Comparing 10 Frozen Dinners

Are you in a hurry and usually don’t have time to cook much less count calories? A frozen meal is all you can manage between running the kids to after school activities and your errands. Frozen meals may help you squeeze a meal in but are they keeping your waistline in? Are you getting your money’s worth and staying in your skinny jeans?

It’s true that a person who ate portion-controlled entrees will lose more weight and body fat over an eight week period than those that followed a diet in identical protein, fat, carbs and calories. Why? Self-selected diets underestimate portions and calorie intake. But not all frozen meals will help you lose weight so let’s compare 10 options:

For Pasta Lovers
1. Marie Callender’s
Grilled Chicken Alfredo Bake
$3.99 for 13 ounces (31¢ per ounce)
Cart-worthy? Don’t touch it.
Since 1948, Marie Callender’s has been serving up meals in her namesake restaurants. Today, many of her specialties are available in grocery stores.

The Grilled Chicken Alfredo Bake features “al dente fettuccini with grilled chicken breast and crisp vegetables.” Plus a lot more: 610 calories, 35 grams of fat (54% Daily Value), 14 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams trans fat and a whopping 990 milligrams sodium per serving. Even with 70% DV for vitamin A and 25% DV for calcium, this isn’t diet-friendly, especially if you’re cutting back on salt.
Tip: Don’t be fooled by words like “grilled” and “baked” in the name. Flip the box over and check the nutrition information before you buy it.

2. Stouffer’s
Vegetable Lasagna
$3.59 for 10.5 ounces (34¢ per ounce)
Cart-worthy? Leave it behind.

Stouffer’s is famous for its lasagna, so we picked up the vegetable version because it sounded healthful: “layered with a colorful medley of carrots, spinach, broccoli and onions.” More veggies and no meat means less calories, right? Think again.
Compared to its meaty sibling, the veggie lasagna has 40 more calories and 11 extra grams of fat per serving, thanks to a creamy, cheesy white sauce. In all, it’ll cost you 390 calories, 18 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat and 730 milligrams sodium. Even 17 grams protein and 4 grams of fiber can’t compensate.

Tip: Don’t expect healthy items, like vegetables, to make up for less-desirable ingredients. If you can’t tell by the photo what kind of sauce your meal has, check the ingredients list.

3. Lean Cuisine
Café Classics Grilled Chicken Caesar
$3.79 for 9 ounces (42¢ per ounce)
Cart-worthy? Take it home.
Nestlé created Lean Cuisine to provide lower-calorie, lower-fat alternatives to its corporate sibling, Stouffer’s. Lean Cuisine offers a variety of dishes from six product lines: One Dish Favorites, Café Classics, Comfort Classics, Spa Cuisine Classics, Casual Eating and Dinnertime Selects. Entrées are usually 250 to 300 calories and never more than 400, making Lean Cuisine a safe diet bet.

Lean Cuisine’s Café Classics Grilled Chicken Caesar, with grilled white meat, broccoli and pasta in a Parmesan-Caesar sauce, has a slimming 240 calories, 7 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat and 690 milligrams of sodium. With 18 grams protein and 3 grams fiber, this one’s figure-friendly.

4. Weight Watchers
SmartOnes Three Cheese Macaroni
$3.19 for 10 ounces (32¢ per ounce)
Cart-worthy? Only if you dress it up.
Since the 1960s, Weight Watchers has been helping dieters lose weight without counting calories. Foods get a point value, allowing dieters to eat whatever they want within their daily allotment of points. To take the work out of dieting, Weight Watchers offers SmartOnes frozen entrées.

We put them to the test by choosing a favorite comfort food: mac ‘n’ cheese. Weight Watchers SmartOnes Three Cheese Macaroni has 300 calories, 6 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat and 570 mg sodium, with a healthy dose of protein (14 grams) and fiber (3 grams). That’s not half-bad. Unfortunately, it’s just noodles and cheese – no veggies in sight.

Tip: Low-cal doesn’t equal high nutrient. What an easy fix for this dish? Add a generous side of steamed broccoli.
Best overall value for a mass-market brand: Marie Callender’s Grilled Chicken Alfredo Bake may have the most liberal portions for only 31¢ per ounce, but it’s also the most generous in calories, fat and sodium. For just a penny more per ounce, Weight Watchers SmartOnes Three Cheese Macaroni is more diet-friendly.

