It’s 6:15pm. It’s cold. And you just walked home STARVING after a particularly hectic day. The last thing you want to do is cook a meal. So you open the freezer, and there it is. The best thing since frozen yoghurt: Lean Cuisine.
For any college student familiar with late nights, prepared frozen foods are a savior for when you are too exhausted to do anything but press a button on a microwave. Many of my friends live by the endless variation of “comfort cuisine” and “market creation” frozen meals. Other students may like them for their low calories. Ranging from 190 to 400 calories at the most, these meals seem like a great way to limit your caloric intake while still enjoying pasta and potatoes. However, some are better for you than others.
Sodium content
The sodium content of these “healthy” TV dinners is a real concern. The Lean Cuisine website devotes an entire section to the topic. According to the nutritionist they consult, the recommended daily intake is 2000mg-1500mg of sodium. One dish of Lean Cuisine Jumbo Rigatoni with Meatballs has 830mg. If you eat one for lunch and dinner, you have already exceeded your daily limit, which can have harmful effects on your blood pressure and place unnecessary stress on your kidneys (Associated Content). Extra sodium can cause visible changes as well, from bloating to water weight gain. This can be uncomfortable and an inconvenience when getting ready to go out! To prevent these unwelcome side effects, it’s good to limit eating Lean Cuisines to twice a week and replace other dinners with fresh food or takeout.
Getting the most out of a frozen meal
One way to guarantee you are getting the most out of your meals is to make sure that your protein and veggies come packaged separately. In addition to my favorite Jennie-O Turkey Burgers, breakfast sausage patties make a great protein source for dinner. This can be supplemented with another source of vitamins, such as a small salad. Your body will thank you for cutting down on the chemicals and preservatives that make up most of the ingredients in these frozen meals.
If you do need to reach for that frozen meal, check the label for two key criteria: 1) Is it mainly protein? 2) Is its sodium content within the 500mg range? Federal law regulates what frozen meals can be legally labeled “healthy.” A product must contain less than 3 grams of fat for every 100 grams and a sodium content less than 600 milligrams.
Also, make sure that your frozen dinner is fully warmed. Even though the food is precooked, eating it when not thoroughly warmed can pose serious health risks. Microwaves have a tendency to heat food unevenly, leaving cold spots in your dinner that can host harmful bacteria like E.coli, listeria and salmonella. It is key to make sure that your Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice meal is thoroughly reheated.
Safe Microwave Cooking
The best way to ensure that your microwavable meal is warm enough is to find out your microwave’s wattage. Place one cup of ice cold water in the microwave and heat on high for four minutes. If the water boils in less than two minutes, your microwave is at least 1000 watts; if it takes three or more minutes, your microwave is around 700 watts. Use the results to gauge how long you should really cook your Lean Cuisine for.
Alternatives to Lean Cuisine
Trader Joe’s Flamed Cooked Ground Buffalo Steak Burgers: a GREAT source of microwaveable delicious protein
Trader Joe’s Pre-Cooked Chicken Patties with Four Cheeses and Spinach: protein, dairy, veggies AND already cooked!
Tyson Pre-Cooked Frozen Chicken: comes precooked, either sliced or as a filet. Easy to prepare — only takes three minutes to defrost in the microwave!
Serve with
Homemade Salad: Prepare a salad in a Ziploc bag or a produce bag from the supermarket. Keep it in the fridge until dinner time!
Works Cited Adverse Effects of High Sodium Intake | eHow.com. (n.d.).eHow . Retrieved February 14, 2011, from http://www.ehow.com/about_5166896_adverse-effects-high-sodium-intake.html Hidden Danger in Frozen Foods. (n.d).Associated Content . Retrieved February 14, 2011, from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1325327/hidden_danger_in_frozen… Ask the Nutritionist. (n.d.).LEAN CUISINE®. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from http://leancuisine.com