There are people I know who eat nothing but these meals. Is that healthy? What happens when they go out to eat? I thought those were just a back-up meal. What do you think?
I just use the frozen WW meals to go with some veggies or if I don't have time to cook (a late class or whatever). I try not to rely on them too much because they're obviously not as good for you as an actual meal is, and they probably have a lot of sodium in them too. I eat them once or twice a week at the most but mine aren't the Smart Ones, they're more like tiny frozen parts of a main course worth 5 points that definitely aren't enough for dinner and must be added to.
Last edited by freedomreins; 03-13-2008 at 06:50 AM.
I use WW to be able to eat real life food. To be able to make the best possible choices in all of life's situations. Sure, this includes an occassional frozen meal or two. (That's real life after all!) But, I'm not using Jenny Craig or Delivery meals for a reason. It's not real life for me.
The meals are usually calorie dense and small. I like a lot of vegetables so I always have to add to them anyways.
It's not completely unhealthy to eat only those meals. Better than eating things out of proportion and crazy amounts of worse foods. But, I don't believe they're balanced for all the nutrition we need for a day.
By all means, if this works for them, and they're able to stick with it, then all the best, and I hope they're getting their proper nutrients. I just know that I'd fall off the wagon so quickly doing something like that.
It's so easy to become dependent on those!
It's difficult to put together real meals that are good for the diet.
With real food comes portion control and making sure all the ingredients are diet friendly.
I find myself really scared to go out to eat or make a real dinner.
Im trying to get better, but I have depended on those things too.
Thanks everyone for your input. I just happened to buy them too, but only use them once in a great while. Portion control is the biggest asset to them, I think. I believe the sodium is quite high, but if you limit yourself, you are doing quite well.
I eat those maybe once or twice a week
Definitely not as healthy for you because most of the vitamins are taken out when frozen and then microwaved..
it's definitely better than binging when on a time constraint though
I'm with Faerie, I like a lot of vegetables so I too find myself needing to add to them.
That being said, I RARELY eat them. We have them in our freezer (and in my freezer at work) at all times... mostly because we don't eat them except on very rare occasions. My personal opinion is they aren't healthy. I agree, they are healthier than say... McDonalds... but the food is like many other packaged foods - heavily processed and turned into something other than what nature intended. Which is why, in my opinion, they taste so horrible.... but then again I'm a fresh cook to the core.
But whatever works for some people. I'm using WW to learn how to eat in the real world, with real food, and real choices.... not how to buy frozen dinners.
for me i usually eat one a day, and i actually like the taste of them, although i too usually add veggies, but ww i think is about what works best for your situation and i love the convenience of smart ones. also my blood pressure is stellar for the first time in years so they cant b all bad
I have a coworker who ate nothing but these (and Lean Cuisines) for half a year and lost 45 pounds. The instant she stopped, she started gaining weight back and didn't catch it til she was 10lbs heavier again -- and now it's back to nothing but frozen diet meals.
I eat them occasionally -- when I'm running too late to pack a lunch (though I ALWAYS manage to get something to supplement those meals, they're small!) or if I'm not very hungry/too lazy at dinner to cook. I do find they're strangely calorie-dense. I mean, I could make a pizza for fewer than 8 points. Some of those things just seem a little too high for whatever reason, so I only buy the ones that are 4 points (the ones I like best anyway), since I inevitably add a soup or salad with it (in fact that's lunch today).
I think they serve their purpose... For those who rely on them as a meal replacement, they're going to have to strike a balance when they feel they're no longer "dieting." Everyone else goes slow at first figuring this thing out in the beginning, others do it at the end. Personal preference but ultimately the same.
I try to stick to a budget with how much money I spend, and every week I do my grocery shopping I guess I'll religiously pick up the 4pt Smart One's brownies, I like to have one with skim milk when I watch Big Brother . And I buy two or three of the frozen meals, but not unlike most of you I will add to them and probably have some imitation crabmeat on the side, or if I have the broccoli pasta one I simply add lots more broccoli. Again though, the brownies, they seriously tame my temptations, one of these (which I find very filling with the milk), is alot better for me than a big hunk of Chocolate cake or (like I'm trying to avoid everytime I go to Walmart) the 1lb Easter Bunnies that are only $2.00!!
I'm almost afraid to admit it, but I eat a Smart One or a Lean Cuisine just about every night for dinner. They're very convenient for me. I always have it with a big side salad with 1tsp. of olive oil and 2T of light dressing or cooked veggies. It works for me and it's very satisfying.
Don't be ashamed by them. If they work for you, there is NOTHING wrong with them. I just find my own recipes and concoctions more filling. I'm a gotta feel full kinda gal and the Lean Cuisines don't do that for me.
I like feeling FULL. Which is why I eat SO MANY fruits and vegetables. When I make spaghetti, I LOAD it with onions, green peppers, zuchinni and big hunks of tomato. Hardly can fit a serving of pasta into MY spaghetti!
Guess I'm one of those people that likes to be able to eat the largest quantity of food, for the lowest points.
Smart Ones frozen meals
. And I buy two or three of the frozen meals, but not unlike most of you I will add to them and probably have some imitation crabmeat on the side, or if I have the broccoli pasta one I simply add lots more broccoli. Again though, the brownies, they seriously tame my temptations, one of these (which I find very filling with the milk), is alot better for me than a big hunk of Chocolate cake or (like I'm trying to avoid everytime I go to Walmart) the 1lb Easter Bunnies that are only $2.00!!
