When you’re hungry and pressed for time, microwaving a frozen food can be convenient and quick. While there are plenty of options that seem healthy in your grocery store’s freezer section, experts warned us about one particular kind that could contribute to weight gain if eaten frequently. We spoke with a nutritionist and dietitian about one frozen food to avoid if you’re trying to lose weight, and learned why it’s better to eat something else for breakfast instead.
Skip Frozen, Processed Breakfast Items
As you may have heard since your early childhood, experts still insist that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and can either support or deter your weight loss goals in the long run. Amy Lippert, functional nutritionist and founder of health site Almond Milk and Cookies, recommends avoiding frozen, processed items for breakfast, such as premade burritos and sandwiches.
"These are often made with inflammatory ingredients such as refined flours, sugars, fats and loads of salt, increasing inflammation in the body which can possibly lead to chronic symptoms and disease," says Lippert. She adds that these types of frozen foods do not support a "healthy, whole-food-based diet" and are often void of "essential nutrients." For someone trying to lose weight, she explains, you need to nourish your body with foods that give you energy, not ones that can cause a mid-afternoon slump or contribute to bloating later in the day.
Abby Vichill, registered dietitian for FWDfuel, agrees and notes that popular frozen breakfast meats like "Jimmy Dean frozen breakfast sausage" can also set back your weight loss progress if consumed daily. "Frozen meats by most companies are poor quality, typically cured, and filled with harmful chemicals and preservatives," says Vichill.
She says that many of these chemicals can "create inflammation and may even cause hormonal imbalances by acting as endocrine disruptors." If you're looking for a cleaner frozen breakfast option, Vichill says to aim for something like "Applegate breakfast sausage links" as their quality is "much better."
Overall, no matter what your health goals are or if you're working towards losing weight, one thing will always be true— a healthy breakfast is essential! Eating a balanced meal after you wake ensures that you'll have ample energy for the day and less likely to eat more meals later on that could cause bloating. For more information on breakfast choices and how to create a weight loss plan, visit your doctor, dietitian or nutritionist.
