One of my friends here at schools is constantly eating Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine because she says it is the healthiest option available here. I wouldn’t doubt that these frozen meals are healthier than some of the options accessed at school, but the fact that it is a FROZEN food item made me curious as to what its content was and if it was actually all that healthy. Oddly, many of the product sites to not share a whole list of the ingredients inside of their foods. Researchers tend to think this is because they’re hiding what’s actually in the product.
On FitDay.com they list many advantages and disadvantages to frozen food. The main advantage that companies advertise for these products is that it is healthy because of the portion control. These frozen foods are packed with the proper serving size for an individual trying to lose weight. Once it is done, you cannot go grab more food.
The disadvantage to frozen meals like these is the use of chemicals to give the food the taste of a home cooked meal. There are many preservatives in these frozen foods to attempt to give off the taste of freshness. Some of these unhealthy additives are Maltodextrin, Soy Lecithin, Carrageenan, Soy Lecithin, and Potassium Chloride. Also, the mimicked steaming isn’t exactly healthy to heat up this frozen meal due to the contents that are in it.
“The 10 oz serving is to be heated in a microwaveable packaging that mimics the effect of steaming. Steaming is a preparation method that requires little to no oils, unlike a saute. You each can be the judge regarding the flavor,” (Fooducate, 1).
Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine have also been recalled items many times because users have found chunks of plastic in their foods. Users who have tried to do diet experiments with these frozen meals felt they weren’t getting enough nutrients a day. In fact, their metabolisms slowed down which made it harder for them to lose weight. The Daily Finance discusses these recalls.
Sources:
1.) http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/18/recall-roundup-lean-cuisine-and-kashi-meals-chocolate-milk-bl/
2.) http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/weight-loss/are-frozen-diet-foods-really-healthy.html#b
3.) http://blog.fooducate.com/2010/06/15/how-healthy-are-healthy-choices-frozen-meals/
Very interesting, this topic is actually something the majority of the population should be more aware about. I never eat frozen food because i’m aware of all the preservatives in frozen food therefore choose never to eat it. It’s definitely very convenient, but cannot take the spot of a well balanced meal.
More about the cons of eating frozen food at this link: http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2013/03/12/whats-in-your-frozen-dinner
This is no shock to me since these frozen foods seem unappetizing in the first place. Also, my mother, who is a food scientist, has been discouraging me from eating these disgusting meals for years now. According to my mother, “In frozen meals there are less real food ingredients, more preservatives, additives, and chemicals.” She then continued to explain to me how those chemicals/preservatives/additives in frozen meals are not present in home-cooked meals. According to Shilpa Mattal, frozen meals “…use partially hydrogenated palm oil which might have hidden, dangerous trans fats.” Also, she claims that there is a second major issue stating “…many frozen meals contain between 700 to 1800 mg of sodium… the daily recommended maximum dosage of 2300 mg of sodium… this puts people with high blood pressure at risk.”
These are just two other reasons why these frozen meals are awful for you.
For more information, check out this article: http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report-frozen-foods-healthy-or-unhealthy-1876748
I disagree with your friend that this is her healthiest option to eat at school. Sure, it may appear that way because she’s eating vegetables (that actually have been stored in a box for months but are still somehow green) and because there aren’t that many calories since the portions are little. Not only are there a ton of preservatives but frozen food is extremely high in sodium, which in the long run is not good for you. Very interesting topic.
This is so scary to me because I eat these things all the time! I think the convenience factor of these foods is what really draws us college students to them. Sometimes I just don’t feel like going to the dining hall and would rather pop something in the microwave. It makes a lot of sense about the portion control because I think the big reason a lot of freshman gain weight is because of the dining halls. Unlimited food, all different types and no time limit. It’s like asking for overeating to occur. As an alternative to eating these frozen foods this website:
http://education-portal.com/articles/10_Ways_to_Eat_Healthy_in_the_Dining_Commons.html
provides helpful tips to eating healthy in the commons. It’s a little scary getting all of your food out of the freezer case and cooking it in the microwave. Trying to choose healthy options in the dining commons sounds like a better idea than a frozen mean after reading this!
I found this post really interesting. I never thought about the fact that maybe frozen food could be better for us because we are not eating such big portions. However, I still think its best to stay away from TV dinners and better to cook your own food!
I agree I don’t believe that frozen foods can ever be a healthy alternative. Even ones like LeanCuisine and HealthyChoice which promote a healthier diet. Frozen foods have been proven to give people with high blood pressure at further risks. Although I was reading an article that says not all frozen foods are so bad. This article explains the pros and cons of frozen foods.
http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report-frozen-foods-healthy-or-unhealthy-1876748
This is crazy to me because I had never realized that it could be so bad. I assumed that it would help people lose weight because of the low calorie level. I never stopped to think that the lack of nutrients could slow down the body enough to send it in the opposite direction and make it worse. This article explains some pros of frozen foods though. http://www.affi.org/about-us/benefits-of-frozen-food
I agree that although the portions to frozen food may be healthier because people don’t eat as much, it matters more what is in the food. The chemicals that some companies put in frozen meals to make them have longer shelf-lives are sometimes often dangerous. It is much better to eat a lot of healthy food than a little of junk food.
This was shocking to me. As a freshman college kid on a budget who also has celiac’s disease, I find myself eating Amy’s gluten free mac and cheese regularly. They pride themselves on being organic, but this makes me believe that no frozen meal could be completely organic. Women’s health did an article on the healthiness of frozen meals because they’re low in calories, and so forth. But did they account for all of the preservatives? I suggest you read thearticle.
This is a very interesting post. I think it is also important to note the bad effects that the microwave have on these foods(do they change their molecular structure).
I don’t believe that frozen foods are healthy. Yes I have eaten them before since I can get busy sometimes and it is a quick and easy way to get food. On occasions it is okay but eating them daily is not good for you. I know they have high sodium in it. But who wouldn’t want to enjoy a lovely home cooked meal by your mother every night?