Ice Picks

Muscle & Fitness

February 2006

Whether you are too busy, too tired or don’t know the difference between a saucepan and frying pan, there’s no reason to give frozen food the cold shoulder when in need of a quick meal.

Frozen foods have come a long way since Swanson first introduced its meal-in-a-box in the 1950s. Bland staples like turkey and mashed potatoes have given way to tandoori chicken and lemon-buttered fish. Sure, they’re quick, convenient and actually tasty, but are they healthy? Well, the good news is that healthy frozen dinners, pizzas and lasagna are becoming less of an enigma and may hold the answer to your hurry-up life. But make the wrong choice, and you could be getting enough sodium and saturated fat that you’ll want a cardiologist on speed dial. To make sure that you don’t sacrifice your health (and your six-pack) for convenience, follow our stoplight guide to your favorite frozen foods.  

Frozen Key

Red Light: Poor showing by two or more criteria

Yellow Light: At least one warning sign, such as too much sodium or too little protein.

Green Light: Meets all our criteria for healthiness.

FROZEN DINNERS

When frozen dinners were first introduced, they boiled down to nothing more than a few dishes of rubbery meat, bland starch and vegetables as fresh as an M.C. Hammer album. Now you choose a whole eating style. Will it be high-protein, low-carb, or even vegan? Perhaps Thai, Indian or Italian rocks your world. Thanks to companies like Lean Cuisine, fat has steadily been reduced and replaced with whole grains, and Healthy Choice is leading the fight against salt licks. But for every good choice, there’s another that’s about as healthy as a Happy Meal. 

The Lowdown

With little effort you can find frozen dinners with more salt than Atlantic seawater. To stop your blood pressure from going through the roof, choose green-light frozen dinners that have less than 700mg of sodium and stop saturated fat at 3 grams while throwing in at least 3 of fiber and 15 grams of protein. Desserts and sauces can really jack up the sugar so cap it at 10 grams. We rated dinners that contain at least 250 calories. After all, this is supposed to resemble a meal, not a glorified snack that will have you raiding the fridge in no time. "In trying to build mass, part of the emphasis is on eating sufficient calories because the growth process demands energy,” says Chris Aceto, author of Championship Bodybuilding (Nutramedia, 2001).

Green Light

Mon Cuisine: Vegetarian Spaghetti & Meatballs, Vegetarian Salisbury Steak in Gravy

Healthy Choice: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Mandarin Chicken

Lean Cuisine: Chicken in Peanut Sauce, Teriyaki Steak Bowl, Chicken Parmesan

Seeds of Change: Penne Marinara

Whole Foods Kitchen: Natter Paneer, Chana Masala, Pad Thai with Tofu

Red Light

Michelina's: Homestyle Bowls

Swanson: Hearty Bowls, Hungry Man

Marie Callender’s: Herb Roasted Chicken & Mashed Potatoes, Beef Tips in Mushroom Sauce

Uncle Ben’s: Bowls

Stouffer’s: Hearty Portions

Ethnic Gourmet: Pad Thai with Tofu

Yellow Light

South Beach Diet Frozen Entrees

Moosewood

Healthy Choice: Beef Teriyaki, Sweet & Sour Chicken

Lean Cuisine: Roasted Turkey Breast; Café Classics Orange Beef, Sesame Chicken

Quick Fix: Frozen dinners can be a little skimpy on calories, so serve them up with a protein shake for a better overall meal. And while you’re at it, toss in a cup of frozen vegetables for a fiber boost.

FROZEN PIZZA

A good slice of frozen pizza has traditionally been hard to come by. If the artery-clogging saturated fat wasn't bad enough, then the cardboard crust was enough to send you running back to the pizzeria. Now some companies are trying their best to reduce the fat while introducing new interesting hip toppings such as pine nuts and roasted chicken, and new rising crusts are doing away with the cardboard taste. However, its still buyer beware out there - if you're not careful you could easily end up with enough fat to turn those abs of steel into abs of flab. 

The Lowdown

Our green light pizzas cap saturated fat at 4 grams and 700mg of sodium per serving, which should be at least a third of a family-size pizza. Don’t settle for less than 12 grams of protein. Lots of vegetables help the cause, while stuffed-cheese crusts and greasy meats detract from it. And keep an eye out for trans-fat (partially hydrogenated oil or shortening) that can sneak into the crust or “fake” cheese. Food packaging laws no longer let companies hide this killer fat, so look for it on Nutrition Facts label. 

