Freezer pleasers: you don't have to give frozen foods the cold shoulder. M & F HERS takes a trip down the freezer aisle to find the best choices for you

When I was little, a frozen dinner was a real treat. Each weekly trip to Gemco, my dad would let my brother, sister and me choose a favorite frozen meal for dinner that night. Would it be the beans and franks? The fried chicken? The Salisbury steak?

Ah, Salisbury steak. A perfect oval-shaped piece of processed meat swimming in brown, salty gravy. That meal came complete with ivory-white mashed potatoes with a lump of yellow butter; a side of drab, green, shriveled peas; and, of course, the sweet brownie dessert.

Back then, the Salisbury steak came in a sturdy aluminum tin that's still probably sitting, intact, in a landfill.

Back then, I didn't know what a calorie was.

Back then, unbelievably, I wasn't concerned with the size of my thighs.

Now, all grown up, when I hit the frozen-food aisle I head straight for the Lean Cuisines and shriek in horror when I see anything above 7 grams of fat per serving.

Are you mindlessly munching 240-calorie frozen meals for lunch? Have you stopped expecting that what you eat will bear any resemblance to the fetching photo on the front of the box? Would you be mortified if someone saw you eating a "Hearty Portion"? If this sounds like you, you need our Frozen Food Intervention. Put your microwave in our hands as we find out how to select frozen food that fits our adult sensibilities but still leaves room for those fond childhood memories.

cold war on CALORIES

From left to right you get 230 calories, 270 calories, 250 calories--this isn't enough. "This is a good snack," remarks Bonnie Modugno, MS, RD. "You need a meal."

Have you ever had a 200-something-calorie entree for lunch, then wondered why you were hungry a few hours later? "The marketing [of diet meals] has been brainwashing people that this should be enough to eat," Modugno points out. "That's old thinking. We have to feed people adequately so their bodies don't go to this very capable place of adaptation [to a diet too low in calories]."

You know the routine--you have 200 calories for breakfast and maybe 300 calories for lunch. By the time you get to dinner, proud of your iron willpower, two things have happened. One, your metabolism has slowed. Though one day may not be significant, a slowdown over many days adds up to a body that resists fat loss. Two, you're overly hungry and apt to nosh on anything that passes your way.

"The women I work with who are moving on a regular basis, not necessarily even exercising extensively, should not eat less than 1,500-1,600 calories a day," notes Modugno. That means three or four meals of at least 400 calories each.

which is the HEALTHIER CHOICE?

Many of us will automatically gravitate to the Lean Cuisine, knowing that we can eat the whole thing for only 300 calories. The Lean Cuisine also has half the fat of both the other choices. Let's look at the numbers.

If cutting fat is your goal, the Lean Cuisine is a better choice. Typical for many fat-reduced foods, however, the Lean Cuisine also has more carbohydrates than the other frozen lasagnas.

But low-fat choices may not work for everyone, says nutritionist Modugno, who specializes in insulin resistance. Many of her clients need more protein and less carbohydrate than is offered in the typical "diet meal" such as Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones or Healthy Choice. Modugno would advise some clients to choose a higher-protein, lower-carb meal. "The fat and protein will satisfy you longer," she notes.

The 36 grams of protein in the Michael Angelo's meal is almost unheard of for a frozen entree. The vast majority of frozen meals contain less than 20 grams of protein, which doesn't even equal the protein in a 4-ounce chicken breast. Modugno chooses the Michael Angelo's lasagna, which is higher in calories but has a great nutrient profile.

We may be used to sticking to the diet meals, but the "regular" entrees can be great choices. Michael Angelo's is a perfect example.

Good news! The "diet meals" category now includes several more substantial choices. We think both of these meals are excellent options. The Healthy Choice meal contains 26 grams of protein and a bit more carbs and fat than the Lean Cuisine. In this case, the Lean Cuisine actually has 29 grams of protein.

KEY TIP: Don't feel guilty for choosing a meal with 450 calories! This is probably what you should be eating, anyway. As a bonus, these bigger meals often contain two servings of vegetables, as in the Lean Cuisine seen here. Even though the box says "dinnertime," this is a good choice for anytime.

PROTEIN portions

Frozen entrees are primarily starch-based, whether it's pasta, potatoes, a "pocket" meal, pizza crust or rice. That usually means a protein count of less than 20 grams. For the choices shown above, the Amy's has 16 grams of protein, the Lean Pockets 13 grams and the Smart Ones 14 grams.

If you do well on mostly carbohydrate, that's great. Modugno notes, however: "A whole lot of people out there with insulin resistance need more fat and protein, more produce and far less starch. That's the population who just don't have an option."