Thread Number: 42563
Frozen Dinners - FEH! |
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Post# 626286   9/20/2012 at 07:25 (4,206 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)   |   | |
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Due to recent changes in my work schedule that make it very difficult to get time to cook, I recently went through a phase of trying frozen dinners and entrees to help with the time crunch. To say I am absolutely aghast is an understatement!
Most of what I've tried is absolutely unacceptable. There are several problems: - Nutritional quality is dodgy, with lots of fat calories and stratospheric sodium levels. - Portion sizes of expensive ingredients are dinky, with preference given to cheap fillers like desserts. - Anything touted as "healthy" tastes like crap. I'm especially offended by Swanson's Hungry Man TV dinner line, which they insist on putting a dessert into, usually a brownie. First, the brownie's cooking fills the kitchen with the smell of scorched chocolate, which is not my favorite scent, not by a long shot. Second, it displaces needed nutrition - I'd like to have more than seven green beans and three tablespoons of mashed potato, and the dessert portion is too small anyway, about two tablespoons. Swanson's over-reliance on corn as a veggie is also problematic; it's essentially another starch in addition to the mashed potato. One of the worst lines I've tried is Marie Callender. The major problem is that Marie is a stingy, stingy woman - portion sizes are small, and pricier ingredients are in damn short supply. I would estimate that the entire company goes through one chicken a year for its pot pies, for instance. A recently-sampled "chicken and broccoli" pot pie had four pieces of chicken, and only one piece of broccoli that wasn't a chunk of broccoli stem. This was a premium-priced, 16-ounce pie, not a little one. Marie Callender's stuff is made by the same company that makes the taste and enjoyment-free Healthy Choice line, ConAgra. I also don't see how anyone older manages to prepare these things. Instructions are in four-point or smaller type for the most part, and often they require you to cut part of the covering, take stuff out, stir other stuff, and then put everything back. The covering is some sort of weird-science clear plastic that shreds as soon as you touch it; getting all the shreds off the tray and out of the food is tricky. I could definitely see a old person failing to spot a piece of this stuff and choking on it. There has been one - count 'em, one - winner in all this: Boston Market's pot roast, which is tasty, filling, decently loaded with veggies and has a very fair amount of beef in it, even if the salt level is a bit high. But even this silver lining had a cloud attached; this success inspired me to try Boston Market's cheesy rice with chicken, which was skimpy to a point that moved me to observe that they got the "cheesy" part right. I am back to cooking; the cost, dubious nutritive value and abysmal taste of these little offerings is not what I remember from TV dinners as a kid. Of course, that was when they came in foil trays with a foil cover, which should confirm everyone's suspicion that I was born in the Jurassic era and rode a dinosaur to school. |
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Post# 626294 , Reply# 2   9/20/2012 at 08:29 (4,206 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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@whirlcool - I think you may be mistaken in the amount of salt LOLOLOLOL - that is nearly 7lbs! I do agree though that many of these products are loaded with salt and also fat and sugar.
I make my own, although I seldom have them in front of the TV as I take them to work so I may eat my main meal in the middle of the day rather than at night. And I am not keen on cooking just for myself, even less after a 70-90 minute car journey home. So I have a big cook up and make various dishes which can all be frozen and microwaved later - these tend to revolve around stews, pasta dishes, shepherds pies things like that. With appropriate foil or ceramic containers you could even make your own chicken pot pies. With some thought and preparation two or three hours work can set you up with meals for days or even weeks. And I can control what goes into them I usually save containers from what we call "ready meals" which mostly can be washed in the dishwasher for such purposes - I find I can use them again and again. Sounds like an idea for a recipe thread Al |
Post# 626306 , Reply# 5   9/20/2012 at 09:55 (4,206 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)   |   | |
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Post# 626320 , Reply# 7   9/20/2012 at 11:34 (4,206 days old) by paulc (Edinburgh, Scotland)   |   | |
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I must say I have to disagree about the comments of not having time to cook.I trained as a chef but kinda lost the will to cook and I went through a phase of relying on ready meals through the week as me and hubby often work long hours. The downside was I couldn't get into my jeans after a couple of months and felt very sluggish, we still ate lots of fruit and I cooked at the weekend or nights that we were in at a reasonable time. Hubby was ok as he cycles to and from work every day, a round trip of 10 miles through hilly Edinburgh but I spend a lot of my time on buses throughout the day doing my home visits, or am in the office in front of a computer.
