New Study On Weight-Loss Program Meals

Using prepared meals from popular weight loss programs can help you win the battle of the bulge. In a recent study conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, people who followed a frozen entree diet lost more weight compared with subjects who made their own meals following the Food Guide Pyramid. Researchers found that while both groups took in 1,700 calories per day, the packaged foods plan resulted in more weight loss due to accurate portion sizes.

However, these prepared meals can be pricey and puny portion-wise, and eventually you have to learn to cook and eat healthfully on your own.

Many diet plans, from NutriSystem to Weight Watchers, offer packaged meals in supermarkets and weight loss centers that fit into the framework of the diet. Some weight loss plans like Zone Chefs even offer prepared foods delivered to your doorstep. Such prepared, pre-portioned meals can take the guesswork out of calculating how foods fit into the meal plan and offer a respite from cooking and measuring foods. "Frozen meals can be part of a healthy and successful weight loss plan. A diet meal can be a plus on a night when your other options would be take-out," says Weill Cornell nutritionist Kathy Isoldi.

The Nutrition Meter

But how do various diet plan meals measure up nutritionally? Many are light in calories, providing 200-400 calories per meal, an amount that might promote healthful weight loss in women. But they may not always be nutritionally balanced or adequate to replace an entire meal.

According to the federal Dietary Reference Intakes, a healthful diet should be composed of 45-65 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 20-35 percent of calories from fat, and 10-35 percent of calories from protein.

The Zone diet advocates a split of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat; all of its foods and snacks adhere to that formula. Consequently, some of its supermarket meals run high in fat and saturated fat. For example, the Zone Cheese Omelet has 14 grams of fat and 8 grams of saturated fat.

While most of the diet meals fit neatly into the desirable fat range to keep calories down, some are skimpy on carbohydrates or protein. "I believe that many of the meals can be low in protein and they leave one hungry two hours later," says Isoldi, who suggests that you aim for about 21 grams of protein (equivalent to 3 ounces of protein source) per meal. Weight Watchers Angel Hair Marinara only has 200 calories and 2 grams of fat, but it also has only 8 grams of protein--not enough for a meal replacement.

The South Beach diet, loosely based on the glycemic index (which measures how fast carbohydrates raise blood sugar), is heavy on protein. The South Beach Diet Garlic Parmesan Chicken with Penne gets 40 percent of its calories from protein and only 33 percent of calories from carbohydrates.

From Fiber to Sodium

Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and author of So What Can I Eat? (Wiley, 2006) suggests dieters pay attention to fiber content of diet meals, looking for at least 5 grams per serving. "Fiber can help you manage your weight by providing bulk to the diet to fill you up," says Zied.

Like many processed foods, diet meals are often loaded with sodium, sometimes more than 1,000 mg per serving. Zied suggests looking for diet plan meals that contain less than 600 mg of sodium to keep your sodium intake down. Experts recommend limiting sodium to 1,500 mg a day to the recommended 2,300 mg per day.

Puny Portions

When you don't consume enough calories, protein, and fiber at a meal, nutrients that promote satiety and fullness, you're more likely to be hungry and start snacking. To compensate for the rather puny portions of some prepared diet plan meals, add a salad, a broth-based soup, or a serving of fruit or vegetables to add bulk so you feel fuller. If the protein content is slightly low, add an ounce of low-fat cheese, lean chicken, fish, meat, or a handful of nuts to your salad. This adds nutrients that may be missing from diet meals.

Packaged Pitfalls

Drawbacks of prepackaged diet meals: If you eat the same meals all the time, you may not be getting the nutritional benefits of a varied diet. Then there's boredom; Zied advises eating only prepared diet meals that you truly enjoy. For lunch, try creating your own nutritious and portable meals (see page 11 for tips.)

"The key is not to bank an entire weight loss plan on prepacked foods," says Isoldi. "I always advise clients to increase the cooking they do in their home as an effective way to control ingredients, calories, and to take charge of their meals."