Health Nugget of the Week
January 18, 2012Frozen Dinners Have Come a Long Way
Our determination to make healthier choices and eat more nutritious foods sometimes gets put on the back burner when our life becomes hectic and rushed. Healthy eating does require a bit of preparation and although I highly recommend scheduling time into your routine to do this, I do acknowledge that sometimes we need a more convenient option.
Frozen dinners have evolved from the gray, mono-tone, mystery-meat mush into appetizing, not-so-bad-for-you meal options. Of course the sneaky unhealthy culprits are still lurking on those freezer shelves however, so it’s important to not let their attractive; misleading packaging can lead you astray.
When purchasing frozen dinners make sure the ingredient list:
- Contains lots of vegetables; the more colors the better
- Contains “real” ingredients
- Does not contain preservatives, artificial colors or flavors
- Avoids soy based products (TVP – textured vegetable protein, tofu, etc)
- If they use pasta or rice: whole grain or brown varieties
The Nutritional Label should fall within the following guidelines:
- 15+ grams of protein
- 3+ grams of fiber
- Lower sodium
- Under 500 calories
*Beware! Sometimes nutritional info is based on only ½ the container…and seriously…who’s only going to eat ½???
A few brands out there that have meals that fall within these guidelines include: Kashi, Amy’s, Healthy Choice, President’s Choice Blue Menu, and Lean Cuisine. Please be aware that not ALL these food items from these companies are good choices. You still must read the packaging.
Obviously the use of frozen meals is not optimal. I highly recommend you still only use these items sparingly and focus on preparing whole, nutritious meals!
Have a healthy day with Healthy Way!!
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