Foods

I've been curious if the jenny craig type of frozen entrees are really healthy for one's diet. I would think that since they are frozen, the have to be loaded with preservatives and other bad items to keep them from not spoiling over time.

With my diet I'm primarily shopping at heath food store places and preparing my own meals, 80 percent of the time (but I love the Subway Subs and they're lo cal).

I would like to know though, if there are some healthy frozen entree choices available to me for those nights that I don't feel like cooking dinner or going out to dinner. I am thinking that you can't buy Jenny Craig frozen entrees if you aren't in the program, so are there any Grocery Chain brands or national brands that are recommended for a 1200 calorie a day diet?

I eat the Healthy Choice and Smarts Ones frozen entrees from time to time. I'm sure that they are loaded with preservatives and stuff, so eating them every day might not be good, but they are great for a quick meal...better than a "fast food" alternative, in my opinion! 

If you look at the salt content & the fat content, most prepared dinners deserve the D's & F's they've been given.  I was horrified when I realized that a pot pie is 2 servings at 550 calories/serving.  The best option is to make your own version, because you control what goes into the recipe.  There are some websites that give you "versions" of different restaurant and commercial foods.  When you look at the recipe, you'll see where you can dramatically improve the nutritional value.

Just because it says "lean, healthy, or organic" doesn't mean it is!

 

lean cuisine or healthy ones are great because of the portioning. my problem is to portion right, so they are great.

I tried South Beach for a while, but it always left me hungry.  Most of those things are mostly carbs.  Not nearly enough protein to keep me satisfied.  I now cook salmon fillets or chicken breasts and eat them instead.  Same calories and way more satisfaction.

I like the Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice meals... I usually eat one for lunch just about every day and add a small side salad to it sometimes.  They're easy and taste good.

I eat Lean Cuisines a LOT for lunch, just because they're easy and usually pretty satisfying. They've got quite a bit of sodium in them, but I drink enough water to usually counteract that. PLUS, I like that eating on can keep my lunch to under 350 calories - which means that after a 250 calorie breakfast and a 100-150 calorie snack, I usually have a good 500 or 600 calories  for dinner and a little dessert :)

Oh yeah, and I also like them because they let me have portions of things I may be craving (like Macaroni and Cheese, lasagna, enchiladas, and today, Meatloaf???) but keep me from binging on said craving.

Try Michelina's. They are much cheaper than lean Cuisine and the rest and taste great. I stock up when my Albertson's has 10 for $10!! Some stores have them for $1.25 all the time. Try them ...they taste great.

Healthy Choice meals are tasty, portion controlled, and all have limited sodium versus other "healthy" competitors.  Keeping the sodium down and still tasting good is difficult but they pull it off.  (disclaimer: I work for Healthy Choice)