Pre packed diet foods!

elsiekay31 · October 2011

Hiya, I have over 100 pounds to lose and am going to start tomorrow after falling off track terribly and staying off it while I filled my face with high fat snacks. I want to know if anyone knows of pre packed foods that are cheap, easy to prepare/take out etc etc as I hate cooking.

cirellim · October 2011

Lean cuisines, lean pockets, honestly just check the freezer aisle at the grocery store their packed with pre packaged foods. Just be careful just because something has the word lean or diet in the name doesn't necessarily mean its going to be good for you. For on the go type snacks 100 calorie packs are nice along with protein bars, protein shakes with skim or almond milk are low calorie options for on the go as well.

lvpthemvp · October 2011

It seems routine is best. So whatever box you fall for be it the white one, the green one, or the red one. . . the consistency is what they say is the most important. Welcome back to MFP

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange · October 2011

Amy's frozen meals are a good option

hummus and whole wheat pita doesn't requiring cooking

nuts

whole wheat bread, 2 tbsp peanut butter, whole fruit preserves (aka pb&j)

rotisserie chicken with steamable veggies

sandwich thins (100 calories) with an egg

hard boiled eggs, cheese stick, and whole grain crackers

kashi frozen meals

microwavable brown rice, can of tuna, and can of veggies...mix with some salsa or soy sauce

Hope this helps:)

CocoNuttie · October 2011

I don't really know any but would like to make a gentle advice that unless you are willing to eat those pre packed diet foods for the rest of your life then I suggest you start learning how to cook. Cooking really help you to understand more about ingredients, what food is good and bad for you, about balance and healthy life style. For example you'll really understand how much fat/sugar etc needs to go into your dish to make it taste like typical fast-food or ready meals....and that will frighten you off having too much junk! (it did for me -_-") Also you'll learn to develop liking of natural ingredients like fruits and veg which are low calories and wholesome.

The comment above is also right that those diet foods dont necessary good for your health...I would say watch your sodium and make sure the listed ingredients don't read like a chemistry lesson....

Good luck, I hope you'll find what work for you.

psmd · October 2011

I agree with the person who said you probably should cook some, except I will add that I also don't like cooking and am not good at it, and live alone and find it a pain to cook for myself only. That being said, I am eating a ton of fresh fruits, and a lot of "easy" meals, rather than cooking complicated stuff, i.e. egg whites with whole wheat bread, or frozen veggie burgers (I like Amy's brand also) with avocado or mozzarella, hummus and bread or veggies, etc. If I do frozen meals, I like Amy's, some Ethnic Gourmet, or Kashi. I don't like Lean Cuisine or Weight Watcher's too much because they are overly processed. For energy bars I like Think Thin (around 220 calories) or Kind Bars (around 180 calories). I would also try going to Trader Joe's if you have one around you, there's tons of half-cooked or easy to cooked stuff in their frozen and fresh section. Good luck!

gp79 · October 2011

Prepackaged really isn't that great. Better than McDonalds? Yes. I just spent 20 minutes and have 3 meals all ready to go for this week. Tonight, I'm spending another 30-40 minutes and making the other two days meals and I won't have to sweat a thing for the rest of the week. It's as simple as grab and go.

2 Potatoes and a bundle of asparagus. Chop up and put in a pan with olive oil. Cook until tender.

I separate that into 3 containers. Maybe a cup each?

I eat it with 12 oz of low sodium deli meat and for desert I have cottage cheese and frozen berries (thawed of course).

The best part is, you can develop these meals yourself with a little ingenuity and MFP so you are getting what your body needs throughout the entire week.

So hit the store, get what you need...turn that burner on and invest a half hour to better nutrition.

Mrrwmoo · October 2011

Those 100-calorie snacks, granola bard, and 50 calorie cookies are murderous, and can be so easy to overeat! I suggest just buying nuts and dried, no-sugar or preservative added fruits and place them into individual baggies the night before and have them on hand. Hard-boiled eggs is a good option too.

sweetxsour35 · October 2011

Like the previous poster, I cook for the week so I don't have to worry.

You could get a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket. It's pre-cooked, all you have to do is put it on a plate and warm it. I also like Steam fresh veggies. They come in a bag in the freezer aisle and you can pop them in the microwave, too. Most take about 5 minutes.

