Frozen meals for weight loss are all the rage these days but there are so many options that it can get confusing. If you’ve been considering going on a diet, this is good news for you, because following one isn’t nearly as tough as you might think, especially one based around the best frozen meals for weight loss.
You want to enjoy some delicious frozen meals from time to time, but sadly most of them are filled with gluten. If you’re looking for frozen meals that are gluten-free, then look no further. We’ve tested the top-selling brands and have the results. In this article i have listed the advantages of frozen food.
Frozen Meals For Weight Loss
Good Housekeeping magazine initially discussed a frozen-food diet in September 1998. A brand-new frozen food diet that only included microwaveable meals was introduced by Good Housekeeping in October 2005. Based on research from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Department Urbana’s of Food Science and Human Nutrition, the new diet promised even quicker prep times and a minor increase in weight loss over the previous diet.
There have also been other frozen-food diets created. For the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), nutritionist Joy Bauer created a nine-day menu plan made entirely of frozen foods. There are also weekly home deliveries of commercial frozen food diets. Dr. Caroline J. Cederquist, a board-certified physician in bariatrics, the field of medicine that deals with weight management, created one such diet.
How to pick a healthy frozen meal
First, turn the box over and look for substances you are familiar with and can pronounce. Check the portion size as well. To maintain low numbers, packaged food businesses will occasionally divide the serving amount. Know how many portions there are in total for the full meal.
Protein, carbs, and fats should be in a healthy ratio since they keep you full and maintain a steady level of energy. Watch the salt content of any packaged product. Less than 900 mg is a fair guideline, but if the remainder of your meals are prepared, chances are you’re not going overboard. As always, the goal is 0 grams of added sugar! This is a list of all the things to look for.
My criteria for a healthy frozen meal:
- Lots of veggies
- No preservatives
- Simple ingredients you can pronounce
- Balanced macronutrients
- Less than 900mg sodium
- No sweeteners, dyes, preservatives, or hydrogenated oil
- Zero added sugar
Healthy Frozen Meals
1. Primal Kitchen Chicken Panang Curry (250 calories)
With no gluten, soy, or dairy products, Evol Foods meals are easy option to have a paleo-friendly meal on your plate in less than seven minutes. Lower in carbs and higher in healthy fats like sunflower seed paste and extra virgin olive oil, this creamy bowl will keep you satiated. The sauce is reminiscent of a peanut sauce but nut-free and allergy-friendly. The chili and peppers add a delicate smokiness that is not too overpowering but lingers on the palate. Most importantly, the chicken is tender while the cauliflower remains crisp.
2. Evol Guajillo Chicken & Cauliflower (390 calories)
Evol Foods meals are a quick and simple way to get a paleo-friendly meal on your plate in less than seven minutes because they don’t contain gluten, soy, or dairy products. This creamy dish will keep you full because it has less carbohydrates and more healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil and sunflower seed paste. The sauce has a peanut sauce-like flavor but is nut-free and allergy-friendly. The chiles and peppers add a subtle smokiness that lingers on the mouth without being overbearing. Most critically, the cauliflower is still crisp and the chicken is tender.
3. Cauli’flour Foods Vegetable Lasagna (330 calories)
On first taste, cheesy is what comes to mind. This cauliflower-flour lasagna is grain- and gluten-free, despite your best efforts. Layers of basil, spinach, zucchini, and ricotta add that traditional lasagna flavor sure to warm you up on a winter night, while the cauliflower noodles maintain their stiffness. This comfort food will keep you content and nourished because it has less carbohydrates and more protein and fat. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy a crunchy, chewy edge?
4. Fire Ox Braised Ethiopian Greens (350 calories)
Even though Fire Ox Foods deserves praise for its use of recycled materials and compostable packaging, it was its intricate flavor that really took my breath away. This incredibly meaty vegan dish receives a toasty warmth and spiciness from the berbere spice. With only 11 largely whole foods, the ingredient list is as pure as it gets. Olive oil provides healthy fat, while lentils contribute a good amount of plant-based protein. The braised collard greens and slightly al dente brown rice provide a toothsome taste and texture that is uncommon in frozen meals.
5. Amy’s Light & Lean Quinoa & Black Beans (240 calories)
This Amy’s Kitchen frozen dish packs a protein punch thanks to the black beans and quinoa it contains. Quinoa (technically a seed) is a complete plant-based protein because it is devoid of gluten and grains and contains all nine essential amino acids (“essential” means our bodies cannot make them and we must get them from food). The word “organic” keeps coming up repeatedly when reading the ingredient list. This meal is anything but basic thanks to the addition of the fermented tamari and black beans, which bring a rush of umami and a sweet, creamy sweetness.
