pre-packaged meals

[Tree0164]

This is the type of situation I'm alluding to. You try to plan and have things made in advance but sometimes things get real crazy and you need a quick choice. I see this stuff as a little better and cheaper alternative to fast food.

Agreed... while I usually try to have an extra meal or two in the freezer for those crazy nights-I have found I usually don't lately. I have bought a couple of those meals for when I know life will be crazy. Maybe happesn 6-7 times a year.

[PetMom]

Certainly frozen food used occasionally for convenience is fine.

You might want to try out different brands - buy a smaller version of different items.

The one thing people seem to really like - and the quality seems really good - is lasagna.

White sauce lasagna, vegetarian and the standard regular all are good.

These come in huge or small quantity packages.

Somehow frozen pizza you really want to taste try first as some can be surprisingly good or poor. You check the quality of the crust and can add on additional cheese. There are some really good ones.

Jarred spaghetti sauces are also something we use and there is a difference in brands.

Always Italian foods seem to be a good choice to keep on hand.

[Mamaw]

IF I catch a sale and have a coupon I buy these. Since one person is eating I get at least a couple of meals.

[sandrark]

I am a big meal planner but there are those times that I will have last minute showings and all plans will fall out the window. We keep a couple of the Bertolli pasta dishes in the freezer.

Hilarious...you're the second person to mention the Bertoli pasta dish, and I opened this thread to mention them. I guess we're not the only ones who like them!

We use them as a "base" - the shrimp and asparagus one is quite good. We add additional cooked penne, steamed broccoli, and tomato sauce to stretch it (and increase the veggie content). We top with some gorgonzola crumbles, and then fight over the leftovers later.

Sandi

[Mike75]

I was out grocery shopping today and went through the frozen food section. I noticed the prepackaged meals of things like Fetuccine Alfredo and pot roast and a lot of the things you might normally cook at home. Prices ran in the 8 to 12 dollar range I believe. I think most of these meals are intended for a family of four. I never buy any of this stuff because we cook a lot at home from scratch and enjoy doing so.

I believe I can make the equivalent meal at home for far less, in fact, I know I can. The time saving option is a consideration of course. These meals look like TV dinners on steroids. Does anyone buy these meals and is it worth it to you. Also, do they taste similar to their homemade counterparts. I'm asking because I wouldn't mind stashing a few of these away in the freezer for a busy day or short notice on unexpected guests.

These meals are full of preservatives and harmful ingredients like partially hydrogenated fats etc. That's why they can stay fresh for so long. Avoid them unless there is an emergency.

[cicy33]

One day I was taking care of my granddaughter and made a prepackaged meal her mommy had bought. One of those lipton noodle things. I hadn't had one in over a year and was absolutely amazed how salty it was. I had forgotten how much salt these things had in them. It is amazing how used to things we get.

[My English Castle]

I'll admit I like the Bertolli ones, but we also only use them for an emergency.
Buy them on sale with coupons, preferably doubled-coupons!

[Mike75]

One day I was taking care of my granddaughter and made a prepackaged meal her mommy had bought. One of those lipton noodle things. I hadn't had one in over a year and was absolutely amazed how salty it was. I had forgotten how much salt these things had in them. It is amazing how used to things we get.

Yes, these things are high in salt content to preserve them for long time. Needless to say they also have loads of carbohydrates and fat to make the food taste good.

[GREENBACK]

These meals are full of preservatives and harmful ingredients like partially hydrogenated fats etc. That's why they can stay fresh for so long. Avoid them unless there is an emergency.

I do for the most part. I certainly wouldn't make these a regular meal.

[LuckyRobin]

I will rarely buy these, but there is one brand I have found that doesn't have a ton of filler junk and chemicals in it and this I will use a couple times a month. Cultured dextrose is the only thing in it that isn't a clean ingredient and it's almost at the end of the list. It's called Del Real and it's Mexican-based cuisine. Admittedly my store only carries one type, though they do make others. I just haven't checked them out. I use the Seasoned Shredded Beef. I keep a couple in the freezer. I always have tortillas on hand and always have cheese, so it's a fast, simple meal for about the price of one and a half fast food meals (and way cheaper than going out for Mexican). And if I need to make it a bigger meal, I just scramble it with some eggs, canned tomatoes, canned green chiles and half a chopped onion, stuff I always have on hand. It's very mildly flavored so the kids love it and no one gets heartburn.