Best overall nutrition for a mass-market brand: It’s a tie between Weight Watchers SmartOnes Three Cheese Macaroni and Lean Cuisine’s Café Classics Grilled Chicken Caesar. Both lines have great nutritional profiles and a variety of healthy, diet-friendly products.

Organic Pizza
When a food is labeled organic, it’s not so much about what goes in the meal as what doesn’t – like pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics and hormones. But an organic stamp on your frozen entrée doesn’t guarantee it is low calorie.
“From a nutritional perspective, conventional frozen dinners can be just as healthful as organic meals,” Bauer says. “The nutritional profile of the meal trumps its organic status.”
But you’ll find plenty of highly nutritious organic fare out there – if you’re willing to spend a little more.

5. O Organics
Four Cheese Stone Baked Pizza
$5.99 for 8.1 ounces (74¢ per ounce)
Cart-worthy? You can find better.
Catering to the increasing demand for organic foods, Safeway Inc. (which includes Vons, Pavilions, Genuardi’s, Dominick’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Carrs) created O Organics products, sold online at Shop.Safeway.com and Safeway supermarkets.

At first glance, O Organics Four Cheese Stone Baked Pizza seems like a smart choice. But look closer: It has two servings per container. One pizza packs 500 calories (250 each serving), 18 grams fat, 8 grams saturated fat and a 1,080 milligrams of sodium.

On the upside, it has 24 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, as well as 40% DV for calcium, 20% DV for vitamin C and 12% DV vitamin A.

6. Amy’s
Mushroom & Olive Pizza
$5.79 for 7 ounces (83¢ per ounce)
Cart-worthy? Toss it in.
Amy’s features organic, all-natural (no additives, preservatives or genetically modified organisms) vegetarian fare. It even offers three free diet plans online at Amys.com: The Amy’s Diet, Gluten-Free Diet and Vegan Diet. Meals for each plan are sold online and at supermarkets nationwide.

The Single Serve Mushroom & Olive Pizza has 450 calories, 19 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fats and 789 milligrams sodium – slightly friendlier than O Organics Four Cheese Stone Baked Pizza. It also has an appetite-quelling 18 grams protein and 3 grams fiber, along with 25% DV calcium and 20% DV iron.

7. Cedarlane
Mediterranean Stuffed Focaccia
$5.49 for 12 ounces (46¢ per ounce)
Cart-worthy? If you share it.
Cedarlane Natural Foods Inc. offers all-natural “made with organic” frozen foods. The company recently joined Barry Sears, Ph.D., to start a line of his Zone diet frozen foods, available at grocery stores or online (CedarlaneToGo.com).

Not all Cedarlane products are organic, so we chose the Mediterranean Stuffed Focaccia, which carries the Quality Assurance International organic certification. With spinach, mushrooms and three cheeses in a focaccia crust, this pizza-esque meal looks low-cal.

A closer inspection reveals three servings per 12-ounce container. If you eat the whole thing, that’s 888 calories, 30 grams fat, 18 grams saturated fat and 1,455 milligrams sodium. Eat half and you’ll still be taking in 444 calories, 15 grams fat, 9 grams saturated fat and 722.5 milligrams sodium.

Best overall value for an organic brand: Cedarlane’s Mediterranean Stuffed Focaccia offers the biggest portion for 46¢ per ounce. Because you really shouldn’t eat more than half, you’re getting two servings per container. That’s a great value if you like leftovers.

Best overall nutrition for an organic brand: Cedarlane’s Mediterranean Stuffed Focaccia also has the fewest calories, fat and sodium per serving, although the saturated fat and sodium are the highest among the three. Just don’t eat the whole thing.

South-of-the-Border Gourmet
When you think “gourmet,” you don’t think “cheap.” Which is why we were happily surprised to find that two of the gourmet brands we chose were the least expensive – by far – among all 10 brands evaluated.

8. Whole Foods
Whole Kitchen Chicken Enchiladas
$1.99 for 8 ounces (25¢ per ounce)
Cart-worthy? Snap it up.
Catering to high-end shoppers looking for all-natural, high-quality foods, Whole Foods carries “Whole Kitchen” products chock full of premium ingredients – surprisingly without the high price tag. Whole Kitchen products are sold only at Whole Foods.

