TV dinners have been around since the 1940s, but Gilbert and Clarke Swanson were responsible for bringing them into homes across America in 1954. TV dinners were meant to serve as a quick heat-and-eat meal that required minimal preparation. Today, you can find a number of different types of frozen TV dinners, including those for the calorie-conscious and those for people with big appetites. As a processed food, TV dinners are high in sodium. Knowing the nutrition information for different types of TV dinners can help you determine how they fit into your meal plan.
Chicken
You can find a number of different frozen chicken meals at the supermarket, including fried chicken with mashed potatoes and corn, chicken Parmesan with pasta and roasted chicken with potatoes and green beans. A classic TV dinner with fried chicken and mashed potatoes contains 230 calories, 11 g of total fat, 790 mg of sodium, 23 g of carbohydrates and 11 g of protein. A low-calorie frozen meal consisting of roasted chicken, roasted potatoes and vegetables contains 170 calories, 3 g of total fat, 540 mg of sodium, 20 g of carbohydrates and 16 g of protein. A frozen large portion TV dinner with rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans contains 690 calories, 35 g of total fat, 1,880 mg of sodium, 49 g of carbohydrates and 48 g of protein. High intakes of sodium increase your risk of high blood pressure. You should limit your daily intake of sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day.
Beef
Frozen TV beef entrees usually include classic items such as Salisbury steak, spaghetti and meatballs and pepper steak. A frozen spaghetti and meatballs entree with vegetables contains 320 calories, 9 g of total fat, 950 mg of sodium, 41 g of carbohydrates and 19 g of protein. A low-calorie TV dinner of spaghetti with meat sauce contains 290 calories, 5 g of total fat, 720 mg of sodium, 14 g of carbohydrates and 16 g of protein. A large portion TV dinner of rigatoni with meat sauce contains 620 calories, 16 g of total fat, 1,380 mg of sodium, 84 g of carbohydrates and 28 g of protein. In addition to being high in sodium, some frozen meals are also high in fat. A healthy diet should limit daily fat intake to 20 to 35 percent of calories, or about 44 to 78 g a day on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Fish
Some TV dinners also offer a fish option, including tuna noodle casserole or a shrimp with pasta or rice. A serving of frozen shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta and vegetables contains 400 calories, 12 g of total fat, 960 mg of sodium, 56 g of carbohydrates and 16 g of protein. A low-calorie TV dinner with shrimp, angel hair pasta and vegetables contains 230 calories, 4 g of total fat, 610 mg of sodium, 34 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of protein.
Meatless
Frozen TV dinners also offer meatless entrees, such as macaroni and cheese, ravioli and meatless lasagna. A traditional frozen macaroni and cheese contains 340 calories, 16 g of total fat, 820 mg of sodium, 33 g of carbohydrates and 15 g of protein. A low-calorie macaroni and cheese contains 230 calories, 2 g of total fat, 790 mg of sodium, 52 g of carbohydrates and 11 g of protein.
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