Frozen Foods

With today’s society being all about the hustle and bustle to get that bread, we can sometimes forget one very important question:

 What do I eat?

So, then we start to think of the next question:

How am I going to have time to eat?

And then we think of this other important concept:

HeAlThY eAtInG- whatever that means??

And of course, there’s the billion and one ways we could find time to eat such as meal prepping and eating during meetings or getting some of those frozen foods….

Hey, wait, frozen foods could work! I don’t have to meal prep, and I can use my microwave!

Not having to meal prep and being able to use the microwave are enticing selling points, are they not? However, with so many choices out there, there are some facts to consider if you’re looking for something “healthier.”

According to an EatRight.org article by Esther Ellis, MS, RDN, LDN (2022), things to look for in a “healthier” frozen food in general are, “…lower in saturated fat, added sugars, and salt and higher in fiber, vitamin and mineral content.”

I promise you, there are plenty of these “healthier” frozen meals that are also super delicious, but you would expect me to tell you the “healthiest” frozen meal options, would you not? Plus, like I alluded to before, what is “healthy?” It can mean so many different things to anyone you ask. So, I’m going to tell you the three of the “unhealthiest” frozen meal options! 

Note: Since “unhealthy” can also mean so many different things to anyone you ask, I am going to define “unhealthy” here as nutrition content in terms of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Bob Evans Sausage, Egg & Cheese Burrito

                                  Source: Kroger

According to Eat This, Not That!, Just one of these burritos has “…40% of the day’s saturated fat (much of which comes from hydrogenated palm oil)…” and “…bring next to nothing to the table in terms of nutrition” (Eat This, Not That!, 2020). Otherwise, each burrito contains, “350 calories, 21 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 810 mg sodium, 28 g carbs (1 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 13 g protein)” (Eat This, Not That!, 2020). 

After looking at this nutrition fact panel, I agree. While this does contain a decent amount of carbohydrates and protein, there is very little iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium. While we need the carbs and protein for energy, I’m sure you can see how someone eating these all the time would strike some concern. 

Hot Pockets Sausage Egg & Cheese

                                                                      Source: Acme Fresh Market

According to Eat This, Not That!, of the 290 calories, “Approximately 130 of these calories are from simple carbs (translation: nutrient stripped)…” (Eat This, Not That!, 2020). Yep, probably not going to keep you too full with only 8 grams of protein (Eat This, Not That!, 2020).

Looking at this nutrition label, yes there is some calcium and iron, but it is high in sodium. It’s also low in fiber. 

WalMart Great Value French Toast Sticks

Source: Water Butlers

According to Eat This, Not That! (2020), there’s 4 grams of protein in 5 sticks. So, if I end up eating maybe 20 of these (random example), I’m only going to get 16 grams of protein. I can think of yogurts that already contain 12 grams of protein in one container. Given this, these really give you nothing.

So other than these kind of looking like dish sponges (look these up, trust me), they don’t pack in a lot of major nutrients. It has some calcium, very little iron, and not too much potassium. I rest my case. 

So, what’s the point? 

You absolutely can eat these, but the age-old lesson of “read the label” does ring kind of true here. While I’m sure these are all tasty and lovely, I’d be very concerned if someone came to me and told me these types of foods were main components of most of their meals. Remember to take an intuitive eating and gentle nutrition approach and remind clients about the values of getting those micronutrients ALONG with the protein, the carbs, the sodium, the fats, etc. 

SK

 

References:

Eat This Not That!. (2020, September 25). The 28 Unhealthiest Frozen Foods on the Planet. Eat This Not That. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.eatthis.com/unhealthiest-frozen-meals/ 

Ellis, E. (2022, March 4). Frozen Foods: Convenient and Nutritious. EatRight. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.eatright.org/food/planning-and-prep/smart-shopping/frozen-foods-convenient-and-nutritious 

Photo Sources:

https://www.kroger.com/p/bob-evans-sausage-egg-cheese-burritos/0007590000562

https://www.acmestores.com/product/00043695062021/hot-pockets-sandwiches-croissant-crust-sausag

https://waterbutlers.com/products/great-value-frozen-original-french-toast-sticks-16-oz-20-ct