any healthy-ish prepkged frozen meals?

J

jeanmarie

Cathlete
Hi! I know that it is important to eat clean to be really healthy, but i have to admit i'm struggling to find time to prep some meals; especially lunches....I do for dinnertime, but mid-day is tough...

I have 6 children ,ages 11 to almost 2 yr old twins, plus I homeschool, so the days are REALLY busy!!

I've tried Amys Organic, and Kashi frozen meals....what is your opinion of them? would they be considered pretty 'clean', or not? Any other suggestions for quick pre-pkged meal ideas?

thanks for your help!

Jeannine
 
jeanmarie: I feel your pain. I don't have as many children, but I work full-time, as well as help my husband in his profession and have 2 children still at home. My time is...crunched. What I do for my lunches is this: I have a stash of Clif bars Builder's bars all natural with 20 g of protein, I'll also take a bunch of yogurts to work and have those as well as dried fruit. Or else I will throw some almond butter on some whole grain bread and have that. Very simple but very healthy.

I realized that is not pre-packaged but I just personally don't care for them and have not found any I like, not that they aren't out there. This is just what has worked for me.
 
I like the Kashi ones. Different flavors than most packaged stuff, doesn't taste like freezer packaged foods, ingredients I know/can pronounce. I like the Black Bean Mango, the Pasta Pomodoro, and the one with the plaintains on the bottom. I can't remember what it's called. They're a little pricier than some of the other frozen dinners, but they taste a whole lot better. And there's quite a bit of food in the box. It'll fill you up. I take them to work on days I can't figure out lunch. It's better for me and cheaper than eating out.

Some of the Healthy Choice Steamer ones aren't bad, either, but watch the labels, they can be high in sugar, especially the "sweet" ones like sweet and sour anything, teriyaki, and barbeque. They taste a little more frozen and not as fresh as the Kashi ones. I normally have to add on a piece of fruit w/ these if I want to be full.

I can pass on the Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers ones. Lots of salt/sugar, and blah on the taste. Deceptive packaging (one box can be 2 servings). Seems more chemicals and not as much real food. Small serving sizes, and they seem high in calories for the amount.

I don't know anything about Amy's.

Nan
 
I wouldn't classify them as 'clean' but that said, you are a real person living in the real world. If they don't bother you, why not? You could try doing a pre-cook day on Sunday, basically cut/freeze your own meals. That way it is clean and you get the ease of having a pre-made meal. I'm not married and don't have kids and sometimes I use an Amy's meal or veggie burrito (you know the freezer ones.) or even a frozen Amy's pizza (I add extra mushrooms/cheese.) Many years ago when I took started my weight loss journey, I gave up 'all or nothing' thinking because it just held me back. I discovered that I could have a little ice cream, or a protein shake (not technically a clean food.), or even an all beef hot dog. I also discovered that there were foods I just couldn't eat at all without gaining a significant amount of weight (commercial/processed chicken plumps me without fail.)

Btw, thank you for taking the time and going to the trouble to homeschool your kids. I had the best time when I was home schooled.
 
I use Amy's burritos a LOT for lunches - I'll put them on a bed of baby spinach and other veggies I have around, add some salsa on top, and find that it's a GREAT meal. I haven't gotten into the other prepackaged meals they have - this works for me and I love it, so this is what I generally stick with.

I'll echo what someone else mentioned as well - doing a bunch of batch cooking on the weekend is a GREAT way to make your own meals for the upcoming week. I will try to pick 2-3 easy to make things and use them throughout the week for both lunches and dinner (I'm the only one who eats "my food" so this works for me) and this is my favorite way to stay on track.
 
Another fan of Amy's here. Their pizza and burrito's are very tasty.

I like Smart Ones and Lean Cuisine too. Some of the entree's have lower sodium. I find that they don't have enough veggies, so I always add a nice spinach salad on the side if I'm having one of those.

We don't have Kashi frozen entree's here in Canada yet :(.

Kuddos to you for homeschooling too!


Good luck & take care,
Natasha
 
Amy's!

Amy's brand is my personal favorite. I used to also eat Kashi, but I've recently read some disturbing articles about Kashi's quality (IIRC, somebody posted an article on this forum).

I particularly like Amy's Brown Rice, Black-Eyed Peas & Veggies Bowl, mixed with some broccoli slaw, salsa, and nutritional yeast.

Another favorite is Amy's Indian Vegetable Korma, also mixed with some broccoli slaw, salsa, and nutritional yeast.

ETA: I forgot to mention the Whole Foods 365 brand, and pretty much anything Trader Joe's makes...if you have either of these stores near you. I don't have any specific recommendations, but both brands are reputable to the best of my knowledge and I have enjoyed everything I have eaten so far.
 
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Amy's Organics Frozen Foods

I'm also a fan of the Amy's Organics frozen "bowl" meals. DH and I both love the gluten-free spinach pizza, and DH eats the pizza pockets all the time! :)
 
I second the Amy's burritos. They are quick and easy. Add some salsa and a small salad and you have a complete meal. I, too, recall a previous thread where someone mentioned that Kashi's claims were "questionable." So I stay away from them, as well as the Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice.

Amy's bowls are very good, too.

Greek yogurt is also a good choice. I like Chobani's greek yogurt--their apple cinnamon and pineapple are my favorites. Throw in some walnuts to add a little crunch and have an apple, orange or other piece of fruit along with it.

Also the coconut yogurt is good. It has very little protein in it, though, so I add a scoop of vanilla protein powder and a little coconut milk to thin it a bit and then use it as a dip for apples or pineapple. Or you can just stir in some berries. (I use Tera's organic whey protein powder.)

If you do not have a problem with dairy, low-fat cottage cheese is a good choice. (Nancy's Organic 1% cottage cheese is what I use.) You can mix in some chopped cucumbers and/or cherry tomates and put it on a bed of lettuce. Or you could make a dessert type dish by adding pineapple to the cottage cheese and topping it with chopped walnuts.

And good for you for homeschooling!
 
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