Wholesome Frozen Meals?
on 1/31/09 1:36 am - NY
I hope to go to Whole Foods later today and look at everything in the freezer case I haven't paid attention to before. I'm focusing on frozen meals because often I don't have the time (get home late) or are too lazy to cook (just don't enjoy cooking, though lately I do make a lot of chicken breasts and vegetables).
Original goal: lose 53 lbs. New goal: lose 68-78 lbs total.
do you have Safeway stroes around? they have a line of organic label items.
what DH and I are known for is boxing up a mini meal for the freezer of our suppers.
It is hard to eat well when ya live alone...i did it for about 7 years. what would happen more often than not, i would whomp up a big batch of bean soup and eat it for like 3 nights straight - that type of thing.
Also, when I was organized and shopped, i would buy white turkey or lean beef patties - those cook up in a snap and can be eaten on ezekial bread or with veggies.
Frozen ground pork or turkey is also an excellent choice: it will thaw in no time in a skillet with a lid and bit of broth. Add in asian seasoning and sliced cabbage/cilantro/fresh ginger/red pepper. sprinkle with sesame oil and yummmmmm.
The ground meats: read the labels - sometimes the level of fats and salts can be extreme depending on brand.
These plain items above are great on a wheat pita with cukes in sour cream/green onion or in a low carb wrap - keep those frozen too!
DH and I eat food slowly and freeze most things and thaw by the piece. We tend to buy more frozen veggies cus it's hard to eat up the fresh unless we have a plan in mind.
Cans of tuna, drained (i buy albacore only) and tossed with whole wheat pasta and a pesto sauce - buy that in a jar and keep in the fridge!
My DD is a major Sandra Lee fan - Lee writes recipes that use very much nearly prepared ingredients, like whole chicken, baked. Those recipes are surprisingly healthy and very tasty.
i think with good shopping planning, there is no good excuse to not eat well these days with all the choices we have.
"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not." ~Mark Twain
You know I'm REALLY thinking about investing in some individual size plastic containers to make my own TV dinners once a week. I have a TREMENDOUS amount of trouble eating on weekends and Mary once suggested to me to make all my weekend meals on Thursday for the family because my weekend starts Friday afternoon! :) I'm still pondering this idea, but I did this week actually have a menu planned out for the weekend and actually went out and bought the stuff. My husband surprisingly is excited about it, because I'm actually making foods he like.lol Or I bought him something different that he likes if he doesn't like something I eat (chili). Other wise I would have ended up making him happy and eating HIS food.
But if you have to go with TV dinners, I had a doc once that was a wieght loss doc. He put me on a tv dinner plan and he told me only to eat the Lean Cuisine and the Healthy Choice. Can't remember why, but it had something to do with the others not being approved for some reason?!?! I can't remember the reason. But because of that I always tend to go more towards those IF I eat a frozen dinner.
on 1/31/09 7:54 am - MI
Dear Ms. FelineMafia:
When you go over to Whole Foods, look for Bocca Soy Burgers (they come in onion, American style, cheeseburger style, etc.) they make a good burger with a slab of tomato, onion, pickle, lettuce and your favorite low fat sauce (fat free mayo,etc.) and a sesame seed bun! You cook them in a microwave in just 2-3 mins. in their own bag, cut up the veggies, and you are all set with a fruit of choice and a hot cup of tea, decaff.
I too love Amy's frozen dinners: My favorite is Meatless meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
Also try: Healthy Choice brand of T.V. dinners and Weigh****chers meal. They are the best that I have try ed. also Lean cuisine, they are good too. Jus****ch the salt and fat and fiber.(no more the 3,000mg. salt, and 25 or more milligrams of fiber per day.)
If you have not try ed these green soybeans I think they are called Endames, not sure. They are so good. (cook, cool, season and pop like peanuts (within reason) they are used for protein serving).
Well that is my 2 cents for the day. Twilight
We buy frozen organic EVERYTHING there, pretty much. I've shopped at Whole Foods, and love it, but the nickname "Whole Paycheck" does fit...
Anyway, what we enjoy are the frozen vegetables, frozen brown rice, and frozen organic free-range chicken in different forms. With those things, I can always have dinner on the table in 20 minutes. I've even gotten the chicken tenders and chopped them up (yeah, still frozen) to make a quick stir fry with coconut oil and fermented soy sauce. I've heard that frozen CAN be better than fresh, especially if you consider shipping time and sitting time in your store. But processed meals are generally less healthful than foods in their natural form.
One side line with the veg based foods - it's been a good thing when I prepare a lot of lentils and keep them in the fridge for a few days to use various ways. They're great in salads, and can make a nice taco filling (either mixed with ground turkey or alone). You can mix lentils with quinoa and get a pretty convincing taco filling...
Another idea with Amy's frozen stuff is to go ahead and toss some chicken on 'em!
on 2/7/09 12:22 am - NY
Original goal: lose 53 lbs. New goal: lose 68-78 lbs total.
