I want you all to use frozen food to your benefit. This food was made to be convenient, so treat it that way. Laziness should not be an excuse for throwing in the Hot Pocket. Neither should boredom! When running to the frozen food, you should be doing just that: running! Perfect for quick lunches or on the go snacks.
The material of the frozen food is also important to pay attention to. As athletes, we should be looking for low fat (sat. fat especially) and high protein content. I always aim for meals/packages with less than 30% of calories from fat and at least 15 grams of protein. It is doable! Just look at the nutritional information. For percent calories from fat, do a quick conversion of (calories from fat) over (total calories).
You can actually find some great material here in frozen foods. Frozen fruit and vegetables can actually contain a lot of the nutrients found in fresh ones (usually better than canned). Also, frozen yogurt has proven to be a great snack and alternative to ice cream, especially when combined with fruit. Here is also where you can find the bulk meats. You can save a lot of buck when you buy family packs of chicken breasts frozen. Finally, my favorite trick in this section involves frozen pizza. Most say it isn't good for you, but I say it can be! First check for the low fat and high protein as mentioned before. Then make your way to the produce section and pick out your favorite pizza toppings fresh! Who says you can't add that on top of the pizza before throwing it in the oven? Now you've got a solid meal in front of you!
My biggest peeve with frozen food is the pictures on the outside of the less than healthy foods. They never look that way! Seriously! Keep the box and compare it to the finished product. It's bad. For this reason, I say cook what the box shows you your own way whenever possible! Yeah it will cost you time and money, but 1. It will taste way better, 2. It will look way better, and 3. The nutritional value will at least triple. I like using the single item frozen foods to add to certain areas of my meals. Chicken patties from frozen but with corn on the cob and baked beans on the side. Or you can try the frozen potatoes or bread options to complete your meal of steak and green beans. When your freezer has more food than the fridge, you could see some problems.
Stock it up!
- Lean meats and veggie burgers
- Whole grain waffles and pancakes
- Low fat burritos, pizzas, and other prepared foods
- Healthy Choice Lemon Pepper Fish
- Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Honey Roasted Pork
- Uncle Ben's Parmesan Shrimp Penne Pasta Bowl
- Amy's Santa Fe Enchilada Bowl
- Frozen fruit (for smoothies and ice cream/yogurt)
- Frozen vegetables and other vegetable sides
- Frozen yogurt or ice cream
Because I am in Italy, I could not update this list any better since the last time I checked out the frozen food section...so post your favorite frozen food options below!
Thanks for tuning into my grocery shopping themed posts this past week and a half. If you have ideas for other posts let me know!
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