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Frozen dinners have come a long way since the microwave TV dinners of the 1950s. Not only have the flavor options and accessibility of these dinners changed, but healthier frozen meals are available today. At the same time, there are also plenty of unhealthy frozen dinners marketed as “healthy” when they actually contain sodium, added sugars, fats, and weird preservatives.
When you’re roaming the frozen food aisle at the grocery store in search of convenient and nutritious meals, it can be difficult to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy frozen dinners, especially when you’re in a hurry. With that in mind, we spoke with several nutritionists about what they want to avoid when pursuing fast, easy, and healthy frozen meals.
Here are six frozen foods that nutritionists advertise as “healthy” but are actually unhealthy. Also read these are the healthiest when it comes to frozen foods for tips on how to find convenient and healthy meals for busy weeknights.
per serving: 290 Calories, 9 g Fat (3.5 g Sat Fat), 790 mg Sodium, 38 g Carbs (2 g Fiber, 6 g Sugar), 14 g Protein
“This meal is low in calories but lacks protein and fiber to help keep you feeling full,” he says. Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFTWhen Rishi Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFTalso known as nutrition twins“With only 14 grams of protein needed each day and only 2 grams of fiber on a 25- to 30-gram diet, you’ll quickly get hungry and find yourself looking for a snack or another meal.”
“Despite being low in calories, it’s salty at 30% of your maximum recommended daily sodium limit, highly processed with bleached flour and starch, high in saturated fat, and 21% of your maximum daily allotment.” adds the Nutrition Twins.
per serving: 320 Calories, 9 g Fat (2 g Saturated Fat), 500 mg Sodium, 44 g Carbs (5 g Fiber, 11 g Sugar), 16 g Protein
Another not-so-healthy “healthy” option is Healthy Choice’s chicken parmigiana dish.
“This has 8 grams of added sugar, which should not exceed a maximum of 24 grams for women and 36 grams for men. Given that this is not a dessert, guilt-eaters probably You wouldn’t even consider factoring in sugar,” explains the Nutrition Twins. “With 500 milligrams of sodium, about 25% of the maximum daily recommended, and a long ingredient list with many additives and preservatives, this meal is best kept in the freezer aisle freezer. .
per serving: 300 Calories, 11 g Fat (4.5 g Sat Fat), 550 mg Sodium, 36 g Carbs (4 g Fiber, 5 g Sugar), 12 g Protein
“You’d think an organic diet with lots of colorful vegetables would be healthy,” says Nutrition Twins. “But the downside of this pizza is that a serving is only one-third the size of a pizza. Eat it. Saturated fat — 26% of your maximum daily intake.”
It is also important to pay attention to the amount of protein in your diet. This is because it helps you feel fuller longer and satisfies your appetite.
“Given how difficult it is to stay satisfied with just 12 grams of protein in each serving, it’s no wonder most people easily eat two servings at one meal,” says Twins.
per serving: 420 Calories, 29 g Fat (11 g Sat Fat), 1,150 mg Sodium, 27 g Carbs (16 g Fiber, 2 g Sugar), 26 g Protein
“The Atkins diet is known to be keto-friendly, and this meal provides plenty of protein and fiber thanks to the oat fiber pizza crust,” says Twins. It comes with a hefty price tag associated with the health of.”
Excessive intake of sodium and saturated fat over the long term can lead to high LDL cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart disease.
“One serving contains 1,150 milligrams of sodium and 11 grams of saturated fat, both of which are nearly half the maximum daily intake,” explains the twins.
per serving: 390 Calories, 9 g Fat (2 g Saturated Fat), 550 mg Sodium, 63 g Carbs (3 g Fiber, 22 g Sugar), 12 g Protein
“Although Healthy Choice meals are portion controlled and relatively low in calories compared to things like Hungry Man or Banquet Mega Bowl, some frozen meals aren’t truly ‘healthy choices.’ There is also,” he said. Dr. Lisa Young, RDNthe author of Full at the end, slim at the end He is also a member of the Medical Professional Advisory Board. “For example, sweet and sour chicken has over 20 grams of sugar and 600 milligrams of sodium.”
per serving: 240 Calories, 7 g Fat (3.5 g Sat Fat), 630 mg Sodium, 29 g Carbs (2 g Fiber, 11 g Sugar), 16 g Protein
More than just a brand name, Lean Cuisine has established itself as a healthy or “lean” frozen dinner option. It also places low-calorie numbers on the front of the package.
“These meals are low in calories because they’re small in portion size, but they tend to be less satiating, lower in vegetables and whole grains, and higher in salt and sugar,” says Young. This dish has over 600 milligrams of sodium and 14 grams of sugar, so we recommend cooking something simple at home instead.”
With all the other healthy frozen dinners out there, we recommend skipping the six above and opting for cleaner, protein-rich, lower sodium and sugar options.
