How do you guys feel about low calorie frozen meals?
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I love them. I use Trader Joe's frozen meals all the time. They have a great BBQ Teriyaki chicken and Shiitake Mushroom chicken. I mix them with additional veggies and serve them over their frozen cauliflower fried rice or spiralized zucchini or kelp noodles. Because one bag is enough for 4 meals, I'll cook it on Sunday and eat it for lunch throughout the week.2
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I use them to fill the gaps but they don't work that well for me in rotation because it is just too little food. Even 2 of them is only enough if I am eating something else with them.
With that said I believe them to be essential in the weight loss kit for me. A meal can end up being overcooked or just turn out badly and I don't need the frustration of starting over. I can also have days that leave me little time for food preparation. I am always looking for ways to make my life easier while in a deficit and these play a part.9 -
When I was single, I ate frozen dinners a couple of nights a week. Easy, low calorie and inexpensive. I didn't usually find them completely filling though, so I'd add extra vegetables to fill me up. DH doesn't like frozen dinners so i rarely do it now, though I like to keep something quick and easy around for the nights that we get home late and I don't want to cook. Usually it ends up being soup and a sandwich or omelet or French Toast.1
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I tend to avoid them lately because most of them are sodium bombs. Given that I'm working on getting my blood pressure down, that makes them difficult to work into my macros for the day. If you don't have that problem, then do what works for you. I used them more frequently before my weight gain drove my blood pressure up.6
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These are all really great comments and I'm glad the general attitude about frozen meals seems to have changed since they're ok in a pinch. I usually cook for my family but there are times that I only want a 300 calorie meal or I'm on my own for dinner. I'm definitely going to do what some suggested and add more veggies or protein to them. I can't hurt right?
I'd love to meal prep but it seems like there are times when mom has to do it all and there isn't enough time in a day. I'd love to try it though because there's nothing like eating something you've cooked yourself.3 -
I personally live off them a few times a week because of the convenience. My only complaint is how high in sodium most of them are. As someone with HBP I have to watch my sodium intake. And some days I have way too much. Usually because of V8 (I'd drink a gallon of this a day if I could) and or microwave meals.4
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I do a lot of meal prep and try to eat farm to (freezer to) table as much as possible... However, I do appreciate the convenience of prepackaged meals. Sometimes I just don't like my own cooking--there are recipes that, try as hard as I might, I just can't duplicate. I like that they are already portion-controlled and the calories (within some level of error) are neatly printed right there on the box.2
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I have no problem with them. I used to eat them all the time but haven't had one since starting my journey. This one was my absolute favorite but it took two of them to satisfy me
only problem is two of them is almost a whole days worth of sodium! 2 -
SchmancyName wrote: »I personally live off them a few times a week because of the convenience. My only complaint is how high in sodium most of them are. As someone with HBP I have to watch my sodium intake. And some days I have way too much. Usually because of V8 (I'd drink a gallon of this a day if I could) and or microwave meals.
agree, i wish they would give low sodium option or no sodium and we can add what we want ourselves.1 -
There's never enough food in them. I'd have to eat two or three to feel full.2
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If I could find one that tastes anything like the picture on the package leads me to believe, then I would eat them. The problem is that they always leave me feeling disappointed with both the quality and the quantity, so experience has taught me to just avoid them. If I found them satisfying then I would have no problem eating them.5
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When I was at my lowest weight ever, I didn't really know how to cook so my diet was very high in low calorie frozen meals. They helped get the job done. This time around in my weight loss attempt, I do attempt to cook more for variety and nutritional diversity, but frozen meals are certainly still a part of my diet (I love me some Hot Pockets) and they fit well within my weight loss strategy.3
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nighthawk584 wrote: »
I have no problem with them. I used to eat them all the time but haven't had one since starting my journey. This one was my absolute favorite but it took two of them to satisfy me only problem is two of them is almost a whole days worth of sodium!
I love me my Mari Callendars meals too! I stock up on those when they go on sale because they've got a few varieties that I like and are under 400 calories (which is generally what I'm allotted for lunch, as I like a big dinner and I'm quite petite).
