Can We Talk about Frozen Dinners?

CallMeKate said:
Well, I started this thread to see if there are options, and I'm thinking there really aren't. Drat! I already do cook extra for freezer meals because I love cooking. And I use 0 sodium beef and chicken broths for soups. It would have been nice to have some quick things in the freezer, but I do think I'll have to be forgetting that idea. Oh, is the Herb Ox still working for you, @StarSong ? I am *so* glad I found that years ago... packaged broth is shocking... even those that claim "reduced sodium!"

I do not have a sodium problem at this point, but it's time to make sure I won't in the future either. My target number in a frozen meal would have been like 400mg or less... not even sure that's possible.
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Yes, I still use the Herb Ox no sodium broth mix. Like you, I don't have a sodium problem and don't want one. I avoid sodium when possible: saltine-type crackers but with unsalted tops, NoSalt (a sodium free alternative to table salt), low-sodium soy sauce and so forth.

I don't buy commercial frozen meals. That said, although I generally cook from scratch, I'm not opposed to using some commercially made ingredients in my cooking. I don't roll my own tortellini, for instance. Is it high in sodium? Probably, but that's the price of occasionally eating food containing cheese.
 

As I've mentioned before I eat the same meals for years at a time. Every other week (on Sat.) I eat a frozen dinner for lunch, its always the same one, pictured below. Sodium is high but I live with that since I never salt other foods I eat and figure a bit won't kill me, calories are OK, serving size is just right, lower fat for a frozen dinner and always $2 at my local Acme, and I like the taste.

Screenshot_20250920_135253_Google.jpg
 

C50 said:
Every other week (on Sat.) I eat a frozen dinner for lunch, its always the same one, pictured below. Sodium is high but I live with that since I never salt other foods I eat and figure a bit won't kill me, calories are OK, serving size is just right, lower fat for a frozen dinner and always $2 at my local Acme, and I like the taste.
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I have had those before... you're right, they're good. Actually the 520mg sodium in that one isn't nearly as bad as the Banquet same size in Salisbury Steak... that one has 1,030mg! šŸ˜² The Sweet & Sour is $1.68 at my WalMart... but until mid 2023 when prices started soaring, it was (true statement) 89 cents for the longest time.
 
I do not eat store bought frozen meals.
The only frozen food I eat is food Iā€™ve froze myself. I have high blood pressure so avoid store bought prepared foods due to the salt intake. We eat a fare amount of previously canned foods like soups, or baked beans.
P.s. I occasionally eat air fried frozen fries..
 
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Iā€™m old enough to remember when a ā€œTV dinnerā€ felt fancy. These days my gripe is the salt and the price. Most frozen meals lean salty, helpful hint from my doctor and the heart folks: try to keep your whole day under 2,300 mg sodium (1,500 mg is even better if blood pressureā€™s a worry) and use the %DV on the box, 5% is low, 20% is high


What works for me is a little compromise: I make my own ā€œfrozen dinnersā€ once or twice a month. Cook once, rest easy later.


My easy keeper lately:


  • Slow Cooker Lemon-Herb Chicken & Rice (hands-off, freezes well). I use no-salt broth, skip the added salt, and brighten with lemon and herbs. I pack it in single-serve containers so Iā€™m not tempted to overdo it. If you want the rice to stay fluffy, freeze the chicken + sauce and add fresh rice when you reheat, works like a charm. Recipe here: Crockpot Lemon Herb Chicken & Rice - spoonrecipes. The post even notes the freeze-ahead trick. spoonrecipes

A few other batch-and-freeze ideas I rotate through:


  • Soups & stews (chicken, vegetable, bean). Use no-salt broth and season with herbs, citrus, garlic/onion powders or salt-free blends, nice flavor without the salt hit. (FDAā€™s label tip above makes shopping easier.)
  • Protein add-ons: grill or roast a few chicken breasts, slice, and freeze flat in bags. Quick thaw = fast supper over a salad or veg.

If you do buy a boxed meal now and then, what I look for (and it keeps me honest):


  • Sodium: aim for ~600 mg or less per meal (or under ~20% DV on the label)
  • Protein & fiber: at least ~15 g protein and a few grams of fiber so it actually fills you up. (Dietitians use similar guardrails when they pick ā€œbetterā€ frozen bowls.)
  • Watch the serving size: some trays are ā€œ2 servingsā€ sneaky! The %DV tip above helps spot that.

For brand ideas, there are dietitian-vetted lists of lower-sodium options if you want to peek handy when youā€™re standing in the freezer aisle squinting at boxes.


Bottom line from this old kitchen: I still like having quick meals on hand, but I sleep better when I control the salt. A small afternoon of cooking gives me a freezer full of ā€œTV dinnersā€ that taste like home without the blood-pressure worry.


(And thank you all for that Nathanā€™s low-sodium fry tip in the thread, putting those on my list!)
 
I like to cook but only cook about three times a week I just don't enjoy cooking for myself that much. When I do cook, I cook enough for leftovers that will last a couple of days. I love leftovers. I do like Stouffers chipped beef gravy. I'll buy it occasionally and pour it over bread or biscuits. I also like Stouffers French bread pizza. I'll keep a box of it in the freezer periodically when I'm hungry and just don't feel like cooking.
 
TeePee said:
I like to cook but only cook about three times a week I just don't enjoy cooking for myself that much. When I do cook, I cook enough for leftovers that will last a couple of days. I love leftovers. I do like Stouffers chipped beef gravy. I'll buy it occasionally and pour it over bread or biscuits. I also like Stouffers French bread pizza. I'll keep a box of it in the freezer periodically when I'm hungry and just don't feel like cooking.
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Another fan of Stoufferā€™s chipped beef over baked potatoes! šŸ·šŸ·šŸ·
 
The opening line from Fritz's post #27 web site
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/low-sodium-frozen-meals. To be 100% clear I'm NOT saying Fritz's post is in any way wrong.
Quote
"Sometimes itā€™s OK to take the convenient route. Our dietitian picked the best low sodium frozen meals for nights when youā€™re short on time. Magic Kitchen and Amyā€™s top the list."

Since this is about an occasional meal is the concern for sodium really warranted?
 

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