Green Light

Amy's: Spinach, Cheese, Pesto, Soy Cheese

DiGiorno: Thin Crispy Crust Grilled Chicken Tomato & Spinach

Heaven's Bistro: Chicken Sausage, Grilled Vegetable

Lean Cuisine: Roasted Vegetable

A.C. Larocco: Tomato & Feta

Healthy Choice: French Bread

Red Light

Tony's: Supreme

Red Baron

Totino's: Party Style

DiGiorno: Cheese Stuffed, Deep Dish, Rising Crust

Frescheta

Tombstone: Original Sausage & Mushroom

Yellow Light

South Beach Diet: Pepperoni Pizza

California Pizza Kitchen: Thai Chicken, BBQ Chicken, Crispy Thin Crust Margherita

Linda McCartney: Artichoke & Roasted Garlic, Cheese

Quick Fix

If your favorite pizza is shy on protein, top it with smoked salmon. You’ll get extra muscle-building protein and a good dose of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

LASAGNA

Lasagna is true comfort food, but unless you’re a star on the food network, making your own may end up in the call for takeout. Instead of giving up on this classic, you can simply pop a frozen lasagna in the microwave and have dinner in a few minutes. Unfortunately, you may have to spend more than a few minutes in the gym to undo the damage. “Like with any frozen food, reading lasagna food labels for things like sodium is extremely important,” says Aceto. Saturated fat can really add up with beef, cheese, full-fat milk and cream.

The Lowdown

Green-light lasagnas contain no more than 10 grams of total fat, 4 grams of saturated fat and 700mg of sodium. Don’t overlook protein – you want at least 10 grams. Many of our green-light choices also provide a good dose of veggies.

Green Light

Healthy Choice: Lasagna Bake

Amy's: Light in Sodium Vegetable, Tofu Vegetable

Celentano: Light 

Michelina's: Four Cheese

Red Light

Amy's: Vegetable, Cheese

Ian's: Low Carb

Whole Foods 365 Organic: Beef

Michelina’s: Lasagna Alfredo

Swanson: Lasagna Bowls

Yellow Light

Smart Ones: Florentine

Amy's: Garden Vegetable

Boca: Meatless Chunky Tomato & Herb 

Quick Fix

Ordinary lasagna can be turned into a protein powerhouse when topped with cottage cheese. Don’t forget to have a salad on the side.

FROZEN FISH

While omega-3- and protein-rich fish should be a part of every carnivore’s diet, battered fish and chips is no way to reap the benefits. “Often, fillets found in clear plastic bags are the best choice,” says Phil Lempert, food editor for the NBC Today. Lempert advises buying fillets this way in order to avoid artery-clogging trans-fat that in the crispy coating.

The Lowdown

Green-light frozen fish are trans-fat free and keep saturated fat and sodium to less than 2 grams and 400mg per serving, respectively.

Green Light

Healthy Choice: Lemon Pepper Fish

Gorton’s: Grilled Fish

Ian’s: Fish Sticks, Fillets

Whole Foods Whole Catch: Frozen Fillets, Frozen Fish Burgers

Red Light

Gorton's: Popcorn Fish, Beer Battered Fillets

Van de Kamp’s: Popcorn Fish

Michelina’s: Homestyle Bowls Shrimp Alfredo

Yellow Light

Gorton's: Lemon and Herb Butter Grilled Fillet Meal

Lean Cuisine: Baked Lemon Pepper Fish, Salmon & Basil

Quick Fix

Is your fish on the bland side? Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper will jump-start even the most rubberized fillet. 

Frozen Food Trends

Zero Trans-Fat

Why? Food label laws no longer let companies hide this killer fat.

Whole Grains

Why? The increased emphasis on whole grains in the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Fortification

Why? Because we think extra vitamins, omega-3 fat and fiber will make us live longer. They just may!

Organic

Why? Organics continue to be one of the best selling food segments. The USDA organic seal assures that 95 percent of frozen food ingredients are certified organic.

Fresh vs. Frozen

There’s no need to be a fresh food snob. According to Lempert, “seafood, vegetables and fruit are often flash frozen at the peak of freshness.” “This means they can contain more nutrients than fresh versions that have traveled large distances, let alone left to sit in your fridge for a week”, says Lempert. Food-freezing technology has also improved, taking a bite out of freezer burn.