For just $1.99 – less than you’ll spend on a Taco Bell meal – you get two handmade enchiladas with “sustainably farmed chicken” and natural masa. The entire meal is only 310 calories, 8 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 610 milligrams sodium, plus 5 grams fiber, 16 grams protein, 20% DV vitamin A and 20% DV calcium. It’s a definite diet “do.”

9. Trader Joe’s
Trader José’s Black Bean & Corn Enchiladas
$2.19 for 8.5 ounces (25¢ per ounce)
Cart-worthy? Go for it.
Another favorite on the premium food scene is Trader Joe’s, a funky grocery store featuring both everyday items and exotic imports. Its product line is sold only at Trader Joe’s markets.
Their cleverly named Trader José’s Black Bean & Corn Enchiladas are made with organic white corn tortillas and stuffed with black beans, corn and tofu. With only 230 calories, 8 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat and 460 milligrams sodium, plus 4 grams fiber, 8 grams protein, 16% DV vitamin A, 20% DV calcium, and 20% DV iron, this one’s a diet “do” too.

10. Kashi
Black Bean Mango
$5.79 for 10 ounces (58¢ per ounce)
Cart-worthy? Stock up.
Founded in 1984 as an all-natural foods company, Kashi isn’t technically gourmet. But with such attention to quality, nutrition and flavor, we grouped them among the best. Kashi foods are high in fiber and protein. They’re sold at supermarkets and Whole Foods Market.
Its Black Bean Mango features black beans paired with roasted onions, peppers and carrots served over 7 Whole Grains Pilaf, finished off with a sauce of fire-roasted mango.

The generous 10-ounce portion provides 340 calories, 8 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 430 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber, 8 grams protein, 150% DV vitamin A, 100% DV vitamin C, and 10% DV iron.
Best overall value for a gourmet brand: For 25¢ an ounce, Whole Foods’ and Trader Joe’s enchiladas tie for best value. You just can’t beat the price.

Best overall nutrition for a gourmet brand: Kashi’s Black Bean Mango may cost more than twice as much per ounce (which, by the way, is still cheaper than the organic brands), but it also has the most generous portion and more fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C than all 10 brands evaluated.
Source: Lifescripts.com

10 Best and Worst Light Beers

10 popular “light” brews. Each beer was judged on consistency (smooth, thick), flavor (hoppy, fruity, floral, malty, butter, watered down), carbonation (flat or fizzy), aftertaste and drinkability. Here’s how our “experts” ranked them — from worst to best.

Corona Light

Ranked: Last place

Price for a 6-pack: Around $8

A unanimous “yuck.” Corona’s light version scored the lowest marks in almost every category. Our tasters were offended by its “horrid” smell and even worse aftertaste. Only one brave soul said she’d drink it again. Another summed it up: “I’d only drink it again before I died of thirst, but I’d have to be really close to death.”

Not even a lime wedge could save this one!
Corona

12 oz.
Calories 109
Carbs 5 g

Budweiser Select

Ranked: 9th

Price for a 6-pack:
Around $6

Bud’s commercials feel good. Its light beer didn’t. Testers had no mercy for Select, describing it as heavily carbonated with a strong aftertaste.

A few said they wouldn’t buy – or chug – it, even if it was free.

One tester likened it to a wine cooler. If you’re into that sort of thing, Bud Select might be for you. Not to mention, it’s one of the lowest-cal beers we sipped, even less than Bud Light.

12oz.
Calories 99
Carbs 3.1g

Miller Lite

Ranked: 8th

Price for a 6-pack:Around $6

Did the Miller folks forget to add flavor, just like they forgot how to spell “light”? This beer’s only redeeming quality, according to testers, is its smoothness.

“It tastes like beer water,” said one. “I’d drink it again only on a hot day,” exclaimed another.

Perhaps Miller should try the bottled water market?

12 oz
Calories 96
Carbs 3.2g

Heineken Light

Ranked: 7th

Price for a 6-pack:Around $8

Nothing sets this brew apart from the pack except its mixed reviews.

Despite a “bitter” and “bad aftertaste,” most tasters found it smooth and drinkable. One pronounced it the “best of the bunch;” another thought it tasted “skunky.” Yet another proclaimed that he wouldn’t touch it unless “someone else was buying. I know I’d wake up with a pretty bad hangover” speaking a foreign language.