Frozen Food Diet Tips
Keep these tips in mind while you follow the diet so that you get the best results:
- Before you start the diet, stock up. Go to the grocery store and get five to seven frozen breakfasts and ten to fourteen frozen lunch/dinner entrees, or enough frozen meals to last you until your next trip.
- Get some fresh produce so you can eat it as snacks in between meals without destroying your diet.
- To avoid getting tired, select meals from various brands and varied menu items. After all, one benefit of this diet is the abundance of diversity.
- Avoid choosing meals that are too low in calories because you’ll feel hungry afterward. Aside from that, be sure to stay away from meals that are extremely high in calories, like some of the Hungry-Man meals that have over 1,000 calories per serving. According to Beebe, a third of your daily caloric intake should come from each meal.
- Choose dishes that are packaged with just one serving. Whether you choose a family-size entrée or a frozen dinner for two, you run the risk of measuring the quantities incorrectly and losing the benefits of portion control.
- Choose meals that generally include a lot of veggies rather than meals that only contain a carbohydrate or a starch.
Best Frozen Meals for Weight Loss
Healthy Choice Sundried Tomato and Chicken Alfredo With Broccoli
Calories: 270 calories
Fat: 2.5 g
Sodium: 260 mg
Protein: 23 g
Sugar: 4 g
This chicken recipe contains the ideal amount of protein, whole-grain pasta, vegetables, and calories for a diet-friendly frozen meal. “Even if weight loss is your primary objective, don’t strive to pick the meal with the absolute fewest calories,” advises Lanah J. Brennan, RD, CDE, a nutritionist in Lafayette, Louisiana. “Even on a low-calorie diet, a meal should contain at least 300 calories. Smaller meals frequently leave you hungry and increase your likelihood of later overeating.”
Weight Watchers Smart Ones Spaghetti With Meat Sauce
Calories: 290
Fat: 6 g
Sodium: 520 mg
Protein: 13 g
Sugar: 9 g
This frozen meal for weight reduction contains 5 grams of fiber and 14 grams of protein in a pasta dish, however, like many other frozen meals, it is also relatively heavy in sodium. You should exercise caution because many frozen foods have a higher salt content, advises Bartfield. “Most people should keep their daily sodium intake to under 600 mg. You should generally attempt to stay around 400 mg if you have high blood pressure or cardiac issues.”
Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli
Calories: 260
Fat: 7 g
Sodium: 550 mg
Protein: 9 g
Sugar: 11 g
This dish is bursting with vegetables, including butternut squash, which is full of disease-fighting carotenoids. For a vegetarian pasta dish, it has a decent amount of protein, but to add a bit more, sprinkle on a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese.
Kashi Lemongrass Coconut Chicken
Calories: 300
Fat: 8 g
Sodium: 680 mg
Protein: 18 g
Sugar: 6 g
According to Brennan, Kashi is a nutritious frozen meal brand that often provides meals with a fair quantity of protein and fiber. Thai food enthusiasts in particular would enjoy this combo. If you make sensible choices, frozen meals can be beneficial for weight loss in addition to satisfying your palate. Simply flip your food over and read the label to do that.
Organic Bistro Wild Salmon
Calories: 380
Fat: 13 g
Sodium: 240 mg
Protein: 20 g
Sugar: 11 g
Organic Bistro is another healthy frozen meal brand with all organic offerings. Plus, this weight-loss option gives you 20 grams of healthy protein and your daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids.
Frozen Meals That Are Gluten-Free
Udi’s Gluten Free’s frozen meals are guaranteed gluten free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization. Udi’s offers broccoli and kale lasagna and Italian sausage lasagna, both of which are under 400 calories, contain at least 15 grams of protein — 19 percent of the recommended percent daily value, or DV — and 3 grams of fiber — 12 percent of the DV — to help keep you full. The sausage lasagna has 15 percent of the daily recommended iron intake, important for healthy red blood cells, while the broccoli and kale lasagna has just 290 milligrams of sodium, well below the recommended value of less than 2,400 milligrams daily.
Udi’s Gluten Free: Entirely Gluten-Free Products
The Gluten-Free Certification Organization guarantees the gluten-free status of the frozen meals sold by Udi’s Gluten Free. Both the Italian sausage lasagna and the broccoli and kale lasagna at Udi’s are under 400 calories, include at least 15 grams of protein, or 19 percent of the dietary value (DV), and 3 grams of fiber, or 12 percent of the DV, to keep you feeling full. The broccoli and kale lasagna only has 290 milligrams of salt, considerably below the daily recommended limit of less than 2,400 milligrams, while the sausage lasagna contains 15% of the iron intake needed for healthy red blood cells.
