the truth on frozen entrees.

i personally don't think frozen entrees such as lean cuisines, smart ones, and healthy choice are GOOD choices for a "healthy meal". 

my co-workers eat these frozen dinners EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE WEEK.  the freezer here at work is STOCKED full of them. 

am i the only one with this point of view?

what's the hidden truth on these frozen entrees?

Well, for one, they're disgusting and they're packed with sodium and they still have saturated/trans fat.

Maybe they're just comparatively healthy to the really bad for you ones?

I have to add a bunch of unhealthy stuff anyways to make it taste good. I could make something/buy something fresh and much better than anything from lean cuisine.

that's what i say, too.  these people here eat them EVERY SIGNLE DAY.   there are like 300+ calories in ONE lean cuisine.  i could make a much tastier lunch with lots of fruits and veggies and whole grains for half of that calorie-wise. 

ugh.

I saw a TV programme (Diet Doctors) not so long ago where, as an experiment, they took a very slim, healthy, organic fresh-food loving aerobics instructor and asked her, for 2 or 3 weeks to live only on frozen dinners, shop sandwiches and similar convenience meals.   Like 'Supersize Me' this was an extreme example but the result was quite interesting.  

She gained about 7lbs in weight and several inches around the waist despite carrying on teaching aerobics and daily runs as normal.   The reasons being that the frozen meals were not as satisfying as her regular food so she found she had to eat a lot more of them.  Plus the high salt content meant she retained a lot of extra fluid.  She reported feeling constipated and fatigued on top....

I think frozen meals are OK as an emergency stand-by but that no-one should use them as a dietary staple. 

I don't really have a problem with frozen dinners (like lean-cuisines).  When you're really busy, or stuck at the office, there are MUCH worse choices that you could make.  I'd take a lean-cuisine over a BigMac anyday.

Gi-Jane: I saw that episode. I felt bad for her!

I personally prefer to make my own food, but I know that one once in a while won't hurt in the long run, especially if rushed. I could not imagine living on them, though.

I don't bother with lean cuisines or the like. When I'm in the mood for a "treat" I'll buy one of those yummy diet killing packages of country crock scalloped potatoes, but I think I'm healthier than the "healthy choice" people just based on the fact that I don't eat them every day, and I know very well that they're bad for me.

Oh, and along with the fats and sodium? Most of the Healthy Choice meals are chock full of carbs.

so it's settled.   there are other choices.   honestly...i think most of the people here at my work are LAZY.  they don't want to take the time to plan and create a healthy meal.  they'd just rather throw something in the microwave and FEEL like they're eating something healthy. 

I have mixed opionion on them. if you have no other option they can be a good way to stay on track, where you may have otherwise blown your whole day of good eating. But on the other hand, if eaten evey day the sodium contained in these meals could kill a horse, 700, 800, mg per serving is crazy!!

I wouldn't eat them every day, but I also wouldn't care if someone else did for lunch or dinner.

I mean, who cares really.

I ate them for supper almost every night the first two months after I started this -- it was just easier to heat up an LC at 9:30 PM than it was to cook an actual meal.  Didn't have any effect whatsoever on my weight loss -- I still lost more than 25lb during those couple of months.  And my average calorie count was over 1500 per day.

Have I stopped eating them?  yeah, more or less.  I learned how to cook quickly, I figured out that I could make my supper before I left for the 2nd job and eat it afterwards, I decided I preferred "fresh" to processed.  Do I judge anybody BECAUSE they eat packaged meals? Oh, hell no -- who made us the judges over any one's diet other than our own (and our minor children)?  If someone asks, I don't recommend them except occasionally.

I hate frozen meals, homemade cooking is the best. : )

but if i'm in a REAL hurry, i like Amy's products. (Her country cheddar bowl, enchilada's, lasagna's, and burrito's are pretty yum)

i llloooovvvvvvveeeeee the smart ones frozen entrees, i think they're sssoooo yummy, the three cheese ziti is my favorite! haha. i can't cook for my life, (like making spagetti is a challenge lol) and a lot of the time no one's around to cook for me, so i have them several times a week for dinner because they're quick, easy, yummy and a lot healthier then other stuff I could be having (like cookies! haha) besides, since a smart ones entree normally has about 300 calories, normally i can have some yummy fruit with it after and not feel bad, but I can see where you're comming from- hopefully I'm gonna learn to cook someday lol

I can cook really well in under 30 minutes (like Rachael Ray!), so I prefer my own meals.

Also, imo they're a bit expensive, so I only eat them when they're on sale or something. I don't think they're that terrible, compared to other things a person could eat, but at the same time there are better lunch choices. My only qualm is the sodium, but like I said..it could be a Hungryman.

I ate Lean Cuisines for like two weeks while moving and I'm still alive. I'm especially fond of the pasta ones, since pasta is the one thing I don't ever cook because I'm afraid of it. : )

 

 

they're actually not all that bad. i had a smart ones entree the other day, 250 calories, and it was cheese ravioli. no trans fat, and 4 grams of fiber. it filled me up. the only thing that was 'bad' in it, was the sodium. but really thats it :)

I eat them every day at work, although I'm a good cook and like planning my meals. I do it because it gives me variety in what I'm eating without having to buy all the ingredients I need to make each thing in single servings (I live alone). Plus, it's nice when using this site, because I know the exact nutritional content of everything I'm eating. It's also nice to be able to have a hot lunch that is made to turn out well when heated in a microwave- I would have to cook things ahead of time and freeze them, which sometimes creates meals that only turn out well in the oven (which I don't have at work).

I got one kind of frozen entree that as really good, 7 grams of fibre, and most of the fat was omega 3s and 6s (half a gram of saturated fat), and it was a cheese and veggie lesagna for 250 cals, low sodium, but I only eat around two of those per month, when i'm studying for an exam and dont have time

I think the problem is when people assume they're better for you just because the brand is LEAN cuisine or something. As long as you pay attention to the nutritional content and eat a balanced day of food, frozen entrees are completely fine.

I eat Amy's meal A LOT since I'm the only vegetarian in my family and don't have the time to cook very often. They're delicious, easy, and since I have to eat a lower-sodium diet, they still give me options (they have a low-sodium line)! Plus they're all lacto-veg (like me) and are very convenient.

The only downside is the price. Some places I can find them for $3.50 - other places are as much as $6.00! x(