Frozen Meals Yay or Nay?

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kellylara93
kellylara93 Posts: 228
in Food and Nutrition
On my weight loss journey I have been incorporating a frozen Lean Cuisine/Weight Watchers meal as my dinner.

I know that you wont get the nutrients that you would get in a fresh cooked meal, BUT, i find them, quick, convenient and portion controlled, and I ALWAYS feel full!

Just wondering what everyone else thought? Have you had success with them?

Thanks :)

Replies

  • Katie187
    Katie187 Posts: 15
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    I think a lot of them have carbs in them. I don't like having carbs at night.
  • Dexy_
    Dexy_ Posts: 593 Member
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    Expensive and full of sodium. Pick a day and cook all your meals and freeze them if you prefer, at least you know EXACTLY what's going in your body.

    But if it works for you, all power to you.
  • LindsayT2012
    LindsayT2012 Posts: 60 Member
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    they usually have a lot of salt. I would try and avoid them
  • Teliooo
    Teliooo Posts: 725 Member
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    I eat them occasionally, usually when I am at work. The carbs do not bother me as I work out so much and I am not on a low carb diet. I just make sure that if I eat a heavy carb meal, the rest of my day isn't. Yes ready meals are not great for you but I incorporate them into my otherwise healthy lifestyle. I eat what I want and am no bothered about others judging. I am fit and healthy, don't smoke, barely drink and I move a lot. As long as this is not your every day life then I don't see the problem. The do contain a lot of salt but you can eat low sodium for the rest of the day. I barely ever hit over 1500mg of sodium even when I do eat one.

    I would not recommend eating them every day for dinner. I am talking like once or twice a week max!
  • ingies2011
    ingies2011 Posts: 127 Member
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    Expensive and full of sodium. Pick a day and cook all your meals and freeze them if you prefer, at least you know EXACTLY what's going in your body.

    But if it works for you, all power to you.

    I do this, then I can workout exactly what is in it, and cook/steam some fresh vegies with it, very easy, and much tastier.
  • bumflapassassin
    bumflapassassin Posts: 316 Member
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    I think we're supposed to say nay but it's difficult after a long day so I do sneak them in every once in a while.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    they usually have a lot of salt. I would try and avoid them

    Everyone always says this- that they are high in salt- but it's not that hard to find ones that aren't high sodium (or at least aren't *that* high).

    I find them quick and convenient. They make great lunches. I don't have the time or the inclination to cook. Could I eat "healthier" if I did cook? Probably. But I'm not going to cook. I choose not to make it a priority. So... I can either throw a sandwich together in a rush before leaving the house each morning, grab a frozen meal out of the freezer, or buy fast food from someplace close to work... I usually choose the frozen meal.

    It works for me. If you like them, go for it. In my opinion, the most important factor to any diet is sustainability. If you won't stick with it, you're not gonna lose the weight and you're not going to keep it off if you do lose it. If frozen dinners help with the sustainability... then use them.
  • Tattoos_and_Tea
    Tattoos_and_Tea Posts: 529 Member
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    I eat them quite a bit and its never hindered my weight loss xx
  • dianeellen2
    dianeellen2 Posts: 259 Member
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    I dont think an occasional ready meal will kill you and if its a choice of that or some high cal snack than thats fine - lots of people talk about how terrible anything is that you dont cook yourself but ...lifes not perfect...we all know what we should do however....lifes not like that.

    Dont give yourself a hard time - if its better than you were doing before your diet then thats good

    Diane :flowerforyou:
  • randa_behnam
    randa_behnam Posts: 488 Member
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    if they work for you and are part of your plan then go for it! i tried the convienience food approach but for me, nothings as good as home cooked food

    i fill my freezer up with lots of meats which dont really take long at all to cook. especially fish. Low in cals, sodium, carbs.
  • cockneypaul
    cockneypaul Posts: 52 Member
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    I cook all my Lunches and some evening meals on sunday and freeze them, a lot better for you and at a fraction of the cost, but if it works for you then go with it.
  • PBJunky
    PBJunky Posts: 737 Member
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    On my weight loss journey I have been incorporating a frozen Lean Cuisine/Weight Watchers meal as my dinner.

    I know that you wont get the nutrients that you would get in a fresh cooked meal, BUT, i find them, quick, convenient and portion controlled, and I ALWAYS feel full!

    Just wondering what everyone else thought? Have you had success with them?

    Thanks :)

    It depends, if you can prepare your meals in advance then you are more in control of what you put in your body and log much more accurately...but if you can't then settle for it.
  • Nikki582
    Nikki582 Posts: 561 Member
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    Oh I buy them on "Can't be stuffed" days when I just want a big mac or something because I can't be stuffed making dinner
  • kellylara93
    kellylara93 Posts: 228
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    Thanks! I might give it a go with making all my meals one day and freezing, just hard to beat such tasty looking meals with such low cals.

    Thanks everyone :)
  • yanageorge
    yanageorge Posts: 6
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    Honestly, there is alot of satisfaction in making your own, (and homecooked looks and tastes better) the portions are easily controlled if you take the time to measure and plan. BUT, everyone is different and things work better for some than others. I hate being told what to do, which is alot of my problem with weight. So, do what works for you. Re-evaluate if it stops working.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    I don't think it is a good idea to have them all the time for the sodium content, extremely low calorie content, and possibly the missing nutrients.

    However, my freezer always has a couple of them just in case one day, I don't feel like cooking or going out to eat. Basically I use them in "emergency" type situations where I don't plan to eat them, but I need something quick and easy for some other reason...like when I was depressed and going through a lot back in August this year...I could not have forced myself to cook anything! But 5 minutes in a microwave was just fine, and on those days, I didn't go over on calories.
  • miss_jamaica
    miss_jamaica Posts: 376 Member
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    I eat them whenever I feel like having one. I figure the alternative on a day when I want a frozen meal would be much worse :-)
  • thinkingthingirl
    thinkingthingirl Posts: 153 Member
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    Im always worried about the salt levels in them. and the fat levels. And the carb levels. Well everytyhing about a frozen meal makes me sad to eat. Id rather just make my own and then freeze that for convinience :D
  • sweet_peas_94
    sweet_peas_94 Posts: 19
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    I think it's healthier to do your own, and then freeze it - but I love that you know EXACTLY how many calories are in it. Besides, it's quick and easy - and good in my case, because I suck at cooking haha! xx

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