Recipes

Before I starting cooking for myself and really enjoying it, I ate at least one frozen meal everyday, sometimes two, and after about a year couldn’t look at another frozen meal. However, lately I have opened my eyes back up to frozen meals and realized there are some pretty delicious ones on the market. Two tips to make them a little more exciting: 1)Always place the meals on a real plate, you will be surprised how much food there is and not feel like you are missing out as much, 2) Add extra veggies whenever possible or eat a side salad with your meal, many of the meals do not contain enough veggies and it will keep you full longer. Here are my favorites – what are yours?

1. Kashi Chicken Florentine – 7 P+; 290 calories
I actually could have put any of the Kashi frozen meals up here. I love them and they were actually what got me interested in trying out diet friendly frozen meals again. Normally with this meal, I add in about 1/2 can of crushed Italian tomatoes to up the veggies and enhance the flavor.
2. Lean Cuisine Chicken Enchiladas Suizas – 7 P+; 290 calories
This has always been one of my favorites and still is. I love the flavor of the sour cream and cheese sauce on the enchiladas and it doesn’t feel like diet food to me at all. The rice isn’t great, but the enchiladas make up for it. To spice up the rice portion, I usually add in some frozen onions and peppers and a little chili powder.
3. Smart Ones Three Cheese Macaroni – 8 P+; 300 calories
I love macaroni and cheese, and this is one of my favorite frozen versions that doesn’t have millions of calories. However, I only like this macaroni and cheese when I add to it – usually for me it is either a can of crushed Mexican tomatoes or a bunch of broccoli. I also like it with a lot of fresh pepper.
4. Smart Ones Santa Fe Style Rice and Beans – 8 P+; 310 calories
This is another staple for me, probably because I never really feel hungry after eating it from all of the fiber. On days that I am really hungry, I add some sliced chicken breast to amp up the protein even more.
5. Amy’s Brown Rice & Vegetables Bowl – 7 P+; 260 calories
This is one of those frozen meals that is really satisfying and you just feel good eating it. It is simple – just brown rice and veggies, but delicious. Sometimes I add some black beans or chicken to this to add some additional protein, or even tofu if I have some around.