Have you thought about where tonight’s dinner will come from? Will it be the grocery store frozen food section, the deli section or maybe even the fast food drive thru? With today’s busy schedules and very little time for cooking meals “from scratch,” these are choices many Americans are making each evening.
If you choose a packaged meal from the grocery store’s frozen food section, the options are plentiful. Once called “TV Dinners”, they have evolved into a wide range of modern meals that are quick, easy, and often quite attractive. The variety of options can make a family meal that appeals to each person’s tastes – from beef, chicken and pork to pasta, vegetarian meals, “hot pockets,” and oriental “bowls.” Heating these in the microwave helps keep the kitchen clean, too.
Many frozen meals are controlled in calories, fat and sodium. Often, they are less expensive than getting other forms of take-out meals.
Keep the following nutritional considerations in mind as you select frozen dinners:
* Look for meals that include a lot of vegetables. Check the ingredients list to see if they are among the first few items listed.
* Read the nutrition label and compare different brands of the same type of food. Be sure to look at the amount of sodium and saturated fats in the selections. Look for meals with no more than 800 milligrams of sodium and 10 – 13 grams of fat. Also, look for a meal with approximately 300 – 400 calories.
* Some meals may not be filling. You may want to consider adding some packaged tossed salad, a cup of soup, piece of fruit, some leftover vegetables, or a whole-grain roll to the meal. These additions will provide extra vitamins, minerals and fiber without a lot of extra calories to help you feel full.
* Match the portion size to your activity level. “Man-size” meals
contain more calories, which require most people to maintain a higher level of activity to maintain a reasonable weight.
* Another option is to make up your own frozen meals from home-cooked leftovers. Recycle the dishes or trays you get from the pre-packaged frozen meals you’ve purchased. Fill them with a selection of your favorite foods, wrap each tray in a freezer bag, and have them on hand in your freezer for the next time you run out of time to
cook a full meal. This is probably the least expensive way of having frozen meals in the freezer. Also, you won’t have to stop at the grocery
store, further saving you time in preparing dinner. The next time you cook a meal, prepare extra so that you’ll have enough to make up these frozen meals. Instead of thinking of these meals as leftovers, consider them as “planned-overs”.
Source: Colorado Cooperative Extension
Makeover Toffee Crunch Dessert
1 ½ cups skim milk
1 package (1 ounce) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cartons (8 ounces each) frozen fat-free whipped topping
1 angel food cake, cubed
4 toffee candy bars (such as Butterfinger), crushed
In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2minutes. Stir in 2 cups whipped topping. Fold in remaining whipped topping.
In a 9” x 13” dish, layer half of the caked, cream mixture and crushed candy bars. Repeat layers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
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