{"id":32869,"date":"2014-10-09T07:15:38","date_gmt":"2014-10-09T11:15:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=32869"},"modified":"2022-01-20T08:40:13","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T13:40:13","slug":"healthy-microwave-meals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/healthy-microwave-meals\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Microwave Meals Actually Be Good for You?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Microwave
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s been a long day at the office<\/a> and the last thing you want to do is cook; we feel you. But before you order takeout, give yourself a minute to consider another option \u2014\u00a0a microwavable meal.<\/p>\n

Long derided for being full of artificial preservatives and sodium<\/a>, frozen meals have undergone a healthy renaissance in recent years. \u201cFrozen meals have changed into integrating more whole grains and more superfoods, like kale, beans and lentils,\u201d says Bethany Doerfler, RD, LDN, and a clinical research dietician at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.<\/p>\n

In fact, frozen dishes may be better for you than food you pick up, or even meals you cook at home. They often boast several hundred<\/i> fewer calories than people normally consume during a standard meal due to their smaller portion sizes, according to Doerfler. But before you go grabbing just any boxed meal, get the scoop on how to pick the healthiest options in the freezer section, and which health-conscious brands you might want to try.<\/p>\n

The 411 on Finding Healthy Frozen Meals<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cIdeally, food starch should be the last ingredient, or one of the last ingredients used.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Your first order of business in the freezer aisle: Take a close look at the nutrition facts label<\/a> before tossing anything into your cart. You\u2019ll want to be especially careful to check the sodium levels and grams of saturated fat in your meal choice, to avoid accidentally introducing a bloat-inducing health don\u2019t<\/i> into your diet.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet something under 600 to 700 milligrams of sodium,\u201d Doerfler says. And when it comes to saturated fats<\/a>, shoppers should look for a meal that contains no more than a few grams, if any at all.<\/p>\n

Your next task is to find a meal containing the least amount of artificial ingredients<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One tip: Ingredients on nutrition labels are listed in order from greatest representation to least. Therefore, the first couple you see should be whole grains, vegetables or lean proteins, according to Doerfler. What you don\u2019t want to find? Food starches. They\u2019re often used to replace fat and provide texture in frozen dishes. \u00a0\u201cIdeally, food starch should be the last ingredient, or one of the last ingredients used,\u201d Doerfler says. \u201cIt\u2019s not a dangerous food additive, but it\u2019s [mostly empty calories]\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, frozen meals are meant to last a long time \u2014\u00a0 a bonus when you find yourself coming home late after most stores have closed. But, some will contain compounds such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which is used to prevent oils in foods from going bad over time. While the FDA has declared BHT safe for consumption<\/a>, people should try to minimize consumption of preservatives like this one, when they can. \u201cThe less we can get away with things like BHT, artificial sweeteners<\/a> or food starches, the better,\u201d Doerfler says. \u201cIf you can, stick with simple, clean, whole food groups.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/b> The Beginner\u2019s Guide to Clean Eating<\/a><\/p>\n

Frozen Meals and Weight Loss <\/b><\/h3>\n

Tying to shed a few pounds<\/a>? Frozen meals could be a great secret weapon to add to your arsenal.<\/p>\n

A well-known study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<\/a> followed 100 obese patients throughout a dietary intervention \u2014 half relied on conventional foods when dieting and the other half on portion-controlled meal replacements (primarily shakes, bars and soups). Over a two year period, the group using meal replacements lost more weight than the traditional diet group, and was better able to maintain that weight loss. \u201cHands down the biggest, most likely explanation [for these findings] is that the meals are portion and calorie controlled,\u201d Doerfler says, which is why she recommends pre-packaged frozen foods to dieters as well.<\/p>\n

Seek out meals that contain between 250 and 400 calories. For most people trying to lose weight, Doerfler advises consuming around 400 calories for lunch and approximately 500 calories for dinner. That means you can \u2014 and should \u2014 supplement lower-calorie frozen meals with fresh fruits<\/a> and veggies, or healthy carbs like a baked potato, to ensure you\u2019re consuming enough calories and nutrients to stay full until your next meal.<\/p>\n

\"Microwave
Photo: LuvoInc.com<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n


\nMicrowave Meals We\u2019re Digging<\/b><\/h3>\n

“None of our lunch or dinner options have more than four grams of sugar, which is a teaspoon.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While old favorites like Healthy Choice are continuing to up the ante with their offerings, new brands such as Luvo<\/a> are making waves with their innovative\u00a0and delicious frozen meals that include entrees like Chicken Chile Verde or Kale Ricotta Ravioli.<\/p>\n

Focused on healthy, natural ingredients, Luvo boasts a menu full of, \u201cBHT-free meals, proteins raised without antibiotics, dairy raised without hormones, cage-free eggs, and non-GMO ingredients for the top six high-risk crops<\/a>, including corn, soy and canola,\u201d according to Samatha Cassetty, RD, Luvo\u2019s director of nutrition.<\/p>\n

Each Luvo meal is cooked en papillote \u2014 it\u2019s prepackaged in a paper bag, not a plastic container \u2014 ensuring that chicken doesn\u2019t get rubbery and noodles remain al dente when microwaved. \u201cNone of our meals have more than 500 milligrams of sodium, and, barring one exception, none of our lunch or dinner options have more than four grams of added sugar, which is a teaspoon,\u201d Cassetty says.\u00a0To put this in context, the American Heart Association<\/a> recommends consuming no more than six teaspoons of sugar per day for women, and nine teaspoons per day for men.<\/p>\n

Healthy Choice is also making strides in satisfying customer demand for better-for-you foods. They recently unveiled a line of gluten-free meals adhering to the FDA\u2019s new rules<\/a> for g-free products. The name Healthy Choice requires the company to adhere to certain standards, as \u201chealthy\u201d is an FDA regulated term<\/a>. \u201cEach of the foods has to be low in fat, low in saturated fat, controlled in sodium, controlled in cholesterol and have at least three positive vitamins and minerals,\u201d says Kristin Reimers, PhD, RD and director of nutrition at ConAgra, Healthy Choice\u2019s parent company.<\/p>\n

Doerfler also recommends Artisan Bistro<\/a> meals, noting that they often contain well under 500 mg of sodium per serving. And she applauds Amy\u2019s Light & Lean<\/a> line of foods for being low in fat and calories, as well as for providing ample choices for vegetarians and people with food allergies. Their meal options range from Roasted Polenta to Quinoa & Black Beans with Butternut Squash & Chard.<\/p>\n

Chosen carefully, frozen meals \u201care absolutely a part of a healthy diet,\u201d according to Doerfler. So next time you\u2019re too wiped out to cook, hit up the freezer aisle rather than your local fast food joint.<\/p>\n

Do you enjoy microwave meals? Tell us your favorite brands in the comments section.\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It turns out some microwave meals might be healthier than you think. Find out how to select better-for-you options from the frozen foods aisle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":32884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,425,7,9,18],"tags":[155,51,71,341,352,285],"class_list":["post-32869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-dinner","category-health","category-recipes","category-weight-loss","tag-dinner","tag-food-choices","tag-nutrition","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2weight-loss","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32869\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}