A couple of months ago we were visiting my mum for the weekend. Mum has always ate healthy, all meals are cooked from scratch. She has hundreds of cookery books and gave me lots of quick and easy recipes for inspiration. Now through the week we eat a lot of pasta, rice, noodles and cous cous. I can have a health meal on the table in 15 mins. I always have fresh chili, herbs, ginger and garlic to hand as well as soy sauce, fish sauce and pasata. A big fave with Hubby at the moment is fusili with broccoli spears, fresh chili, walnuts, lemon juice, panchetta,lemon juice and parmesan. This takes 15 mins from start to finish. Don't get me wrong, we are not total health nuts and still enjoy a take away at the weekend and the odd meal out but our new diet through the week is a complete sucess, I lost 5lb in the first week and feel so much better. I did have a couple of ready meals left in the freezer and we had them last Thursday night, neither of us enjoyed them. I am so pleased I have found my passion for cooking again. |
Post# 626322 , Reply# 8   9/20/2012 at 11:50 (4,206 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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Marie Callenders got its start with pies. They were among the first to offer the ridiculously sized mile-high likes of glazed fresh strawberry pie, etc.
Their restaurants had been around for decades, perhaps dating as far back as the 70's, and then a couple of years ago they all abruptly closed -- as in employees showing up to work and finding out from a sign on the door. Only the frozen foods portion of MC's remains today. |
Post# 626335 , Reply# 9   9/20/2012 at 12:42 (4,206 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O )   |   | |
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I buy the Hungry Man Salisbury Steak only when they're on sale for $1.99. I eat them as a between meal snack though. They're ok for what they are however "one" doesn't really satisfy.. I need to eat two because I go to the gym almost everyday working out and I need the calories just to maintain my current weight level. The other half still can't figure out how I can stuff so much food in me so soon after I've just eaten one or two plates of spaghetti or such LOL |
Post# 626383 , Reply# 12   9/20/2012 at 16:35 (4,206 days old) by joe_in_philly (Philadelphia, PA, USA)   |   | |
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To give you some ideas, here are some things I have made when in need of a fast meal. Not as healthy as a properly prepared meal, but better than a frozen pizza or fast food.
- Hamburger helper (or another similar boxed meal) and throw in vegetables (a bag of frozen vegetables, bag of fresh spinach, chopped mushrooms, fresh vegetables, etc.) half way through the cooking time. - Whole Wheat cous cous, frozen vegetables, protein (can of beans, tuna, salmon, sardines, chicken, etc.) - Mix a lean cuisine type meal which has some sort of sauce, and make additional vegetables (like half a bag of frozen vegetables). Mix together. - Prepared stuffed chicken breasts, rice or cous cous, lowfat frozen creamed spinach. If you can't tell, I like to keep frozen vegetables on hand since they cook quickly in the microwave, great for when I am pressed for time. They add nutrition and increase the portion size w/o increasing fat or calories significantly. Quinoa is another great grain, although it takes a little more time and cous cous. I prepare big batches of rice (white with barley, brown, or quicker cooking Haiga is good) in the rice cooker, and then freeze it in individual serving sizes. My partner will microwave them when he wants some rice quickly. The trick to keep rice the right consistency is to seal the containers immediately upon filling, and letting them cool on the counter before freezing. Then, when you microwave them, the rice has the proper amount of moisture in it. |
Post# 626389 , Reply# 13   9/20/2012 at 17:04 (4,206 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))   |   | |
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I like frozeys. But then I liked airline food back when they had it. Can make some scratch stuff but don't want it again in the 5 days leftovers last and most damages stored frozen. Spaghetti sauce doesn't, and I've even managed calzone.