What I've been doing lately is buying chicken breast, cooking it with things like garlic powder and pepper (you can use whatever seasoning you like), cutting it up and taking it in a whole wheat wrap with lettuce and light caesar. It's pretty darn good if you ask me. I also like fruit cups, but you have to be careful with those. Some have a lot of sugar, so I buy the ones in light syrup or no sugar added.

Another option is tomato and mozzarella salad. You don't have to cook anything, you just cut up the tomatoes and mozzarella and toss with olive oil and basil.

Once you learn to cook for yourself, It's easy.

HeatherMomSamMaxTom · October 2011

I agree with everyone! That being said find your favorite foods, I like fresh veggies instead of fruits, but either or, or both to eat before you eat prepackaged foods. Find other sources of prepackaged and add your twist to foods like tuna in the foil packs that can easily be mixed on a pita, or cracker, frozen shrimp that can be thaw from morning til noon when you want to eat.. Pre cooking parts of a dish and using it for the week, like rice or pasta while adding a different taste, pesto, or sweet and sour, or spaghetti sauce. Just watch out for sodium in your prepackaged foods. Zone protein bars are sooo good! Find a friend or friends that need to cook and start having a two week or once month get together and make your own dishes & freeze and you can split the dishes and cost! hope it helps.

elsiekay31 · October 2011

I just want to say, thank you to all who replied, I am truly grateful. You have given me so much inspiration and motivated me to actually start looking in sections of the supermarket I usually walk right past ... ie fresh food sections! I normally head for the chocolate and pizzas... bad hey.

But I guess if I'm going to change then I must break my bad habits. As some people say, it's a lifestyle not a diet. I've got to change my lifestyle. the comments recommending cooking a few days food in one go and freezing them are brilliant ideas!!! And some of the suggestions you guys have come up with are real inspirations! I never thought to put anything other than butter and cheese onto a craker!

I don't know how to cook, and when I do try, it turns out bad, but perhaps the key is to keep trying and to start on simple dishes and build up once I'm a little more confident.

Well, it's almost 1AM here in London and I had better get my beauty sleep because tomorrow I start my new healthy life and ARGH!!!!

I wish you all success on your quests to lose weight and once again, thank you so much for your replies. :O)

sweetxsour35 · October 2011

I just want to say, thank you to all who replied, I am truly grateful. You have given me so much inspiration and motivated me to actually start looking in sections of the supermarket I usually walk right past ... ie fresh food sections! I normally head for the chocolate and pizzas... bad hey.

But I guess if I'm going to change then I must break my bad habits. As some people say, it's a lifestyle not a diet. I've got to change my lifestyle. the comments recommending cooking a few days food in one go and freezing them are brilliant ideas!!! And some of the suggestions you guys have come up with are real inspirations! I never thought to put anything other than butter and cheese onto a craker!

I don't know how to cook, and when I do try, it turns out bad, but perhaps the key is to keep trying and to start on simple dishes and build up once I'm a little more confident.

Well, it's almost 1AM here in London and I had better get my beauty sleep because tomorrow I start my new healthy life and ARGH!!!!

I wish you all success on your quests to lose weight and once again, thank you so much for your replies. :O)

Good luck on your quest to becoming healthy c:

Lauren5280 · October 2011

Most prepackaged foods are so high in sodium that they're not worth it. I would recommend spending a couple of hours each Sunday preparing foods at home for the week.

auntie_missy · October 2011

In the interest of making a true lifestyle change, consider looking for a cooking class, particularly one that covers healthy foods, or watch cooking shows on DVD or online, or follow some food blogs, or if there is a family member or friend who is a pretty good cook, ask him or her to help you go through a few recipes. You want to give yourself the tools you need to be successful instead of relying on some corporate bozo to do it for you. Besides, those prepackaged foods are often either really pricey or not actually that good for you.

Something else that helps get you more comfortable in the kitchen - buying a kitchen gadget every once in a while. Not the best at cooking meat? Get a George Foreman grill. Want more fruits in your life? Get a blender and embrace smoothies! Need a way to make veggies more fun? Try a mandolin! Want to try your hand at bread? Bread machines are pretty much dummy proof - it's basically measure, add the ingredients in the right order, and push the right button.

Pre packed diet foods!

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