Do you think Healthy Choice meals are healthy?...

[Phentex]

They are one of the sponsors on Top Chef this time so I keep seeing a bunch of their commercials. I guess they have their place for something quick to take to work but I was wondering about the sodium and such. I'd rather have a sandwich myself.

Anyway, what's your take? Do you buy them? Are they healthy?

[hlthe2b]

1. I think it is the nature of all those frozen meals to have too many preservatives and sodium...

Some are clearly better than others. All I know is that when I get busy and frequent the "Healthy CHoice" and "Lean Cuisine" for a couple of weeks, I am so unsatiated that I overeat--voraciously.. By contrast, when I take the time to cook similar healthy lower calorie meals from scratch, I feel good and can avoid a lot of snacking. So, something tells me that there are some very empty calories in those meals.

[Phentex]

4. I think so, too...

I had a sister who was using Nutri System years ago. Some of the stuff seemed awful and some was okay but what I noticed the most were the portions. They were small, not like what they show on TV. I kept telling her for the calories she could have been eating something much more fulfilling and not nasty.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. we've come to realize that the vast majority of prepared foods have issues....

usually too much salt. Often far worse. And they are usually not inexpensive.

We are lucky - being retired, I have time to cook (a passion of mine), so we can avoid them.

[Phentex]

3. I think I am irritated that Top Chef...

is taking money for this. I mean, the show is about making real food. It's like Godiva Chocolates sponsoring the Biggest Loser.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. The more we all realize that it is always about the $$$, the better we will be.

Happens everywhere - food/cooking, gardening - I am beyond disappointed and disillusioned...hopefully moving toward wise!

[Denninmi]

7. Probably somewhat (marginally?) more healthy overall than the average frozen dinner.

Nothing very choice about any of them, as I see it.

[grasswire]

8. I can see how portion control might be useful.

I know someone who lost a fair amount of weight eating those meals for dinners and a sensible lunch. The person had a tendency to take second helpings of home-cooked meals. So the portion control was useful.

My 90-year-old auntie nukes a frozen dinner every night. Much more variety than she would get if she cooked for herself, and cheaper than getting suppers at the retirement center dining room. Plus she can eat in her own apartment and doesn't have to chit-chat with hundreds of other residents she doesn't want to be with.

So I guess they have their uses in certain circumstances. The meals are certainly better than frozen dinners USED to be, aren't they? I've never had one but I see the packages at the supermarket and see lots of low-cal and veggies.

[maddezmom]

9. Probably not so great for you, but I always have

a few lean cuisines on hand because it's better to eat one of those than snack on chips, etc. But the sodium content is high.

[NMDemDist2]

13. +1 n/t

[HopeHoops]

10. No.

[cbayer]

11. I think it's a huge branding hoax.

I don't think HC's cereals/frozenfoods/breads/etc. etc. etc. are any healthier than most of the products surrounding them.

But put a big "Healthy!!" label on it and they can charge more for products that actually provide less quantity and incredibly mediocre quality.

It's not just them, but they were one of the first and most successful.

[surrealAmerican]

12. I've only tried their canned soup ...

... which was horrible. Judging from the ingredients, I doubt their frozen meals are worth trying. They sound like overly-processed food to me.

[MrMickeysMom]

14. A doctor I work with refers to them as...

... "smells better than it is"

I can't weigh in, but prefer my PB&J with salted peanuts layer on oatmeal bread for lung any day over it.