No need to give frozen food the cold shoulder

CEDAR RAPIDS – Has this happened to you?

It's late and you're hungry, but the thought of making dinner isn't appealing, so you grab a frozen meal from the freezer. A few minutes later, dinner is served – maybe not the dinner you imagined, but at least it isn't fast food.

You can stop feeling guilty.

“Frozen entrees are not what they used to be,” says Christy Frese, a registered dietician at the Edgewood Road Hy-Vee.

Frozen dinners have been part of our culinary history more than 70 years. C.A. Swanson & Sons introduced the TV Brand Frozen Dinner in 1953, but frozen meals had been served on airplanes for nearly 10 years prior. Other prepackaged meals were also available prior to Swanson's, including oven-ready aluminum trays introduced by Quaker States Foods under the One-Eye Eskimo label.

It was Swanson, however, who made the aluminum trays of Salisbury steak, corn and mashed potatoes synonymous with TV viewing, thanks to a clever marketing campaign that tapped into the public's fascination with television.

Swanson stopped using the name “TV Dinner” in 1962, but the term remains part of vocabulary when discussing frozen dinners. Perhaps that's why we still think of frozen dinners as unhealthy.

“Frozen dinners have been transformed from the foil packets we remember,” Frese says.

At a recent Hy-Vee class – From Frozen to Fast and Fabulous – Frese says increased health concerns, aging Baby Boomers and an increased number of single-serve diners prompted the frozen food market to rethink convenience.

“Today, the freezer aisle is filled with meals created by chefs in state-of-the-art kitchens,” she says. “It's interesting to see the unique flavors they're playing with.”

Black Bean Mango, Beef Merlot and Pumpkin Squash Ravioli are just a few of the meals Frese shared with her class.

“There are combinations of flavors we wouldn't see 10, or even five, years ago,” Frese says.

You can thank the Millennials for that. This generation is more health-conscious than those that came before them, Frese says. At the same time, they grew up watching cooking shows on television, leading to a more sophisticated palate, but because they can't afford to eat dinner in a restaurant every night, companies have created new dinners that appeal to their tastes.

But everyone benefits, Frese says.

“Today's frozen meals are looking more and more like what My Plate suggests – half fruits and vegetables, a quarter whole grains and a quarter lean protein,” she says. “It definitely helps with portion control.”

Serve the meal on a regular plate instead of the plastic serving tray, add a salad or a piece of fruit, and you have a balanced meal without a lot of fuss.

“It's not something you want to do every day, but it's good to keep a few meals in the freezer for busy days or days you just don't want to cook,” Frese says. “It's healthier to drive through the frozen food aisle instead of a fast food restaurant.”

*******************************************************************************************************************

Incorporating frozen meals in your diet can help you consume fewer calories, control portion sizes and improve your waistline – if you know what to buy. Christy Frese, a registered dietician at the Edgewood Road Hy-Vee, suggests the following guidelines when purchasing frozen meals:

• Calories: 450 or less
• Sodium: 600 milligrams or less
• Saturated fat: Not more than 10 percent of total calories
• Total fat: Not more than 30 percent of total calories
• Fiber: Include a variety of whole grains, vegetables and fruits to increase the fiber content of the meal

*******************************************************************************************************************

Frozen foods aren't limited to entrees. Frozen fruits, vegetables and meats can be used prepare healthy dishes with minimal prep time. Here are a few recipes to get you started:

Pesto Meatballs and Orzo

• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen precooked meatballs, thawed
• 1 (16-ounce) package orzo pasta
• 1-1/2 cups baby frozen peas
• 1 (16-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
• 1 (6 to 7-ounce) container basil pesto
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-1/2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until almost al dente, about 1 minute less cooking time than the package suggests. Place peas in colander and drain pasta over peas; return all to pot. Add meatballs, Alfredo sauce, sour cream, milk, and pesto and mix gently. Pour milk into Alfredo sauce jar, close lid, and shake; add that to the pasta mixture and stir. (By doing this you can get more of the Alfredo sauce out of the jar.)

Pour into 2-1/2 quart casserole dish and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until casserole is bubbly and top begins to brown.

Source: busycooks.about.com

Garden Stuffed Baked Potatoes

• 4 large potatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen broccoli, thawed
• 1/2 cup ranch-style salad dressing
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the skin of the potatoes with a fork.

Microwave pierced potatoes on high for 12 minutes. Place partially baked potatoes in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Slice off potato tops, scoop out the bulk of the interior of the potato being careful to leave the potato skins intact. In a medium bowl, mash the removed potato interior.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat, stir in butter. Sauté onions in the skillet until tender, about 5 minutes.

Combine onions, broccoli, and ranch dressing with the mashed potato. Brush the outside of the potato skins with oil. Spoon potato mixture into the skins. Arrange stuffed potatoes on a cookie sheet.

Bake potatoes for 15 minutes, or until heated through. Season with salt, pepper and parsley.

Source: allrecipes.com