Are microwaveable meals REALLY bad?
Replies
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I read an article on the dangers of microwave ovens. It raises blood pressure. Now the article might be biased but since I cut back on using the microwave my blood pressure has dropped significantly. I prefer not to use microwaves not to cook my food. I don't think it's the healthiest choice. But to each their own. But then I also have the luxury of not working right now and I have the time to prepare home cooked meals with fresh ingredients.
Microwaves work by causing the water molecules in food to vibrate, heating it up. Its often a very healthy way of cooking, particularly for veggies (I'm not experienced with meats here) because you lose less water soluble vitamins than boiling or other methods of cooking. Plus you can also cook without added butter or oil. Plus it's really damn convenient.0 -
I agree. I eat them a few times a week for lunch at work. Or if I'm really lazy, for dinner. Some of them are good but yes, some of them are gross!I think they are very good for controlling your calorie intake. Some of them may be high in sodium, just like canned foods. Otherwise I think they are pretty good and they even taste good. I used to eat Lean Quisine "under 300 cal" frozen dishes with chicken. The ones with basil and with peanut sauce were my favorite.0 -
I would suggest that if you do not cook and prepare your own meals to start doing this.
The reason I say this is that you will actually see what you are putting into your meal, you can control the amount of salt, pepper etc. I also believe that preparing your own meals is part of the education we are all going through to better understand nutrition and how to balance a good meal and still keep it healthy, tasty and satisfying.
I started doing this and now actually enjoy the process of thinking about what I am going to eat, how I am going to make it, keep it balanced. I found that I actually enjoy my meals time a whole lot more, than when I relied on packaged or pre-made meals.
I do this now for lunch and diner, and consider most of my snacks.
Although I do still indulge myself once in a while when I want fries etc...0 -
I use them to keep portions in check and/or get back on track after a few high calorie eating days. I read in one of my health magazines to keep an eye on the sodium content because it is VERY high in many of the meals.
I like several types of Lean Cuisine meals, but mainly only eat them for lunch at work.0 -
Excellent for calories but most have a high amount of sodium--there are a few exceptions0
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I keep them around for quick lunches. They are always a good portion for me. I love the lean cusisine pizzas
AGREED! I keep them around for quick fix meals - and I also have my faves.0 -
You are going to get a lot of people probably telling you that fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats are better- which in fact, anything "fresh" is healthier because it doesn't have other things added to it.
However, in the grand scheme of things, are they that terrible for you? No. Yes they tend to have high amounts of sodium in them, which I know people like to avoid because of the apparent "bloating" effect it has, but other than that, and not having the freshest tasting food- if you like the taste, they fill you up, and help you stay within your calorie goal and other macros- then why not.
To each his own- it would be one thing if you were eating them for lets say breakfast lunch and dinner, and not getting any type of fresh food in ya- but for a lunch or a dinner on a night when you are in a hurry or don't want to cook- I think they are perfectly acceptable.
I coped an ingredient lisT of a LEAN CUISINE and took out all the real food. This is the exact list MINUS everything that's food.
I have a simple rule. If its made in a lab, don't eat it.
.
TORTILLA (BLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID)
SODIUM BICARBONATE,
SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE,
POTASSIUM SORBATE (A PRESERVATIVE),
CALCIUM PROPIONATE (A PRESERVATIVE),
FUMARIC ACID,
SODIUM METABISULFITE (DOUGH CONDITIONER)),
CHEESE (CULTURED MILK AND NON-FAT MILK, MODIFIED CORN STARCH*, SALT, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, ENZYME. (*INGREDIENT NOT IN REGULAR MOZZARELLA CHEESE)),
LIGHT PASTEURIZED PROCESS MONTEREY JACK CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, WATER, POTASSIUM CITRATE, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, WHEY*, SORBIC ACID, CREAM, ENZYMES, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID (*INGREDIENT NOT IN REGULAR PASTEURIZED PROCESS MONTEREY JACK CHEESE)),
COOKED WHITE MEAT CHICKEN (WHITE MEAT CHICKEN, WATER, SEASONING (SALT, FLAVORINGS, MALTODEXTRIN, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SUGAR, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, FLAVOR {MALTODEXTRIN, SMOKE FLAVOR}
, CARAMEL COLOR, AND CITRIC ACID),
MODIFIED RICE STARCH,
CHICKEN FLAVOR (DEHYDRATED CHICKEN BROTH, CHICKEN POWDER, FLAVOR, SALT), SODIUM PHOSPHATES),
LIGHT PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, WATER, POTASSIUM CITRATE, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, WHEY*, SORBIC ACID, CREAM, APO CAROTENAL AND BETA CAROTENE COLOR, ENZYMES, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID (*INGREDIENT NOT IN REGULAR PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEDDAR CHEESE)),
FLAVORING {CONTAINS CANOLA OIL},
, LIME JUICE POWDER (CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, LIME JUICE SOLIDS, NATURAL FLAVOR), AND
Jalapeño POWDER),
CORN STARCH
YUCK. Chicken flavoring?????? Why does chicken need flavoring??