I limit myself to one a day because of the sodium as well, haha. They would make me super thirsty if I had two a day.2 -
As another alternative, our local grocery store has started selling fresh pre-made meals. So perhaps salmon and broccoli, shrimp over orzo with asparagus, chicken stuffed with ham, cheese and asparagus with fresh green beans, etc. Most are 250-450 calories. You just pop them in the oven and 15-30 minutes later you have a fresh, healthy low-cal meal. Cost is similar to those mail order meal services except you don't have to prep anything. About $5/meal.6
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I often work 7 days/week and don't have the time (or energy) to grocery shop or meal prep. My life savers have been frozen meals because I can stock the freezer full and be good. When I buy fresh foods, they usually go bad in my fridge before I get a chance to use them. My favorites are frozen fish filets with frozen veggies, or Healthy Choice Power Bowls (I choose the ones with the least amount of sugar.)
On the days where I'm not feelin' the frozen stuff, I might get takeout, but before I even start eating, I'll split it in half so I'm not tempted to eat the whole thing and I'll save the rest for the next evening. Most American portions are more than sufficient for multiple meals.6 -
ready2lose2101 wrote: »These are all really great comments and I'm glad the general attitude about frozen meals seems to have changed since they're ok in a pinch. I usually cook for my family but there are times that I only want a 300 calorie meal or I'm on my own for dinner. I'm definitely going to do what some suggested and add more veggies or protein to them. I can't hurt right?
I'd love to meal prep but it seems like there are times when mom has to do it all and there isn't enough time in a day. I'd love to try it though because there's nothing like eating something you've cooked yourself.
I’m a busy working mom also and often end up on my own for dinner when my husband is out of town since I try to feed the kids early before sports practice and I prefer to just wait a little later, or else I feed them something super easy like grilled cheese and soup or breakfast for dinner.
I buy a bag of frozen shrimp which can be thawed and sautéed in less than 10 minutes, serve it with some of the Birdseye steamer protein blends (grains and veggies). I make a double portion of that and then save half for my lunch the next day. I also will buy the skillet meals from Bertolli or PF Changs or Voila and make that and save half of it for my next day as well.
For meal prepping if you are interested a lot of times what I do is just cook a lot of protein -5 lbs of ground beef or a mix of beef/turkey and then divide it into 1 lb portions in a ziplock bag and freeze it which can thenbe used for super quick spaghetti, tacos, chili, etc. I do the same with frozen chicken breasts, spices and some liquid in the crock pot or instant pot which is then shredded and saved for sandwiches, tacos or enchiladas or soups. Occasionally when I’m really motivated I prep full meals but I find that daunting, so just having protein cooked and ready to pull out of the freezer makes weeknight meals really quick.1 -
if you can find this brand, they are amazing too, but again, takes two to fill me up and they are a little more pricey.
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I love the convenience, but I'm always hungry within a couple of hours. I need a bit extra on those days.4
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ready2lose2101 wrote: »These are all really great comments and I'm glad the general attitude about frozen meals seems to have changed since they're ok in a pinch. I usually cook for my family but there are times that I only want a 300 calorie meal or I'm on my own for dinner. I'm definitely going to do what some suggested and add more veggies or protein to them. I can't hurt right?
I'd love to meal prep but it seems like there are times when mom has to do it all and there isn't enough time in a day. I'd love to try it though because there's nothing like eating something you've cooked yourself.
If you want to try meal prepping but don't have a lot of time, how about making additional portions when you cook a meal for the family? It's just my son and I at home, but I'll often make 4 servings instead of 2, and then portion out the other 2 into containers and toss them in the freezer. It doesn't take any extra time since I'm already cooking anyway. It's an easy way to stock up on a few meals!4 -
@nighthawk584 I like their version of mac n cheese (I think it's called vermont cheddar?) but I agree, I'd need two to feel full. The portion just isn't that big. They're big on the fancy packaging though, and the tray feels more like a plate.
I'd say this is my favorite frozen meal. It's delicious, filling, and hella inexpensive (one time they were on sale for $1 each, normally they're $2.15 at my store.
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