Its unwelcome taste may be a good thing, considering Heineken Light has the second-highest carb count on the list.

12 oz.
Calories 99
Carbs 6.8g

Michelob Ultra

Ranked:6th

Price for a 6-pack: Around $6

Ultra’s selling point is a beer for the carb-conscious consumer. Had our testers known that, they might have given it better grades.

Not that Ultra shared last-place with Corona Light. It’s just, well, as one taster put it, “kind of boring and mild.” Reviewers also called it the “flattest beer” of the bunch.

But Ultra gets two thumbs up for its skinny stats: 95 calories and 2.6 g of carbs, a claim not many brews can make. Maybe it’s a taste you can acquire?

12 oz.
Calories: 95
Carbs: 2.6g

MGD 64

Ranked: 5th

Price for a 6-pack:Around $6

Introduced just last year, this light brewski boasts the lowest calories and carbs of the 10 we tested. But its nutritional profile didn’t earn Miller high ratings among our tasters.

Why? Although rankers groused about it being too smooth and hoppy (having a bitter, citrusy, spicy or grassy flavor), the unsavory wateriness and thick aftertaste canceled out some of those negative votes.

Still, a No. 5 ranking is respectable, considering you may not find a lower-cal cocktail at your local watering hole.

12oz.
Calories 64
Carbs 2.4g

Natural Light

Ranked: 4th

Price for a 12-pack:Around $8

Affectionately called “Natty Light” in some circles, this nip is an enigma: Voted one of the most watery beers on the list, testers claimed they’d reach for it again. (Hey, no one ever said we were beer connoisseurs here!) “No taste, but definitely drinkable,” as one “expert” put it.

So why’d we rank Natty No. 4? It was “neutral, but balanced,” said one critic. “Tasted like I was drinking soda water,” said another.

The Natural Light folks got one thing right: the price. It’s the cheapest beer of the bunch.

12 oz.
Calories: 95
Carbs: 3.2g

Sapporo Light

Ranked:3rd

Price for a 6-pack:Around $8

The Japanese have taken over the car market. Is beer next?

Our testers detected hints of fruitiness in this brew and quite a few found it nicely carbonated with an appealing aftertaste. But one lone voice said that it “hurt to swallow.”

Oh well, you can’t win them all. Try it for yourself.

12 oz.
Calories: 96
Carbs: 4.5g

Sam Adams Light

Ranked: 2nd

Price for a 6-pack:Around $8

“Spicy,” “nutty,” “malty” and “thick” must be traits beer drinkers are looking for: Sam Adams had all these – and came in a close second.

Even its copper sheen garnered “oohs” and “ahhs” – a nice change from the blond paleness of other beers we tasted. One tester summed it up perfectly: “This beer had the best flavor, aroma and body on the list.”

Good old American know-how, from the only U.S. craft brewery on our list.

12 oz.
Calories: 119
Carbs: 9.7g

Coors Light

Ranked: 1st

Price for a 6-pack: Around $6

Dubbed “the world’s most refreshing beer,” Coors’ calorie-friendly counterpart squeaked into first place for its smooth, carbonated flavor. Although our testers thought it was watered-down, that didn’t stop them from crowning it Numero Uno. (As a beer-tender, I’ve come away from this test thinking the more watery the beer, the better.)

Drinkers lauded this pale lager as “refreshing” and “very drinkable.” It’s not bad for our waistlines either.

Go out and try it today. Oh, and please drink responsibly.

12 oz.
Calories: 102
Carbs: 5.3g

Cheeder-Ale Soup

Our cheese- and beer-lover’s potato soup has only a fraction of the fat and sodium of a traditional recipe. We use low-fat milk and only a little oil and keep the flavor strong with zesty, sharp Cheddar cheese. Precooked diced potatoes, which you can get at many supermarkets, keep this recipe super speedy. Regular diced red potatoes also work—you’ll just need to increase the cooking time.

Makes 6 servings, 1 3/4 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 12-ounce bottle beer, preferably ale
2 18-ounce bags precooked diced peeled potatoes (see Ingredient Note)
1 14-ounce can vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups nonfat or low-fat milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced or finely chopped

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add beer; bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, broth and water; cover and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes with a potato masher to the desired consistency.
2. Whisk milk and flour and add to the soup. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in 1 1/4 cups Cheddar and stir until melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bell pepper.

