Can Frozen Meals Help You Lose Weight?

You've made up your mind to exercise and cut back on calories. So, where do you begin when it comes to meal planning? If you just don't have the time to be creative about meals, you may find your shopping cart leading you to the frozen food aisle. Can frozen meals like Lean Cuisine®, Healthy Choice® or Smart Ones® give you the nutrients you need and help you lose weight?

Portion sizing

Researchers at the University of Illinois separated women into two groups. One group ate nutritious frozen meals. The other group ate nutritious meals that they prepared themselves. Both groups also exercised. After eight weeks, the group that ate the frozen entrées had lost more weight than the group that prepared its own meals. Researchers believe this is because portion control is built into the frozen meals.

What the experts say

Healthy Choice meals have been endorsed by the American Heart Association. Smart Ones meals work hand-in-hand with the Weight Watchers point system.

Nutritionists feel that the vegetable portions in these meals are too small and don't count as servings. They also say that the calorie counts are too low. They suggest adding a salad, piece of fruit or serving of yogurt to each meal.

Sodium

High-sodium diets can cause high blood pressure and heart attacks. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines state that young adults shouldn't have more than 2,300 mg of sodium each day. Older people, people with high blood pressure and African Americans should have no more than 1,500 mg each day.

Many frozen dinners and soups contain large amounts of sodium. For instance, Swanson Hungry Man XXL® dinners have more than 3,400 mg of sodium per package. The roast carved turkey variety contains 5,410 mg.

Many diet frozen dinners contain about 500 to 600 grams of sodium. Although not ideal, this is much lower than the non-diet brands. Healthy Choice meals use herbs to keep meals tasty and to keep sodium low.

The downside of these meals is the expense. They average about $4 per package. Although they aren't as tasty as Mom's home cooking, the flavor of prepackaged frozen foods has greatly improved over the years.

Related Articles Slim Down With Spa Foods What Exactly Is a Serving Size? Healthy Fast Food Choices

External Sources American Heart Association Center for Science in the Public Interest University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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