frozen box meals

Because of my busy lifestyle, I tend to eat box meals (i.e. healthy choice or similar frozen microwave dinners) when I am rushed or have no leftovers to eat for lunch. At 300-500 calories usually with a mix of fat/carb/protein, it's the best I can do. The alternate is skipping lunch, raiding a vending machine, or fast food. I supplement that with a lettuce wedge, celery and carrots, V8 juice and the occasional 2 tbsp of cream cheese or natural peanut butter if I get munchy in the afternoon.

How do peeps feel about frozen box meals? Not as a lifestyle, but as a tool?

 I definitely wouldn't eat them all the time, but they are handy, if you know which ones to choose.  Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, and Michelina's Lean Budget Gourmet are some of the better ones, listed in order from Best on down.  The thing you have to watch about these or any other box dinner is the sodium content. Slow down long enough to read the label. Some of the higher calorie box dinners tend to have more fats and sodium, but if you dont have too much problem with weight, they can be a good source of energy when you dont have time for anything else. I eat the Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine meals a few times a week for lunch, because I don't have time to stop and prepare something, and it is more nutritious than grabbing pop-tarts or something like that shortly before I run out the door. As long as box dinners are not ALL you eat, and you pay attention to what is in them, you should be OK. I'm not a nutritionist or anything, so I dont know everything about it, but I've read everything I can get my hands on about what people should, shouldn't, and need to eat to be healthy. Hope this helps.

I dont really cook, I dont enjoy it, its a function and Im not picky enough to care. 

TV dinners are a big part of my diet.  I know many people dislike them because of they tend to be high on sodium.  Im on SB and I found it interesting that Kraft had SB products because SB doesnt allow bad carbs or fats.  I did check ingredients and they do use the good ones.  So I would recommend it because well because they taste great but because for a TV dinner not bad. 

I do incorporate salads with chicken and use frozen vegetables to get some great nutrition to but Id be lost with out frozen prepared foods.  So much convenience and one thing I love is not having to think much about food - simple keeps me less preoccupied with food.

I'm a big fan of the Kashi frozen dinners - high in protein, taste good, low in sodium =)

sun123,  "less preoccupied with food" - that is such a good way to phrase it! I tend to think meal to meal to reassure my mind/body that more food is coming so I end up preoccupied with what I am having. With box meals, I can just say to myself, "we'll see what's in the freezer..."

talking to myself - need therapy for that? LOL.

anishak, I'll look for Kashi meals in the freezer. I don't recall seeing any recently but I'll be on the lookout. Protein definitely has a positive impact on my satiety and hunger.

faeriesight - I am trying to work my schedule so I can cook more especially on weekends for leftovers for lunch. The box meal makes things so much easier for menu planning. I'll check the sodium content. I tend to buy whichever brand is on sale at the grocery and usually have some favorites. Variety is a key as well. Thanks for the information.

I wouldn't eat them all the time, mainly b/c I can't afford it.  Also, the sodium is high and there aren't a lot of veggies.  What I do buy is Healthy choice bowls, kashi, and south beach.  I only get the SB ones w/out the starch sides.  I get Lean Cuisine pizzas.

 

rose - I totally agree that as a lifestyle choice, they are not ideal. As a bridge, however, I think they work. I buy them when on sale and stock up. Usually I can get a box for $2-3 each. When I look at fast food, I could easily spend $4 for a cheezburger/fries/dietcoke and up to $10 for a sit down place PLUS the 800-1600 calories! My saddest day was when I found out my buffalo chicken salad at Chili's was over 1200 calories and loaded with fat & salt. Anyway, so I guess I consider frozen box meals an economical and healthier alternative to fast food and vending machines.

Convertible - another self talker here.  I go into it especially if Im ever tempted, psycoanalysing why Im even considering it and it can been quite helpful hence I continue it.

Some plan meals to bat temptation.  I just keep easy options stocked and go with out of sight, out of mind, out of temptation.