<!–p><br /–>NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 389 calories; 12 g fat (5 g sat, 2 g mono); 32 mg cholesterol; 50 g carbohydrate; 16 g protein; 5 g fiber; 408 mg sodium; 238 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Calcium (34% daily value), Vitamin C (32% dv), Vitamin A (19% dv).
3 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 high fat meat, 1/2 fat

TIP: Ingredient note: Look for precooked diced potatoes in the refrigerated section of most supermarket produce departments—near other fresh, prepared vegetables. To make your own, peel 2 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and boil until tender (about 15 minutes).

About Me

Food and Dieting
Why do we need a reason to have a healthy lifestyle? Why can’t we make it a habit? I would be happy just to be at a consistent weight and not have to worry about counting calories, going to the gym or dreading the scale. First thing we have to do is Stop Dieting!
Women make mistakes too when it comes to eating. Here are the top 10 mistakes women make…
1. Eliminating or restricting carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred form of fuel because they can be converted quickly to glucose energy. Small meals which include protein and carbohydrates will slow down the rate at which your body absorbs carbohydrates and will provide longer lasting energy.
2. Over-restricting calories. While a caloric deficit is necessary to lose weight, you don’t want to reduce your consumption of food so much that your body is starving; this only lowers your metabolism and makes it harder to lose weight. To lose one pound per week, you only need to reduce your caloric consumption by 500 calories a day, or burn 250 calories and consume 250 calories less than usual.
3. Not eating enough throughout the day. The safest, most effective way to boost your metabolism and lose weight is by eating five to six small meals every two to three hours.
4. Relying on fat-burners and diet pills. Women want instant gratifications, so they’re often lured by advertisements for quick weight loss, however, these pills are no substitute for a healthy diet and exercise.
5. Not tracking calories. How can you possibly know if you’re eating too few or too many calories if you’re not tracking what you eat? Calculate your daily caloric needs based on your goals and compare it to your journal to find out if you’re eating too much or too little. Check out the numerous calculators on Caloriesperhour.com.
6. Not getting enough sleep. Recent studies show that sleep deprivation can increase hunger and affect the body’s metabolism so that weight loss becomes more difficult.
7. Getting too little exercise. The healthiest way to lose weight is with a combination of diet and exercise. Current guidelines recommend 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity a week for adults.
8. Eating the wrong foods. Nix the sweets, unhealthy snacks, and fried foods and get your butt in the kitchen. Check out the recipes in the best-selling book “Cook Yourself Thin.”
9. Punishing yourself. Instead of marinating in guilt or beating yourself up after a slip-up, get over it!
10. Drinking your calories. There’s a Starbucks on nearly every corner so there’s a lot of temptation out there. The problem is that many of these beverages are extremely high in calories. The next time you’re tempted to drink your calories, have a small meal that is a combination of carbohydrates and protein instead. You’ll feel satisfied longer without guilt.

Skinny Down-Home Chicken Pot Pie
Make this “Cook Yourself Thin” recipe.

Serves 6
Calories per serving: 372

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 leek, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk
2 red potatoes, skin on, diced

2 turnips, peeled and diced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into small cubes
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into small cubes
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
6 sheets of phyllo dough
1 tablespoon olive oil, for brushing

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thaw 6 sheets of phyllo dough overnight in the refrigerator or one hour before using. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer and keep warm.

2. In a 6-quart pot, add the olive oil and flour, and cook until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, leek, carrot, celery, red potato and turnips, and stir with a wooden spoon, making sure the bottom does not get too dry. Add the chicken, bay leaf and thyme, and continue stirring for about 3 minutes, so that everything is coated with the flour mixture.

3. Add the warm chicken stock, stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the color into the mixture and keep it from scorching. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer, covered, for another 5 to 7 minutes, until it becomes thick and the chicken is opaque. Remove from heat and reserve.

4. Meanwhile, take 6 sheets of phyllo dough and, with a knife, cut out a square slightly larger than the rim of a 9-x-9-inch cake pan and brush with some olive oil. Set aside.

5. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the chicken mixture and transfer the chicken to the cake pan. Top with the phyllo dough and press it down firmly with your hands. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, turning the tray around halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, cut into six portions and serve.