Besides more salt that I want, frozeys need a pharmacist to read the ingredients. Ever notice how many of them are detergents? Sodium hexametaphosphate isn't exactly in my spice rack. |
Post# 626412 , Reply# 14   9/20/2012 at 18:57 (4,206 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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I've been guilty of using frozen dinners, as well as other various prepared convenience products. At one point, I had serious kitchen limitations. And, for years, I have only cooked for myself on a day to day basis, which has seriously limited my enthusiasm for cooking. I can't say the taste was horrible, but then the convenience stuff I buy is usually different from what I actually cook, so a comparison becomes a little harder. Plus the times I've gone convenience the convenience factor is the main thing I care about.
Recently, I've been trying to get away from heavy use of convenience products. I have real concerns about the how healthy they are. They have salt. They have chemicals even a chemistry major may not have heard of. And, probably, GMO ingredients. I can tell a real difference how I feel when I am eating well (or at least reasonably well. Others have said this, but I'll echo this: a real key to success in cooking from scratch even when life is busy is having recipes that can be whipped together fast. Also: cooking in quantity helps. I knew someone who did that: he'd cook up a several day's worth of a main course. I, personally, would get tired of the same meal every day. Years back, I made an intriguing borscht recipe. But didn't pay enough attention to the details, and made a lot more than could be easily used up. Even with two people eating it, it lasted and lasted. Finally, it was used up, and all interested parties agreed: it would be a fine idea if borscht did NOT make a repeat appearance for a very long time. I am now considering cooking and freezing the excess, at least enough for really busy nights. If my schedule changes to a more hectic one, freezing my own meals might be essential. Finally, there are healthier commercial meals of some sort. Fred Meyer has a selection in the "Nutrition Department." They may be organic, and generally healthier than the regular freezer aisle. I find the taste can be acceptable, at least by frozen dinner standards. But the price is higher, although sometimes there are really good sales. |
Post# 626416 , Reply# 15   9/20/2012 at 19:22 (4,206 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)   |   | |
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....One of the biggest travails I encountered while sampling frozen dinners.
I have come to call it "Brown Glop Number Five." It is the alleged "gravy" you find in almost any frozen dinner containing beef, whether Salisbury steak, meat loaf, or what-have-you. It is an unnaturally dark brown, nearly the color of Hershey's syrup, and it is full of something absolutely evil-tasting. I detect hydrolyzed yeast, as well as some mega-soy product that is so salty it would be too much in a pickle factory. It tastes nothing like good beef gravy. Hell, it tastes nothing like bad beef gravy, and as a 1970's graduate of Atlanta's secondary schools, I have quite a lot of basis for comparison. I find it hard to believe that anyone willingly buys a dinner containing Brown Glop Number Five a second time. If they do, it goes to prove something Frank Lloyd Wright once said: "Be sure to get what you like, or you will end up liking what you get." |
Post# 626431 , Reply# 16   9/20/2012 at 20:11 (4,206 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c )   |   | |
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With the old Swanson dinners avalible when I was a kid, they might not have been healthy, but as a kid I thought they were wonderful! |
Post# 626433 , Reply# 17   9/20/2012 at 20:28 (4,206 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)   |   | |
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Post# 626435 , Reply# 19   9/20/2012 at 20:32 (4,206 days old) by coldspot ()   |   | |
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Oh got me thinking who remembers boil bag dinners? God I miss them so so so much easy and fast. |
Post# 626439 , Reply# 20   9/20/2012 at 21:11 (4,206 days old) by appnut (TX)   |   | |
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Night Hawk frozen entrees are just about as good as the food prepared in their restaurants. Had several in Austin when I went to college in the early to latter 1970s. Sandy, I've lived alone all my life. The only ready-to-eat I keep around is pizza and that's not often. I"M on a special high-fiber diet so I have no choice but to cook. I pretty much have whole wheat pasta of some kind and throw in a can of tomatoes of some kind and some spices and wine. Maybe alittle bit of cheese and sauteed onions. 20-25minutes I have a meal and 3 or 4 services left to put in the freezer. I do several varieties to have variety. I will also do some power cooking on the weekends and maybe have up to 2 to 3 weeks of individual meal portions in the freezer. I"m like Joe, plenty of frozen veggies too. Stir-0fry some oriental veggies and cook some rice. |
Post# 626440 , Reply# 21   9/20/2012 at 21:14 (4,206 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)   |   | |
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There are times of the year when I have no time to cook during the week. My solution? Sunday is generally open for me, so I make a casserole or two, a small beef roast, maybe a chicken, potato or deli macaroni salad, and some sandwich rolls.
