If you are dieting for weight loss, prepared meals take much of the guesswork out of portion control and nutritional balance. Many types of prepackaged meals are available, ranging from frozen breakfast platters to quick lunches, dinners and desserts. Consult your doctor for medical advice specific to your condition and history before making significant dietary changes.
Types of Prepackaged Meals
Prepackaged meals are typically sold in stores, supermarkets and sometimes through mail order as part of a specific commercial diet plan. You can sign up for a particular diet that uses prepackaged foods, or create your own diet incorporating prepackaged food for one or more of your daily meals. Major brands of prepackaged foods -- for in-store purchase or home delivery -- include Healthy Choice, Weight Watchers, Smart Ones, Lean Cuisine and Zone. Vegetarian, halal and kosher options are available in many brands and diet systems. According to Medical News Today, a typical prepackaged meal intended for weight-loss dieting will comprise 30 percent fat, 30 percent protein and 40 percent carbohydrate.
Pros
Portion control is a major benefit of eating prepackaged meals for weight loss. When you eat a frozen meal or a pre-made sandwich as a meal, you are unable to go back for seconds once the meal is finished. Additionally, the packaging will give precise and accurate nutritional data for the food you are eating. When preparing your own food, it can be difficult to accurately gauge the nutritional balance and appropriate portion of a meal involving diverse ingredients.
Cons
Prepackaged meals, by the weight and quality of the food, are more expensive than home-cooked meals. Typically, you are paying a premium price for a small portion of prepared food that you could cook in bulk much more cost effectively. In terms of nutrition, processed or frozen meals tend to have a high salt content -- excessive sodium consumption can lead to a variety of medical problems, including high blood pressure. When prepackaged foods are frozen, the vitamin and mineral content is typically lower than a comparable quantity of fresh food.
Calorie Control
If weight loss is your aim, the only permanent way to lose weight is to create a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit occurs when your intake of calories through food and drink is lower than your calorie expenditure through exercise and regular metabolic function. You need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories in order to lose a pound of body fat -- restricting your overall calorie intake per day is a common way to create such a deficit. However, you should maintain a minimum daily calorie intake even when attempting to lose weight. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that an adult female should eat at least 1,200 calories daily, and an adult male should consume at least 1,800 calories per day.
References
- Medical News Today: FDA Should Set Standards for Salt Added to Processed Foods, Prepared Meals
- BMI Calculator: Calorie Intake to Lose Weight
- Medical News Today: Zone Diet at Home: Leading Diet Food Delivery Service Celebrates Milestone of Becoming Healthy Lifestyle Pillar
- Epicurious: Prepared Diet Food: The Good, the Bad and the Unhealthy
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