Constantly eating frozen/prepared food

I was just wondering if anyone else feels like they are constantly eating frozen or prepared meals.  I eat a Lean Cuisine for lunch almost every day.  I like them-I think they're tasty.  Often times for dinner I will also have something prepared.  I'm pretty busy and don't really like cooking.  My boyfriend and I are on totally different schedules so we probably only cook together once or twice a week.   Plus, eating prepackaged stuff helps me count my calories and control my portion size.  I've been doing CC+ for a month and have already lost 7 pounds!

Does anyone else feel the same way?  Is it bad to eat this way (aside from all the salt in these foods!)?

I enjoy them every now and then, but I found that after the first couple of weeks I stopped losing eating those constantly. Though some of them say no preservatives, many do have them, not to mention all of the processed components.

Your best bet (really) is to cook your meals at home. We grill all of our meat, which reduces a lot of the fat and it's SO good that way, anyway. I'll do a salad, and because I don't much care for lettuce, I'll pack in a lot of fresh fruit and use a freshly squeezed lemon in place of dressing. Hard boiuled egg whites, carrots, strawberries, apple chunks, mandarin oranges - you can load it up with just about anything!! It's fresh, unprocessed, you get your fruits, veggies, etc. and very low in calories. We'll do yams, couscous with organic chicken broth and fresh herbs, even pasta (2 oz.) with red sauce or lightly drizzled with olive oil.

THere are lots of different recipes that are quick and easy that you could cook up and freeze yourself for later, or make extra servings to take for lunch the next day.

theyR'e tasty cuz they'Re really high in sodium.  i have a couple in the freezer for long days 9when i eat lunch AND dinner at work or something), but otehrwise i just do a lot of cooking on sunday, for example, and that way i have all my lunches and most of my dinners done.  you can control what goes in, so it's better for you

Sodium aside, of course there are better ways to eat but I don't think that way is BAD. They were a really handy tool for me at first because I had to retrain myself to see what a serving size really looks like. I ate Lean Cuisine almost every night for dinner for a couple months until I was able to look at it and think that it looked like enough food for me. Now the massive amounts of food I used to eat looks far too big and I usually serve my own meals on salad plates. However, once I started cooking more fresh food I realized that I actually can eat MORE food when I make it myself. I can have a much bigger chunk of chicken and rice for the same calories as a small chicken dinner from LC and that makes a lot of difference to my brain.

I go for Kashi prepared meals. I have one almost every day for lunch because I don't have much time for cooking and I can't leave work to go to lunch. So the choice is either a frozen meal, or a really nasty burger from the burger shop around the corner. Sometimes I substitute frozen meals for a fruit salad or a chicken salad, but overall,it's worked OK for me.

I think Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, Healthy Choice, etc light tv dinners are a great option for a diet for the busy or cook challenged woman/man. Yes, the sodium is little higher then desired, but they are far better then woofing down McDonald's and the such. I mean I've heard of people going on soup diets and that has quite a bit of sodium as well. I mean they may not be the BEST thing to eat, but when you are limited on time and the such then I think are just fine in losing weight as long as you have your calories in check.

I think it's a good idea for lunches and just to have on hand for those meals where you are out of time, options, etc. and need something fast. I like the Amy's brand of organic frozen meals. But I really check the labels to make sure that the calorie count is under 300 and that the box contains just one serving and not two! I like eating at my desk and then taking a walk around the building for 20 or so minutes. I also love the precut veggies and fruit that's available now-- that's so great for my kids too.

i eat them every day as well. the weight watchers meals though. i checked the sodium content and i'm not sure if it's high or not. it doesnt seem that high and most of them taste quite bland but i've grown accustomed to eating bland foods for years now as my family doesn't cook with salt due to a family member having high blood pressure.

i'm moving in a few weeks to a country that does not sell frozen/prepared meals. lol i dunno how i'm going to cope. as it stands right now, 1 of my meals is a frozen meal and the other is grilled chicken and salad. dunno what i'm going to replace that frozen meal with yet..

It's not so bad, but you can with a little bit of prep time make your own version that is even healthier and exactly what you like and probably cheaper.

If you have a rice cooker it's even easier.  Either make a cup of whole grain or brown rice or 1/2 a pound of pasta.  Separate this into single serving sizes (~5), then add one serving of a protein and 2-3 servings of your favorite vegetables.  For protein you can grill/broil/bake fish or chicken or steak or buy already prepared chicken or turkey or chicken sausage to put in.  I like to either make a pound of broccoli or buy frozen grean beans to put in.  When you reheat it's perfect.

I eat them and keep them on hand for all the same reasons other have mentioned, i.e. something quick to eat when I don't have much time, lunch at work, the portion control thing.  I also keep slimfast on hand for that very purpose.  I find that I can grab a can of slimfast for lunch when I'm busy on Saturdays instead of that pb&J sandwich I used to eat.  I never have slimfast for more than one meal a day. 

As I got the portion thing under control, I started using my cookbook to find recipes, mostly casseroles, with 500 and under calories per portion.  I made those and divided up the portions immediately and froze my own TV dinners. 

I love frozen/prepared meals.  For me its all about portion size.  I actually LOVE cooking - but I eat way too much if I cook it myself.  What I love about frozen meals is that are  portion-controlled - so I know exactly how much I am eating and what the calorie count is (as long as its fairly accurate!) and I cant eat anymore than the portion size. 

I certainly eat frozen meals when I'm pressed for time.  And I think they can definitely be a tool to learn portion control.

But whenever I have one, I do try to add at least a serving of fruit and/or veggies to the meal.  I figure that helps balance out the sodium, and it helps me by getting some sort of whole food in there.  Apples, oranges, baby carrots, pre-chopped cauliflower/broccoli, salad, etc. - none of those require much (if any) cooking, and can be ready while the frozen meal is microwaving.

Just my 2 cents.

I used to eat them a lot more often than I do.  I still have maybe a couple a week, for the same reasons as everyone else - pressed for time, portion control, often eating alone etc.  But I'd rather make my own food and freeze in individual portions.  The lean cuisines are too low cal.  I need more than 270 cals, thanks.  They seem generally lacking in fiber, because they don't have that many vegetables, and lack whole grains.  The meat in them just doesn't taste that great to me, and the texture is sometimes weird.  They're also full of a lot of...crap basically.  Sodium etc. 

They're also pretty crappy for the environment.

Seriously, boil some whole wheat pasta, cook some meat, saute it all together with a can of diced tomatoes and whatever other vegetables you feel like putting in.  Divide into containers, freeze, and you're set.  It only takes me about 45 minutes to do, once or twice a week.  And I'm a crappy chef, so I'm slow.

Thanks so much for all the input.  I agree with what a lot of you are saying.  For now, they're good and they're helping me.  I plan to start cooking more...now that I know how to better approximate portion sizes!

But I have to say, after only dieting for a month, to lose 7 pounds feels amazing!  I haven't added exercise into my routine yet. (But I will soon because I just got a Wii Fit!  It's so much fun!)

Anyway, I'm proof that if you watch calorie intake and portion sizes you don't have to deprive yourself.  I eat food I like.  And yesterday I fit into a pair of jeans that I haven't been able to wear in months!