Frozen Meals

janakisses

I, personally, do not believe you have to buy "diet" meals. I just buy anything that is under 300 calories. I have found that Michaelina's and Banquest are the cheapest frozen meals, and they both have a nice selection to choose from. I have also found some pot pies and Green Giant has some frozen rice and vegetable side dishes that are quite filing for lunch with a piece of fruit, carrot sticks, and a fat-free yogurt.
I have been eating these meals since March, not tired of them yet, and have had some considerable weight-loss success.

There is a thread here titled "In search of healthy and low budget diet options... " (around page 3 or so), that has a break-down of what I have been doing in a reply to the original poster....whatever you decide to buy, GOOD LUCK!

onedaisiegal

ALWAYS stick to frozen meals such as Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, and Healthy Choice. They usually have high sodium, but the calories are very low and they are usually balanced and provide a good nutritional meal. They are under $3 a meal and so quick!

The ones that are not "lean" or "low calorie" are full of empty calories, grease, and processed foods..yuck. They are cheaper....but not better for you. These meals are a very convienient way to calorie count.

what is truth

The best way is to eat natural food, I've found. Frozen ready meals are so full of additives and fake stuff (not to mention they don't taste too good).

Try making a batch of food - i.e. pasta sauce (you can just have tomatoes, onions, tomato sauce, peppers, beans, and carrot) thats maybe 5 times bigger than your ordinary portion, then freeze 4 of them in seperate bags.

It's healthier, cheaper and tastes better! xx

__________________
Whats the point of Being thin...

if you're dead?

netle

I believe you are much better off making your own meals ahead of time and then freezing them. As the poster above already stated, frozen meals are not only full of sodium, but a lot of other additives.

Aside from the fact that they don't taste so great, they're not very filling either. I have to believe the only reason some of them are so low in calories is because they're so small.

Lenin

I find that the STOUFFER'S line wins the taste contest hands down. As Daisies says, they are unfortunaltly salt-laden which seems the price to be paid for convenience.

I am on a 2200 calorie regimen so I go for the Red Box entrees (Lasagna, and Stuffed Peppers are DELICIOUS.) They are often on sale for as low as 3/$5 and that's when I stock up.
For anyone on anything like a 1200-1500 calorie diet, I recommend the tasty but much smaller portioned, Stouffer's Lean Cuisine.

THe taste is so much better than the Budget, Michelina, [email protected]'s , Marie Callendar, or Banquet lines. BUT the fact that Banquet is always avaiable at my Dollar Store is a plus but one is not a dinner for me, too small...a lunch, perhaps.

what is truth

Geek Kittie - thats another thing I forgot to mention, thank you.

They are smaller portioned, so you are more likely to want something else.

Trust me, as someone who knows, its much better to make your own.xx

__________________
Whats the point of Being thin...

if you're dead?

StenoLady1

Personally, I've just given up on the frozen meals. I've tried for years to get into them, but I've never found one that's good health-wise, tasty and doesn't leave me hungrier than before I ate it. Don't know if I'm just being a picky eater, but what's up with the meats in them? There are tons of what my hubby calls "funky bites", like fat or cartilage...icky!

They are soooo convenient, especially for lunch, tho.

I've read a few places that it's a no-no to prepare any food knowing there will be leftovers, but I do get full easily, so it hasn't been an issue. I just prepare my weeknight dinners so that I have a lunch for the next day. I was able to find little tupperware containers with sections in them and a microwave lid in addition to the tight-fitting lid. If I make something really big on a weekend day, I portion out lunch and dinners and freeze them individually. They're truly better than any frozen meal I've found on the market and a heck of a lot cheaper. Plus, you know exactly what ingredients are going into them.

Lysne

IwishIwereaman

Ummmm, frozen meals are great, but if you want to be a little bit healthier while you lose weight, you need to stay far from them! Tooo many preservatives! Try making soups that will last you a few days in advance. Eat only whole wheat breads/pasta's/chips. There are several of them at any healthy food store and in most grocery. Get any type of chip salsa w/ the chips.and you have great munchie food for those cravings (or obviously any fruit or veggie) And they all taste the same, or sometimes even better. There are even Frozen foods in the grocery that are okay to eat, like GardenBurger. Grab some whole wheat buns, and those meat patties, and you have the basic part of your lunch ready to go. Try Pecans (no salt though) w/ raisins for an all day snacky poo. And mix in the new popcorn that contains no transfat!!! DRINK LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER,..CONSTANTLY ALL DAY LONG..MINIMUM IS 8 GLASSES A DAY.. I AM 5 10' 175#, AND I AM SUPPOSED TO BE drinking 10 glasses a day. Honestly when I did these little things, with some light working out...I did lose weight, and quickly! I didn't starve, I ddin't always eat right, but I did make the attempt. Healthy food equals slim and trim body. Thats all I have to say right now..but I would strongly advise minimizing your quick and easy lunch meals...they are not good for you..try not putting stuff in your body that isn't going to give it nutrition. Any questions feel free to ask. I got all this infor from a great nutritionist when I began trying to lose weight.

SilentSuffering

Yes, some of them are pretty terrible, but sometimes I just have to make myself get through it.

The fact that they're small is a big selling point for me. I definitely need to learn better portion control, and it's becoming easier now that I've switched. You're right that they aren't very filling, so I've taught myself to chase them with a yogurt, a piece of fruit, or a cup of applesauce.

I know that they're full of sodium (sometimes to a shocking degree) but I choose the ones with a reasonable or less shocking level of sodium.

As a person on an incredibly limited budget, the price is also a selling point. They do go on sale near me for 3/$5 ($1.66 each) and my local Target has them for $1.33 - $1.77, so I can basically get them at sale price any time.

I won't tout them as healthy or anyone's best option, but they're helping me get and keep my portion control issue in check, and right now, that's what counts.

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"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he'll tell you the truth." -- Oscar Wilde