Low Calorie Frozen Dinners

SharaLynnG
SharaLynnG Posts: 10 Member
edited October 4 in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I am looking for some of your favorite diet frozen dinners. I've wanted to do the Medifast thing, but it's so expensive.. I like the convenience of frozen dinners, and if I already have a controlled portion for dinner that is quick to prepare, I think I will do better.

So far, Smart One's Lasagna Florentine is absolutely wonderful... But I have tasted some meals from them that taste like cardboard, they are not all created equal. So... favorites anyone?

Replies

  • surfrgrl1
    surfrgrl1 Posts: 1,464 Member
    I really like the Healthy Choice ones that contain the dessert!
    The only bad thing about many of the frozen dinners is the sodium content, so I don't have them all the time.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    These aren't the lowest calorie option, but I love EatWell frozen meals from Fresh & Easy. Each one has less than 25% the daily limits for calories, saturated fat and sodium recommended for a healthy diet. They don't have any trans fat, high fructose corn syrup or preservatives.
  • BigDaddyBRC
    BigDaddyBRC Posts: 2,395 Member
    These things are LOADED with Sodium. So be cautious on the overall frequency of eating them.
  • horror_hamster
    horror_hamster Posts: 278
    I think the healthy choice cafe steamers are the best of them all. They can be high in sodium (as already stated) so be careful, but they allow you to omit the sauce if you want and they make rice ones now (the top chef Mediterranean something or other is just DELICIOUS)
  • dez_yaoichan
    dez_yaoichan Posts: 454
    michelinas- any of these i like and theyre only $1 at walmart. (dont bother with the lean- they arent as good and the cals are about the same)

    tortillini alfreado is my fav, followed by the pizza rolls, 5 chesse ziti, and lasagna with meat sauce
  • jellybaby84
    jellybaby84 Posts: 583 Member
    I've heard that none of them are very healthy really - bit of a diet gimmick with lots of hidden salt and sugar?
  • kwest_4_fitness
    kwest_4_fitness Posts: 820 Member
    Lean Cuisine baked chicken with stuffing & mashed potatoes, steak portabello & broccoli, cabbage roll & mashed potatoes.
    Healthy Choice meatloaf, herbed chicken, manicotti, and chicken parm.
  • limismith
    limismith Posts: 156 Member
    I love Amy's brand frozen dinners. They make other things (poptarts, soups, etc) and they are all organic, vegetarian, and glueten free. Even if you don't care about any of those things, they are delicious and lower sodium than lean cuisines or smart ones. They run $2-$4 each and between 200-450 calories each. I get them at Walmart, and I am sure Target sells them too... they like organic healthy things like that :)

    Yummm... just thinking about them makes me hungry!!!
  • jpeterburs88
    jpeterburs88 Posts: 201 Member
    I LOVE Healthy Choice frozen dinners when I am strapped for time. Compared to many of the other brands I've had, they taste the best and have the lowest sodium content (around 400-600). I definetly reccomend the Healthy Choice BBQ chicken pizza- I can't remember the calorie count (I think its 300-something... maybe less?) but the sodium is pretty low compared to other frozen dinners (around 400-something.)-- and it's a pretty substantial portion size!
  • MindyBlack
    MindyBlack Posts: 954 Member
    I like the Healthy choice ones too. They have a huge variety in a variety of calories so I can choose one to fill up my caloric needs for the day. I agree, they do have a lot of sodium so be careful. I am trying to limit myself to one or two a week. Sometimes it's more like 5.
    My favorite high calorie one is Chicken Parmigana, very yummy. My favorite low calorie option is turkey medallions with red potatoes. The side dish is butterneut squash with apples and cranberries. It only has like 210 calories for all that yumminess.

    Tonight may end up being one of those nights. Still handing out candy and haven't started dinner.
  • GouchisGirl
    GouchisGirl Posts: 321 Member
    I'm in love with Marie Calendars Steak, mushrooms, red potatoes, and green bean casserole under 400 calories. Its not a diet meal, but it is filling and that isn't that many calories for a dinner. :)
  • silvereve
    silvereve Posts: 69 Member
    Lean cuisine rice and beans- I actually eat a lot of the lean cuisine brand when I need a quick meal. I usually have some premade salad with it, left over veggies, or fruit to fill out the meal.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    These things are LOADED with Sodium. So be cautious on the overall frequency of eating them.
    Sodium only matters if you have blood pressure issues. Look at Asians...................they pound sodium every day and age very well.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Make your own. Make a bunch of food, portion it out, and freeze it. It will be better for you, cheaper, and more delicious.
  • troublestew
    troublestew Posts: 1
    I like the Lean Cusine meals, they are very good with a side of salad or pickled beets.:flowerforyou:
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    I've heard that...

    The problem on these boards in a nutshell...
  • honeybadger175
    honeybadger175 Posts: 69 Member
    Lean Cuisine garlic and chicken egg rolls, I have a salad with them.
  • Thirstygirl
    Thirstygirl Posts: 122 Member
    Have you thought of making your own??? I do it all the time especially with soups and stews and casseroles and such:) make enough for family dinner plus more!!!! then freeze a couple and i do that each night so i have variety at work the next few weeks in addition to salads... or i have done extra chicken breasts add the veggie on the side and freeze that way...
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
    Make your own. Make a bunch of food, portion it out, and freeze it. It will be better for you, cheaper, and more delicious.

    I do this sometimes. It's super easy and a million times tastier. I dedicate a weekend to cooking and then I'm set for a week or two depending on what I'm making.
  • AddA2UDE
    AddA2UDE Posts: 382
    Michelinas - Meat loaf and mashed taters! Just 200 calories and only a buck! They taste pretty good and knock the hunger down for 2-3 hours. My day from 4:30am to 5:00pm consists of one or two of these, one or two protein bars and a cup of oats. I eat when I become hungry. When I get home, I eat whatever calories I have left. Seems to work out just fine.
  • SunshineKisses_2012
    SunshineKisses_2012 Posts: 471 Member
    My opinion on this is to set aside a few hours one day a week (on a day off, preferably) and bake a bunch of chicken/beef/pork (whatever you think you might want for the next week or two) and freeze it in individual portions. You will have protein ready to take out and run with whenever you need it. Salads are easy to throw together to either put the protein on top of, or grab some of the bird's eye individual frozen veggies or veggie and rice mixes to pair with it. Easy and you know what's in it.

    Then again, i don't find that the frozen meals do much else than make me hungrier and bloated.
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