The frozen meals are an option for portion control.  Why not make your own?  Cook healthy meals then freeze individual portions - take them in a container to work and heat them up.  That's what I do...

Use an icecube tray to hold little portions of food to freeze, then pop them out into a zip freezer bag - use a permanent marker to label what's in the bag.  I do this with soups, leftover veggies, leftover cassaroles. 

Are we twins???

You said: "I dont really cook, I dont enjoy it, its a function and Im not picky enough to care....So much convenience and one thing I love is not having to think much about food - simple keeps me less preoccupied with food."

Good luck.  I have a food staple that may not be appealing to you, but it has good stuff in it and is easy:

1 cup plain/no-fat yogurt; 1-1/2 cups Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal; 3 tbs. ground flaxseed (even I who never cooks has found this fun and easy with a small coffee grinder); blueberries; cinammon (I sprinkle in a lot); and honey (only if you want it a bit sweeter).  I mix it all up and it makes me very happy -- and the only clean up is the large glass I mix it in.

sun - the psychoanalyzing self-talking is interesting. I practice yoga and try to eat mindfully. When I start craving something - chips or candy - I ask myself WHY I want it. Then I bargain with myself. I offer alternatives like celery/carrots with a bit of peanut butter (natural, organic with flax omega 3s) or an apple and then promise myself that, if after 20 minutes of consuming the healthy snack, I still want the junk, I can have the junk. The desire fades though so this method works for me even if it sounds a little crazy. I'm glad I'm not alone.

nctracy - thanks, I'll try it. It sounds a lot like making home-made granola to go with the yogurt. I like the Kashi cereal but the simple sugar amount worries me. It's better than a candy bar, though, plus with all the fiber!

Hi convertible_chic Well i really like those frozen box meals. I really like food that i havent had to cook for a change. I often chuck in some extra frozen vegies to bulk up the meal. And they are really handy when hubby and the kids want a take away (pizza or fish and chips, burgers) then its easy for me to say well go right ahead i think i'll have this 'delicious' pasta or curry in a box. Tasty 400 calories and i didn't have to cook it *hooray*

alison, I know what you mean. As a ready made alternate to high calorie food, frozen box meals work.

Convient yes, but I had to start looking at the sodium content. Its scary. Some have way over 500 and I try andu stay 300mg or less per meal. Sodium and refined sugars are some great things to try and cut from your diet. Some are worse culprits than others so read the labels carefully.

I love the food log on this site and it analizes your food choice...it doesn't seem to like many frozen entrees esp due to the sodium content....I was surprised!  I need to find more healthy choices esp since "Healthy Choice" isn't! 

giftgal

I guess I am not so concerned with sodium. My daily intake is well below the recommended daily intake. I'm more concerned with portion control.

Like others have said, I definitely wouldn't recommend eating more than one a day or anything, & you always wanna be aware of the nutritional content. But if it's a choice between grabbing a frozen dinner or stopping at McDonald's, I'd go with the frozen dinner.
I supplement mine with a salad & other veggies [I'm not a big sauce fan so I always have some left over after I'm done the frozen meal, & I've found it's nice to throw in some extra veggies to use it up a bit.]
As far as sodium, content goes- no, they're not pretty in that department [except for a select few expensive ones that I can't really buy], but it's not a huge concern for me as I have low blood pressure anyway & it's not like my other meals contain a lot of sodium. so eh.

while (beyond sodium content) I don't think they're really unhealthy, I avoid them cause I find they aren't filling what-so-ever. So, if its just an occasionaly thing and not a ifestyle, I say go for it.

I say go for it!  I know how it is to work 12 hour days and then come home and have to think about, ok what am I going to eat tonight?  It's very easy at that point to get McDonald's or some crazy 800 calorie burrito.   I usually go to Whole Foods because they have a large selection of healthy organic frozen dinners.  I like Amy's, Cedarlane, Cascadian Farms, Ethnic Gourmet Foods, and Kashi.  I try to keep them 450 calories and under.