So-called convenience foods---processed, packaged foods that require little or no preparation before serving---aren't always the healthiest options for dieting. However, buying all fresh foods can be expensive, and they may be impossible to prepare if you're at school, work or on the go. Thankfully, there are healthy options available in the frozen section. Be careful, though, as many frozen meals may be just as bad as fast food. Pay attention to the nutrition panel and make sure low-calorie counts aren't just the result of creative labeling, such as splitting one portion into multiple "servings."
Lean Cuisine Flatbread Melts: Chicken Philly
According to the online dieting resource Hungry Girl, Lean Cuisine's Chicken Philly Flatbread Melt is a top choice for a healthy frozen meal. Lean Cuisine offers one melt per package, and each contains 330 calories, 41 g of carbohydrates and 21 g of protein. These melts are moderately low in fat with 8 g per serving. Hungry Girl explains that the melts include onions, peppers, chicken and cheese and are equivalent to six Weight Watchers points. The melts have 5 g of fiber and 3 g of sugar.
Kashi Chicken Florentine
Kashi creates foods with natural ingredients, which makes its offerings somewhat unique in the realm of frozen food. ABC's "Good Morning America" picked Kashi's frozen Chicken Florentine as one of the best frozen meals available. This product has 290 calories, 22 g of protein and 31 g of carbohydrates. The Chicken Florentine contains chicken, mushrooms, spinach and red peppers on top of a seven-grain pilaf. This meal also contains 9 g of fat and 5 g of fiber.
Lean Cuisine: Spa Cuisine Apple Cranberry Chicken
Fiber and protein are important when dieting, because both encourage feelings of fullness, which may help you eat less later in the day. The Spa Cuisine Apple Cranberry Chicken entrée offers both, which earned it the endorsement of CBS's "Early Show." The show notes that this meal has whole grains, lean chicken, green beans and cranberries. The entrée has just 4 g of fat, 14 g of protein and 6 g of fiber. The calorie count is 300.
Lean Cuisine Grilled Chicken Primavera
If you're looking for a diet entrée that has a better carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, try Lean Cuisine's Grilled Chicken Primavera. This Hungry Girl--endorsed meal has 220 calories, 24 g of carbohydrates and 18 g of protein. It is high in fiber, with 6 g per meal, and contains just 5 g of fat. This meal offers chicken, thin spaghetti and grilled vegetables.
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