For more info: wellfitlife.me0 -
If you are simply watching calories they may not seem so bad, right? Look at the sodium content and the ingredients list. Not all meals are created equal. Try to go for the stemable bags of veggies and add some grilled chicken to them. You can even get grilled chicken that is already cooked and seasoned. Just pay attention to the ingredients. Try to buy the brands and meals with the least amount of added chemicals and dyes. I suggest staying away from meals that have High Fructiose corn syrup and Sodium levels over 750 mg. Hope this helps, good luck.0
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Awesome post, thanks for taking the time to point out all those chems. There are micro steamable options out there that are still quick but do not have all that crap added. You can also buy prepared seasoned and grilled chicken to toss on top, or a rotissere chicken(take of the skin) to add. A lot of micro meals are low on protein.0
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Microwaving in plastic does release toxins into the food -- phytoestrogens, which can mimic hormones in your body, throwing your balance out of whack.
I have also heard that microwaving zaps the nutritional value of food (even if you do it in, say, a glass container). However, here's an article that refutes that: http://www.livestrong.com/article/364569-nutritional-value-of-vegetables-cooked-in-the-microwave/
I think what a lot of others have already said in this thread is pretty key -- look at the label, just like you would with any other packaged food.
Oh . . . and DON'T nuke it in plastic!
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i used to eat them all the time, but once you go fresh for a long time.. (i don't use frozen either), you can really taste the difference! I guess it depends if you are eating for taste or fuel...0
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My last three roommates were/are the laziest people. All three of them eat microwavable crap for every meal. I personally hate the taste of TV dinner type things. Once I started to cook for myself, it was hard to go back to food like that. It just tastes so much better! haha.0
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I guess it would depend on your goals.......loosing wieght.....or being at optimal health.I think once in while would be fine but I would not eat them on a regular basis.If you do the research you will find that there are lots of refined carbs(sugar) plus ingredients that were made in lab instead of nature.......if you want to be healthy and lean I would try your best to make your own meals ahead and have them in tupperware containers for ease som you know what your really putting in your body.You will still reach your fat loss goals but you may not truly be feeding your body what it needs in the long run to function properly.Have you ever seen someone who lost a ton of wieght but they looked sick....dry hair,dry skin,drawn looking,dimply skin....this is what they call skinny fat syndrome( your skinny but unhealthy).I really feel that we need to make every calorie count the best we can. GOOD LUCK!0
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You are going to get a lot of people probably telling you that fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats are better- which in fact, anything "fresh" is healthier because it doesn't have other things added to it.
However, in the grand scheme of things, are they that terrible for you? No. Yes they tend to have high amounts of sodium in them, which I know people like to avoid because of the apparent "bloating" effect it has, but other than that, and not having the freshest tasting food- if you like the taste, they fill you up, and help you stay within your calorie goal and other macros- then why not.
To each his own- it would be one thing if you were eating them for lets say breakfast lunch and dinner, and not getting any type of fresh food in ya- but for a lunch or a dinner on a night when you are in a hurry or don't want to cook- I think they are perfectly acceptable.
I coped an ingredient lisT of a LEAN CUISINE and took out all the real food. This is the exact list MINUS everything that's food.
I have a simple rule. If its made in a lab, don't eat it.
.
