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Can Ready Meals Help You Lose Weight?
By WLR Guest Dietitian
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If you find ready meals helpful, but sometimes feel a bit
guilty about eating them, then this new research may help ease
your conscience.
Published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and
Metabolism, it found that including portion controlled
ready meals helped overweight men lose weight more easily.
Conducted by scientists at the University of Illinois, the
men were randomly divided between two test diets, each
providing approximately 1700 calories. One was a self-selected
diet made up of a recommended number of servings from
different food groups, in line with healthy eating guidelines.
The other included two portion-controlled frozen ready meals
plus additional food servings to balance the diet.
At the end of the 8-week study period, both groups managed
to lose a beneficial amount of weight, but the
portion-controlled group lost around a third more – an average
of 7.4kg versus 5.1kg for the self-selected diet group.
These findings more or less replicate the findings of a
very similar study carried out last year with women, on
calorie levels of 1400 calories a day.
The researchers believe that the simplicity and portion
control of the ready meal diet meant it was easier for
subjects to keep to their calorie level. It also seemed to
improve their knowledge of how much was a good
portion size
for them.
Weight Loss Resources says…
Two reasons so many people find it hard to manage their
weight are: food is tempting us wherever we go often in large
portions; and it takes effort to choose, prepare and serve
recommended amounts for weight loss. This can be even more
tricky for men who often have fewer food and cooking skills.
Studies now show, and you will probably know from your own
experience, that giving structure to your eating plan, and
taking time to plan ahead to have regular meals and the right
foods to hand at the right time, can make weight loss success
more likely. However, that doesn’t mean you need to, or even
want to, rely on ready meals to control your weight! Cooking
is a pleasure and also a way to ensure you know what is in
your food.
However, different approaches suit different people. And in
the midst of food overload, including at least some
portion-controlled ready meals could help you get used to
portion sizes that suit your needs. They are also handy at the
end of a busy day when you’re simply too tired to cook or if
it’s hard to buy or prepare something healthy for lunch (or
during shifts) at work.
The big question with this study is will it help people now
keep the weight off in the long term, without having to keep
relying on ready meals. Let’s hope they can rerun similar
studies for a longer period to find out more.
Tips for choosing ready meals
- Opt for those with around 300 calories, or 400-450
calories if they come with rice, potatoes or pasta
- Look for controlled levels of fat and salt
- Serve with plenty of vegetables or salad
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