Frozen Dinners

DollyR · 10-10-2006, 06:40 PM

Since I seem to crash when I get to dinner time I was thinking I might try to eat some of the healthy choice, lean cuisine or WW frozen dinners during the week. Any idea if this is a truly bad idea? I was going to make an extra vegetable and a salad with them?

Thoughts ....concerns...comments?

roundRN · 10-10-2006, 07:25 PM

Hey Darlene...

I cave at dinner time too....plus..we are running out of healthy dinner ideas...so my hubby and i have been getting the healthy choice frozen dinners..they are really pretty good....(for frozen dinners). I especially like the BBQ chicken, the turkey one, and the sweet and sour chicken(although be aware the sweet and sour are a few more calories,etc then some of the others). My hubby is a big beef man..lol...so he really liked the meatloaf, and some of the other beef ones.

I'm a portion person...lol....so I find that the dinners don't quite fill me up...SO...i have a big salad with some lowfat cottage cheese and that's just right for me.

The frozen dinner thing seems to work for us...you could always try it for a week and see. Oh..we always buy our dinners at Walmart...cause they seem to be a bit cheaper there.

Good luck Darlene..

Luv ya...
Liv

melsfolly · 10-10-2006, 09:47 PM

Pro's - they're quick, there are some really good ones out there (I love the WW Southwest Style Adobe Chicken and the Slow Roasted Turkey Breast!!) and they help you control your portions.

Con's - they're high in sodium.

My opinion is that the Pro's outweight the Con's. I do try to limit them, but I've never been stricted about it. And I never would eat a frozen dinner the night before weigh-in (which shouldn't be a problem as long as you can get into the right mindset and understand that you might retain a little fluid - I never could get into the right mindset though

).

M

nelie · 10-11-2006, 10:06 AM

Have you ever tried making your own frozen dinners? Basically make a big batch of a healthy meal then divide it into portions?

I cook a lot of food ahead of time myself. I usually make a large batch of brown rice for the week, some beans with diced tomatoes, garlic and onions and then use some frozen veggies in the mix. Sometimes I'll bake some fish (although that should only be used for a couple days) or cook some chicken.

I like having better control over my food than frozen dinners allow and well I don't like frozen dinners.

BreakingFree · 10-11-2006, 02:10 PM

Last night my husband came home from the grocery store w/ Kashi frozen entrees! These are new to me - has anyone else tried them? My fave is the Enthnic Gourmet line.

Frozen entrees don't appeal to me at dinner time, I only eat them once a week or so for lunch. Like Liv, I supplement w/ other items like baby carrots and a piece of fruit. Hubby eats Lean Cuisines every day for lunch - I couldn't do that.

I think when both people in a couple work, dinner has to be a compromise between healthy, home-cooked meals and convenience.

glynne · 10-11-2006, 02:15 PM

I use them for the meal I eat before I go to work. Some of them are kind of smaller, I make a salad to go with these. I don't have time to cook when I am working, so these help a lot.

Sandi · 10-11-2006, 02:23 PM

I eat one maybe once a week for lunch, when I am sick of sandwiches. Then I eat out once a week, so that only leaves me with sandwiches 3x a week.

I think they can be a good option, but do you want to have that for dinner for the rest of your life?? I think a better alternative might be to find some homemade dinners that meet your needs and stick with them. Just my 2 cents.

SuchAPrettyFace · 10-11-2006, 03:25 PM

Too much sodium for me to have on a regular basis. I do love the Lean Cuisine Mac & Cheese, though.

I am having a very hard time finding a low sodium mac & cheese though.

DollyR · 10-11-2006, 06:28 PM

Hmmmm....I might eat them some nights as I get home late and don't really want to deal with a bunch of dishes. I knew about the sodium being high but I thought that the Healthy Choices were lower in sodium than others.

Anyway I was not planning on every night but a couple of nights a week with a veggie and salad on the side.

I like your idea Nellie of making things ahead of time. As of right now there is no fresh chicken being sold on base. We won't have it for a long time from what I understand because of the US inspector not liking how the local chicken looks. I have to use frozen parts etc...... Can refreeze them after I cook them???

Goddess Jessica · 10-11-2006, 09:08 PM

SPF - MY FAV! Once in awhile I add either salsa or tuna to it.

tolose85 · 10-12-2006, 09:50 AM

I eat them. Usually I do the smaller ones for lunch-- I don't really eat them for dinner. The Healthy Choice have recently lowered their sodium and added "flavor". I could tell the difference in the flavor part. I really like the Healthy Choice option. I've never been one to watch the sodium. I'm also a calorie in calorie out girl so these dinners fit in nicely to my plan. I also really like the idea of making your own "frozen" dinners. One thing that I have a terrible time with is trying to come up with new ideas for healthy dinner. Chicken-- every single night in some variety. We do the turkey burger thing and chicken-- What do you all do for dinner?

HarpoChicoGroucho · 10-12-2006, 10:18 AM

I've eaten a frozen meal every day for lunch since day one of my journey. The sodium usually runs 25% of the recommended daily value. I never considered that high, but if someone had to watch their salt intake, it may be a concern.

My favorites are Lean Cuisines. I think they have the more unique entrees. I love the salmon ones. Healthy choice are good too -- but they have a serious "extra water" problem -- I have to pour water out of at least half of the ones I get. The chicken enchilada meal is SO good. It's one of my all-time favorites. And when I don't have the extra money to buy the pricier ones, I opt for Lean Gourmet (I don't know how much they are other places, but they are $1 at nearly every store around here)-- they have pretty good shrimp entrees - and they've got a really good 3 cheese chicken one.

LisaMarie71 · 10-12-2006, 10:54 AM

I eat frozen dinners all the time. Of course I'd rather eat healthy homecooked stuff without all the sodium, but who has time for that? I'm a teacher, so if I'm not at school, I'm grading papers or planning. My husband and I both teach and are involved with lots of school activities, so we don't cook much (and he's a better cook than I am, by the way, except when it comes to fattening desserts!)

I like Lean Cuisine and WW Smart Ones, but I'm kind of picky so I tend to use the same ones over and over. Lean Cuisine has a good Sweet n Sour Chicken, and WW has a really good Thai Chicken. The pizzas for Lean Cuisine aren't too bad, but the garlic chicken one is a bit dry. I like to eat the WW Slow-Roasted Turkey Breast for dinner sometimes with some wheat bread. I only get about 20 minutes for lunch, so it's nice to have these as a hot option when I don't want another cold turkey sandwich. Lean Cuisine Lemon Pepper Chicken Fettucini is yummy but it makes my pee smell funny, which scares me. Too much info probably, but it's true.

SuchAPrettyFace · 10-12-2006, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goddess Jessica

SPF - MY FAV! Once in awhile I add either salsa or tuna to it.

OH YEAH!!!! I add tuna & peas all. the. time.

Gretchen LOVE the new avatar pic! *wolf whistles*

tolose85 · 10-17-2006, 05:09 PM

SAPF-- Thanks for the avitar compliment... I had to have some pics taken because I'm being profiled as a "Successful BusinessWoman" in a local news insert at the end of the month. I'm a headshot person... no need to show off the extra flab hanging around the lower extremeties! I thought I'd change up the avitar for a change. It's the new "heftier" me!