TORTILLA (BLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID)
SODIUM BICARBONATE,
SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE,
POTASSIUM SORBATE (A PRESERVATIVE),
CALCIUM PROPIONATE (A PRESERVATIVE),
FUMARIC ACID,
SODIUM METABISULFITE (DOUGH CONDITIONER)),
CHEESE (CULTURED MILK AND NON-FAT MILK, MODIFIED CORN STARCH*, SALT, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, ENZYME. (*INGREDIENT NOT IN REGULAR MOZZARELLA CHEESE)),
LIGHT PASTEURIZED PROCESS MONTEREY JACK CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, WATER, POTASSIUM CITRATE, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, WHEY*, SORBIC ACID, CREAM, ENZYMES, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID (*INGREDIENT NOT IN REGULAR PASTEURIZED PROCESS MONTEREY JACK CHEESE)),
COOKED WHITE MEAT CHICKEN (WHITE MEAT CHICKEN, WATER, SEASONING (SALT, FLAVORINGS, MALTODEXTRIN, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SUGAR, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, FLAVOR {MALTODEXTRIN, SMOKE FLAVOR}
, CARAMEL COLOR, AND CITRIC ACID),
MODIFIED RICE STARCH,
CHICKEN FLAVOR (DEHYDRATED CHICKEN BROTH, CHICKEN POWDER, FLAVOR, SALT), SODIUM PHOSPHATES),
LIGHT PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, WATER, POTASSIUM CITRATE, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, WHEY*, SORBIC ACID, CREAM, APO CAROTENAL AND BETA CAROTENE COLOR, ENZYMES, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID (*INGREDIENT NOT IN REGULAR PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEDDAR CHEESE)),
FLAVORING {CONTAINS CANOLA OIL},
, LIME JUICE POWDER (CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, LIME JUICE SOLIDS, NATURAL FLAVOR), AND
Jalapeño POWDER),
CORN STARCH
YUCK. Chicken flavoring?????? Why does chicken need flavoring??
For more info: wellfitlife.me
Thanks for making my point more clear!0 -
All last year I didn't use a microwave (seriously, it sat in it's box). However with my new site, I'm using one for dinner on workdays because I have no time, no energy, and am not eating enough if I grab fruit/veggys out of the fridge for dinner. I would say that if you are going between home cook and microwave, go home cook. If you have to use the microwave (living in a hotel, no time, no energy, whatever), try to cook in bulk and reheat, or read the back of all the meals.
It's not the end of the world, but it's not 'best' either.0 -
You are going to get a lot of people probably telling you that fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats are better- which in fact, anything "fresh" is healthier because it doesn't have other things added to it.
However, in the grand scheme of things, are they that terrible for you? No. Yes they tend to have high amounts of sodium in them, which I know people like to avoid because of the apparent "bloating" effect it has, but other than that, and not having the freshest tasting food- if you like the taste, they fill you up, and help you stay within your calorie goal and other macros- then why not.
To each his own- it would be one thing if you were eating them for lets say breakfast lunch and dinner, and not getting any type of fresh food in ya- but for a lunch or a dinner on a night when you are in a hurry or don't want to cook- I think they are perfectly acceptable.
I agree. They are my "in a hurry" go to meal so I avoid a bad choice at a drive thru chain. Pairing one with a small salad or fruit depending on how much time I have seems to work just fine for me. If in a big hurry I go for the Lean Cuisine Garlic Chicken Spring Rolls and a piece of fruit - decent food on the go.
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter0 -
On a personal note, I work 70+ hours a week, manage two programs, run/own a photography business and a training business, and have a 2 year old son with one on the way....
I havent used a microwave in years0 -
hi all... So I used to do weight watchers and regularly ate low fat microweable meals!
Are they really bad for you? Even if they are low cal/fat?! Xxx
Low fat =/= healthy. They are low calorie, you're right. And if that's your only concern, they're great. But you do need healthy fats, and you can eat good real food and keep the calories low just as well. When it comes to food, processed isn't ever healthier.0 -
Microwaving in plastic does release toxins into the food -- phytoestrogens, which can mimic hormones in your body, throwing your balance out of whack.
I have also heard that microwaving zaps the nutritional value of food (even if you do it in, say, a glass container). However, here's an article that refutes that: http://www.livestrong.com/article/364569-nutritional-value-of-vegetables-cooked-in-the-microwave/
I think what a lot of others have already said in this thread is pretty key -- look at the label, just like you would with any other packaged food.
Oh . . . and DON'T nuke it in plastic!
Additionally, a lot of these contain a lot of soy, which is the biggest source of phytoestrogens in the diet.0 -
I read an article on the dangers of microwave ovens. It raises blood pressure. Now the article might be biased but since I cut back on using the microwave my blood pressure has dropped significantly. I prefer not to use microwaves not to cook my food. I don't think it's the healthiest choice. But to each their own. But then I also have the luxury of not working right now and I have the time to prepare home cooked meals with fresh ingredients.
Cool story bro...0
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