Are Microwaveable Packaged Meals Really That Bad For You?

[Huckleberry]

I suppose we all have a little bit of Hannibal Lecter in us.I have thought about cooking myself but I couldn't find a good recipe.

Try asking this guy.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

For the record both Trader Joe's and Annie's make good TV dinner style packages.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

For the record both Trader Joe's and Annie's make good TV dinner style packages.

I forget the name but there is some new store around here that my parents have told me about where they make fresh prepackaged meals that are fairly inexpensive. I don't remember for sure but I think that they have both precooked and uncooked. I'll have to figure out the name of the place and go take a look.

 

[tgt]

I don't see a problem with frozen dinners, I eat them all of the time. Canned soups are much scarier.

How about 3 meals a day, every day? Given that the most expansive frozen dinners are ate and also a lot of variety in the frozen dinners?

 

[redargon]

sounds like you're looking for an excuse to eat them every day, so just do it and see what happens. If you don't notice any differences in 10 years, it's all good. If you notice any differences after 10 years, than it's too late anyway, so just keep doing it or try changing.

 

[tgt]

How would instant noodles compare with those frozen dinners?

 

[turbo]

How would instant noodles compare with those frozen dinners?

You can't be bothered to boil some noodles and combine them with a stir-fry of vegetables, seasonings, etc? Just a few minutes of work can leave you with a big batch of food that you can package up in portions and heat up at your convenience. It would be healthier, cheaper, and more easily customized to your tastes and needs. If you want to eat "Cup O Noodles" day after day, you'll be swamped with salt and MSG as quick as a blink. Why not cook food in batches, refrigerate or freeze as needed, and heat them up when you need them? You can pay for pre-packaged meals, but remember that you don't just have to pay the financial price for convenience. Years down the road, you'll be paying a price in your health and viability because of eating all that junk.

 

[tgt]

You can't be bothered to boil some noodles and combine them with a stir-fry of vegetables, seasonings, etc? Just a few minutes of work can leave you with a big batch of food that you can package up in portions and heat up at your convenience. It would be healthier, cheaper, and more easily customized to your tastes and needs. If you want to eat "Cup O Noodles" day after day, you'll be swamped with salt and MSG as quick as a blink. Why not cook food in batches, refrigerate or freeze as needed, and heat them up when you need them? You can pay for pre-packaged meals, but remember that you don't just have to pay the financial price for convenience. Years down the road, you'll be paying a price in your health and viability because of eating all that junk.

But what about the comparison between packaged dinners and instant noodles? Which is worse?

The sauces used in stir-fry and other dishes contain suspect things as well.

 

[turbo]

But what about the comparison between packaged dinners and instant noodles? Which is worse?

The sauces used in stir-fry and other dishes contain suspect things as well.

You are missing some BIG details. You can make your own stir-fry meals with natural ingredients and spices and combine them with noodles that you boil at home. You don't have to cook prepared foods - even seasoning mixtures or pre-packaged ingredients that might come out OK.

Is this better for you than eating pre-packaged meals that are loaded with preservatives, additives, and off-label crap that you will never know about? I vote for YES. It takes no talent and very little time to prepare batch meals that you can package up in really cheap, freezable, microwavable, containers for later use.

Here is your challenge. Buy a small package of mushrooms, a Bell pepper, an onion, and a bulb of garlic. Mince the garlic, cube the other ingredients, and saute them in some pre-heated olive oil or peanut oil, perhaps with some basil or other fresh herbs, a bit of salt and some fresh-ground black pepper, and combine them with some egg noodles or rice noodles. Can any of the commercial crap that you can buy compare to that? You don't have to try this too many times before you catch a clue. If you will look at the cost of your batch meal and compare it to the cost of pre-packaged commercial crap, you will see where you are sacrificing quality, taste, and health for "convenience".

 

[redargon]

But what about the comparison between packaged dinners and instant noodles? Which is worse?

The sauces used in stir-fry and other dishes contain suspect things as well.

Did they not teach you the food pyramid at school? You need a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins. Noodles are not going to give you all of those, so what do you think? At least a packaged dinner (depending on it's quality) should give you more of the different elements that you require.

Why the questions over food? just moved out and have to fend for yourself, or building a bomb shelter and need to know what to pack it with?

 

[Office_Shredder]

Guys, look.

Fats, oils and sweets. Top of the food pyramid. What else was at the top of a pyramid? GOLD! And then someone stole it. Just like the government is trying to steal your fats and oils! Wake up sheeple!