 calories for lunch, and keep an eye on the sodium.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    My favorite lunch hack is to toss a lean cuisine over frozen broccoli or zoodles and add some grilled chicken. Filling and delicious.
  • Icandoit233
    Icandoit233 Posts: 90 Member
    I usually get the Smart Ones Creamy Rigatoni with Broccoli and Chicken. Then I would add a serving of Broccoli and Peas to really "beef" it up lol
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    edited February 2017
    I eat them for lunch at work pretty regularly. I often add extra frozen veggies and bring an apple or berries and string cheese or a hard-boiled egg. Portion controlled and right under 500 calories. I'm picky about the ones I choose because some can taste so sweet - likely a fair amount of added sugar to compensate for being very low fat.
    I don't eat them every day, but I often prefer warm meals for work in the fall and winter. I have no problems losing weight when I eat them, and I have no problem staying under the MFP sodium recommendation either (I usually cook dinner at home).
  • melanierozon345
    melanierozon345 Posts: 11 Member
    The issues with those is high sodium content just drink a lot of water. I have them once in a while I did today actually, you could also meal prep I cook a lot of chicken and use it for quick lunches. But the frozen meals are fine too. You'll probably retain some water weight from the sodium but you'll still lose weight.
  • tgcake
    tgcake Posts: 59 Member
    I cannot cook at the moment, so I eat frozen meals or the like quite often. Right now I'm trying microwaveable rice; throw in some frozen vegetables, and it's a fairly good meal.

    I'm not very concerned about the sodium since my blood work is fine, no high blood pressure, etc. and I might need more sodium. If you don't have a medical issue with sodium, you probably don't have to worry too much about that.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited February 2017
    I eat frozen entrees several times a week-did this during the weight loss phase (and lost 50lbs), and continue to do so now several years into maintenance (maintaining a bmi of around 21). I enjoy the taste and convenience of them, and they're a great base (I usually add a bag of frozen veggies and a can of chicken to them).
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    Frozen ones usually have less processing than other fast food options. Don't feel guilty about it.
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    Nope...nothing wrong with them. My only gripe is that some of them are kind of small and don't do much to keep me full, so I usually have a side of veggies or a piece of fruit to bulk things up.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    Honest question: Why would you be "destroying your health?"
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,192 Member
    I always have few Market Place Lean Cuisine in my freezer for those days when preparing lunch is not easy or not an option because I am lazy. I usually add a salad, home made soup or left over veggies if I have any. I choose the meals without pasta and with a higher protein content and the ones with less sodium. I always add fresh fruit with Fage as a desert.
  • KFCchick2014
    KFCchick2014 Posts: 1 Member
    Frozen is fine. I cook on one day of the week and then freeze all batch cooked meals. Same thing right?
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    I have them once in a while. I remember years back I went Lean Cuisine crazy and ate two a day I think, and it made me feel terrible after a little while. I think they are too salty for me. I like the Amy's once in a while, but if I had to eat it more than that I'd definitely be on the lookout for low sodium.
  • Michaelxo444
    Michaelxo444 Posts: 225 Member
    It only matters what YOU think about it anyone else's opinion on it doesn't matter everyone's body is different
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Jruzer wrote: »
    Honest question: Why would you be "destroying your health?"

    This was my first thought. What is it about frozen meals that YOU feel are destroying your health? What makes you feel that way? That's a pretty dramatic thought - is there something specifically you're struggling with about them?

    Personally I think they're fine. Not very filling for me - but a great timesaver when needed.
  • susannekb
    susannekb Posts: 31 Member
    I live on frozen veg and enjoy at least one frozen meal a week. There are great steam fresh rice, vegies, pasta around at the moment. I then add a piece of frozen fish. Really filling and around 500 cals or less. Just keep an eye on the sodium levels in some of them.
  • mallory_2014
    mallory_2014 Posts: 173 Member
    It isn't a horrible thing to do, they are just filled with sodium and not always the best of ingredients.

    What about preparing your own? I got a bunch of Pyrex containers and once a month I do a cooking and meal prep day. I premake a bunch of meals and pop them into the containers and into the freezer for grab and go meals.

    You could also make extra dinner and bring that along for lunch the next day, or even two days later to space out having the same meals.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,192 Member
    mallory_2014 wrote: »
    It isn't a horrible thing to do, they are just filled with sodium and not always the best of ingredients.

    What about preparing your own? I got a bunch of Pyrex containers and once a month I do a cooking and meal prep day. I premake a bunch of meals and pop them into the containers and into the freezer for grab and go meals.

    You could also make extra dinner and bring that along for lunch the next day, or even two days later to space out having the same meals.

    Did you read what the OP wrote in her posting:
    Right now, preparing and bringing food is not an option for me. It may be in the future.

  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,647 Member
    It's fine. If you have a need , though, watch the sodium.

    I barely touch the things now, but I give frozen meals credit for a great deal of my progress.
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
    Why does everyone think the Lean Cuisines and others like it are "full of sodium?" It's rare that I see one high in sodium. In fact, that new Campbell's YES soup had more sodium per serving that these meals do.

    Now, I will give you the fact that things like Hungry Man, Stouffers, Marie Calender meals are really high in sodium.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    I'm usually tired by the time I get home, so I'll have whatever is on hand, which is often lean cuisine. They may be a little high on sodium, but I usually don't add any salt to my other foods so it balances out. My mom continually watches out for sodium content and there are a lot of healthy choice ones she'll reject (those are her go to meals).

    They're convenient, they help me stay within my goal, and they usually go on sale every few weeks. Is it cheaper to cook my own? Probably. Do I get less additives by cooking, sure. I meal prep for lunch, I don't have freezer space to prep for dinner too (and I'm not eating the same thing for both).
  • jwhokie
    jwhokie Posts: 7 Member
    I eat frozen Smart Ones for lunch everyday at work. They're tasty and easy to grab out of the freezer on the way to work and I've had good success losing weight with them. They're a heck of a lot better for you than going out for fast food. If it works for you, do it.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,563 Member
    I also eat frozen meals for lunch most of the time. Depending on what you choose and what else you eat during the day there's no reason not to eat them unless you have a medical condition that would be affected by any of the ingredients. Like any other food, they contain macro and micro-nutrients, and some are a better choice nutritionally for the number of calories.
  • Kimblesnbits13
    Kimblesnbits13 Posts: 369 Member
    CMNVA wrote: »
    Why does everyone think the Lean Cuisines and others like it are "full of sodium?" It's rare that I see one high in sodium. In fact, that new Campbell's YES soup had more sodium per serving that these meals do.

    Now, I will give you the fact that things like Hungry Man, Stouffers, Marie Calender meals are really high in sodium.

    I dont think frozen meals are high in sodium when you compare them to healthy fast food options.....even a subway sandwich (with condiments) or panera bread has way more sodium than a frozen meal.
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