1. Pay Attention to Serving Size
The nutrition facts section of a package of frozen food is your best friend when trying to choose low-fat options. It's easy to read, and the first two components listed are fat and saturated fat. The nutrition facts lists both the actual measurement (in grams) as well as the percentage of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) that is present. One gram of saturated fat, for example, constitutes four percent of the RDA. Where people start making mistakes is when they don't check the serving size and the servings per container listings at the top of the chart. Sometimes a package will constitute two or more servings, which will make it important to do some math. With the saturated fat example above, for instance, if the package lists three servings and you eat the entire package, then you're really eating three grams of saturated fat and 12 percent of the RDA.
2. Choose Low-Fat Frozen Foods Based on Dietary Needs
There is often a trade-off when you choose low-fat frozen foods: sodium for fat. Fat is responsible for a lot of the flavor we taste when we eat. That's why creamy soups are rich or meats are juicy. Without the fat, however, foods lose a lot of flavor. Frozen food manufacturers counter-balance that issue by adding sodium. Basic frozen foods, such as frozen vegetables, are typically packaged without any added sodium. They're picked, prepped, flash frozen and packaged for shipping. Complete frozen dinners or meals, on the other hand, almost universally contain sodium. This is a distinct problem for people who want to watch their weight or restrict their dietary intake. High-sodium diets are linked to high blood pressure and all that extra salt can make you retain water. When you read the labels, pay particular attention to the RDA: percentages as high as 40 percent (per serving!) are not uncommon. Choose your meals accordingly.
3. Go With a Brand You Trust
There are multiple manufacturers of low-fat frozen foods such as Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, South Beach, Lean Pockets, Nutri-System and others. These meals are formulated for those on a low-fat diet, and typically have less than 400 calories per meal. The variety available is also quite large, with everything from lasagna to burritos to stir-fries. There are also low-fat desserts available as well, including apple turnovers, non-fat frozen yogurt and ice pops.
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