Guide to Buying Frozen Food

Vegetables

Frozen meals can’t beat freshly made dishes for taste, but they’re good to have on hand when you don’t have the time or the energy to cook. They also, incidentally, may help people lose weight. In a recent study, researchers instructed adults to follow balanced, calorie-controlled diets. One group ate frozen entrées for two out of three of their daily meals; the other group chose their own foods. After eight weeks, the subjects in the first group lost more weight on average (12 pounds) than did those in the other one (8 pounds). The probable reason: Frozen meals took the guesswork out of proper portion sizes.

Look for: The word healthy on the box. It’s a reliable indicator of good nutrition. Select entrées with no more than 3.5 grams of fat per 100 calories, no more than 600 milligrams total sodium, and no MSG or trans fats, says Lisa Drayer, a registered dietitian in New York City and the author of The Beauty Diet ($16, McGraw-Hill, amazon.com). For bonus points, choose meals with at least four grams of fiber and about 15 grams of protein. Brands that consistently offer healthy options include Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Smart Ones, Kashi, and the Whole Foods house line.

Avoid: Dishes that pack half a day’s worth of calories into one tray. Some can be 700 calories per serving, says Krieger. Monitor fat, too: Some meat lasagnas, say, can contain as much as 19 grams per serving (about 35 percent of your daily needs). While a vegetarian entrée may seem as if it’s automatically healthy, that’s not always the case. Some meatless dishes can contain excessive amounts of cheese, which is high in saturated fat and sodium.

Tip: Many diet-minded entrées clock in at 300 calories or less. But for most women, a meal should be more like 400 calories. “Add about a cup of vegetables, salad, soup, or fruit to ensure that you feel full when you’re done,” says Leslie Bonci, a registered dietitian and the director of sports-medicine nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. These extras also boost both the fiber and nutrient content of the meal.