Frozen Healthy Dinners? Are they really healthy?

I cannot speak to how healthy they are, but i know that they are always loaded with sodium. I also find that i am still hungry after eating them. I guess a once in a while kind of deal wont hurt. One of the ways to deal with cooking is to maybe cook for the week on Sundays and then pack your own food. I cant remember the last time i ate a frozen dinner

The trouble is that most of these so-called 'healthy' ready meals work on the premise that low-fat = healthy. However, in cooking terms, if you take the fat away you have a bit of a taste issue to address....and they tend to do that by whacking up the sodium or sugar content to create what they call 'mouth feel'. These 'healthy' labels are just one more marketing gimmick.

If you have trouble finding time cooking during your work week, I'd suggest investing in a freezer and batch cooking from scratch on weekends. If you cook up soups, stews, curries, pasta dishes (whatever it is you're eating on your diet) and freeze into portions then you have something you can pop out, defrost and reheat without all the added nasties. I can pretty much guarantee it'll also be cheaper and tastier too.

They're certainly not as healthy as making your own!

Ok for emergencies, but I wouldn't rely on them daily.

My dad eats these a lot, (he's doing WW) and he eat's one of these with a bunch of extra veggies. The main thing with frozen meals is sodium, but as long as you are careful about the sodium in other foods you should be okay. Just drink lots of water to help combat any bloating!

Same thing. Low calories, insanity high sodium. During the week, if it keeps my from a trip to a fast food place, then was it worth it?

Which is the lessor or two evils?

Dedicate one day such as sunday or one of your days off, by making different chopped up salads in the fridge. Cook all your chicken for the week, store it in the fridge. Get the tuna out and ready, store it in the fridge. Etc etc. That way you've always got something to quickly get, dump in the frying pan or oven without any preparation.

My complaint about them isn't the sodium. There's some where the sodium content is pretty low... just check the labels before you buy 'em. It's the lack of protein. Some only have about 9g per meal. I've compared labels and Hot Pockets are more nutritious.

That, and they're tiny. I can make a similar dinner with the same calorie count with a LOT more food and nutrition.

Very convenient, though. I like to have some in the freezer for lazy days.

Most of them are high in sodium - high sodium can lead to retention of water which equals to weight # going up on the scale. I would suggest what most have already suggested - precook your meals - brown rice stays nice and fresh for about 7 days, chicken... etc...

IMO they can be healthy options for people on the go or who don't have time or don't like to cook. The worst thing about them is sodium!! The portion sizes are good and some are quite tasty. I think they are best for occasional use as nothing honestly beats a home cooked meal.

they are ok in a pinch, I add a salad or extra veggies

I am curious to what you guys and girls think about meals like healthy choice and smart ones, if you think they are really as healthy as they claim to be. I know it's hard for me to always cook since I work 2 jobs and it's easy to pop one of these in the microwave, but I have read that they are not that good for you, then I read that they are. What do you think?

i have eaten a ton of them; they were an important tool for me in the weight loss portion of my diet. some argue that the sodium is high. i suppose if you're on specific instructions from your doctor to cut sodium, that would be a consideration. i wasn't, so i ate them frequently for quite a while.

When I first started my diet years ago, I started by eating lean cuisine for dinner. I did that every night for about a month. It really shaved off the weight quickly for me. After that, I just started learning how to eat regular food and get off those things. So, as a kick start or even a once in a while thing, I think they're ok. But, I would try not to make a habit of it.

I don't think they are quite as worthless as people make them sound... yes, they are loaded with sodium. Without a doubt. But so are canned foods. I just try to buy reduced sodium items whenever I can. Additionally, people complain that they are still hungry... but that's only because the amount of calories in these things are so low. Most Healthy Choice frozen dinners I see are around 250-350 calories. Most people could eat two of these for one meal, and still easily stay within their calorie count for the day. But, one of the bad things that I'm surprised no one has mentioned is the processed food aspect. I hear over and over again on TV and while reading that processed food isn't nearly as good for you as fresh food is.

So, I think it's a pro/con list type of thing. Are they healthy enough to live on 100%? Probably not, but I'd rather eat a ton of these than eat fast food constantly. I keep 4-5 of these in my freezer, because a few times during the week I'm usually too worn out from work to cook, and sick of eating leftovers from the weekend. I feel like this will turn into another diet soda debate... everyone has their own opinion on the subject. I say, use your best judgement as whether or not to eat them, and how often. Just don't eat them every day.

They're probably not the "healthiest" but considering your other fast food places like subway, one of their meals from Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones has less sodium than most of the 6' subs you will find on Subway's healthy choice menu.

I talked with my nutritionist just last week about frozen dinners and mentioned the sodium and she said that even if you ate them 3 times a day you'd still be under your daily sodium and that even if you were on restricted sodium if you're using them once a day you're probably going to within your limits. She also recommends using TV dinners for people who need to learn portion control. while the ratio of protein/starch/veg/fruit may not be correct the overall size of a complete meal is pretty spot on.