Amy’s Kitchen: Natural and Organic Foods
Weight Watchers Smart Ones offers 10 gluten-free breakfast and dinner entrees including vegetarian rice and beans, eggs, chicken-based dishes and soups. Smart Ones frozen meals are portion-controlled and less than 300 calories. The protein ranges from 6 grams in the Southwest Style Vegetable Soup to 22 grams in the Chicken Mesquite, while the fiber is as high as 7 grams — 29 percent of the DV — in the Spicy Black bean soup. Smart Ones also offers some meals with less than 500 milligrams of sodium.
Weight Watchers Smart Ones: Portion-Controlled Quick Meals
Ten gluten-free breakfast and dinner items are available from Weight Watchers Smart Ones, including vegetarian rice and beans, eggs, chicken-based dishes, and soups. Smart Ones frozen meals have a limited calorie count and are portion-controlled. The protein content varies from 6 grams in the Southwest Style Vegetable Soup to 22 grams in the Chicken Mesquite, while the fiber content in the Spicy Black Bean soup reaches 7 grams, or 29% of the Daily Value. Moreover, Smart Ones provides meals with a salt content of under 500 milligrams.
Evol Gluten-Free Foods
Order when you want and eat it whenever you like – it’s completely flexible as well as quick and easy. Unlike hot delivery services, frozen food will keep until you’re ready to eat it. This means it doesn’t matter if your plans change or you’re not feeling that hungry.
Plus, you can plan your meals in advance and buy as many or as few as you like. Choose a few dishes when you want them or get a bulk delivery to last you a month – it’s up to you. There is no subscription and no monthly commitment, and you can choose a delivery slot so you know when they will arrive.
Advantages of Frozen Food
1. Flexible
It is quick and simple to order whenever you want and to consume it whenever you please. Frozen food will keep until you’re ready to eat it, unlike hot delivery services. This implies that it makes little difference whether your plans alter or you don’t feel particularly hungry.
Also, you can prepare your meals in advance and purchase however many or few you choose. You can get a few dishes as you need them or a large quantity to last you a month. There is no monthly commitment or subscription required, and you can select a delivery window to get an idea of when they will come.
2. Easy
A ready meal is very simple! You won’t need to go to the frozen food section of the supermarket or bring bulky bags home; there is no need to go shopping. There is no need to be concerned about running out of ingredients or wasting food.
Moreover, there is no cooking or dishwashing required in the end. Our prepared meals may be quickly and conveniently heated in the microwave or oven.
Also, ordering from our selection of frozen foods online or over the phone is very simple, and you can easily repeat past orders. Your home will be supplied with frozen meals, and our helpful drivers will even assist you in storing them in the freezer.
3. Pre-prepared
We prepare and cook everything for you in frozen ready meals, so all you have to do is reheat and tuck in! We also provide all of the ingredients for the dish. Our recipes include sides and vegetables, so you don’t need to chop or prepare anything separately.
Also, our prepared meals are available in three different portion sizes, giving you a variety of choices based on your appetite and mood.
4. Nutritional Expertise
As one of the most trusted frozen food delivery companies in the UK we guarantee complete satisfaction with our ready meals. In fact, we’re so confident in the quality of our food that if you’re not 100% satisfied with any dish, we’ll replace it and give you another meal absolutely free. It’s our customer promise.
5. Satisfaction Guaranteed
We guarantee 100% satisfaction with our ready meals as one of the most reputable frozen food delivery companies in the UK. We’re so certain of the excellence of our food, in fact, that if you’re not completely happy with any dish, we’ll replace it and give you another dinner at no additional cost. We owe it to our customers.
6. Quality
We are frequently urged to base our meal selection on “freshness.” It’s a frequent misconception, nevertheless, that all fresh meals are healthier and tastier than frozen items.
Several studies contrasting the nutritional value of fresh and frozen veggies discovered no difference, with both foods containing the same vitamins and minerals. Food is naturally preserved by freezing, and people have done it for thousands of years.
Also, our award-winning team of in-house chefs and our in-house dietitian worked together to design each and every one of our frozen ready meals. After the meals are prepared, they are quickly frozen to preserve all the nutrients.
7. Cost Effectiveness
Although they are frequently inexpensive, frozen supermarket ready meals of poor quality can be heavy in saturated fat, salt, and sugar.
We make a lot of effort to provide our customers with ready meals that are as affordable as possible, giving a variety of excellent value selections. Regardless of your dietary requirements, you’ll discover a wide variety of delectable dishes at our restaurant since we don’t believe in sacrificing the quality of our food and our dedication to nutrition.