The casseroles get portioned in Zip-Loc containers and stacked in the freezer. Since I don't finish the casseroles in one week, they accumulate; after a few weeks I have 6 or 7 different casseroles to choose from for supper. I use the roast beef and chicken for sandwiches, put the salad in a small container, add a pickle and maybe some applesauce or blueberries, and there's five days of lunches. All brimming with homemade goodness. At suppertime (which can be anywhere from 8:00-10:30 p.m. during busy times) I select whichever casserole tempts me, grab a dinner roll and a small green salad or some frozen peas and I have dinner in about 5 minutes. This puts one in control of ingredients, sodium, sugar, and seasonings. Yum! |
Post# 626458 , Reply# 22   9/20/2012 at 22:27 (4,206 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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Post# 626476 , Reply# 23   9/20/2012 at 23:50 (4,206 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))   |   | |
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Post# 626491 , Reply# 25   9/21/2012 at 01:35 (4,206 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)   |   | |
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Sort of gave up on the MC potpies and others-for the amount of time it takes to heat them(1 hr)you could COOK something elese better in less time! |
Post# 626498 , Reply# 26   9/21/2012 at 02:10 (4,206 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))   |   | |
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MC pot pies are a poor value. Two Banquet PPs are cheaper, more food, more chicken, cook faster. They're still questionable food values as they are disproportionally caloric vs. nutrition. Which is a little hard to figure, starting with one of the leanest meats. And there's still the sodium but I can't name a prepared food where excess sodium is NOT an issue.
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Post# 626502 , Reply# 27   9/21/2012 at 02:52 (4,206 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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As Sally from the Britcom "Coupling" calls them, can be handy if one does not expect much and are better than nothing else.
One only purchases frozen means when they are on sale and even then am careful to read the labels. Stouffers and Marie Calenders (pot pies only) aren't *that* bad, but as dear Mama would day "if you get hungry enough you'll eat anything". Am sort of from the old school of cooking in that one usually cooks something that can go for more than one meal. Chicken for instance can be fried, roasted, broiled, curried, etc in quantities enough to go for a few meals. When one gets home all there is to do is microwave some veggies and perhaps sides. We are big on rice and always make a huge pot of it and keep in the fridge, so that's the starch portion of a meal done. If need be grill up a few strips of steak or sliced chicken breasts with onions and peppers, season and add perhaps add a sauce then you've got a quick and easy dinner. The thing to do is look for what is on sale such as chikcen or beef and make something that can be divided up into portions, then frozen for fast and easy meals. Pasta dishes are also great to make up in a batch then freeze in smaller portions for later. Those with parents who are getting on will appreciate the last bit as it saves tons on groceries and at least you can be sure they are eating well. It really is the reverse for some of us when we first moved house and our mothers would show up and or send us home with tons of "frozen dinners". |
Post# 626514 , Reply# 28   9/21/2012 at 07:11 (4,205 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY)   |   | |
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I eat these all the time, but only the Lean Cuisine ones, never those huge hungry man ones loaded with salt and fat and I rarely eat fast food....But I always will add something to it.........
However, I do drink green smoothies every day or *most* everyday which has nothing but raw fresh veggies blended into a smoothie and some good fat and I add a small amount of grape juice to be able to get it down! |
Post# 626518 , Reply# 29   9/21/2012 at 07:50 (4,205 days old) by cyclemonitor ()   |   | |
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no one has mentioned this one may seem pricy...but portion is good and quality very good But...we are talking about convenience |
Post# 964680 , Reply# 30   10/28/2017 at 12:38 (2,342 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)   |   | |
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