Frozen Food Diets

RESTON, Virginia (WUSA) -- It's been called frozen food dieting or frozen food cuisine. It's when people select to eat only frozen vegetables and meals with hopes that it will save them a few calories and a few dollars.

Nutritionist Danielle Omar says she understands the appeal of frozen foods, which can save both time and money, but she warns that people should be wary of sacrificing needed nutrients and vitamins.

"You can't really say that they are all bad or all good. It's really about the qualities. So if you're looking at just a single food like vegetables opposed to a meal, there are certain things that you can look for," says Omar.

Those other things may surprise people says Omar. She explains that people can eat vegetables that come frozen, but to be careful with frozen veggies that add sauces or added ingredients.

"Frozen vegetables are frozen at the peak of their freshness so they are just as good at high quality or high nutrient as the fresh stuff. So you could have broccoli in a cheese sauce that has over 400 milligrams of sodium and then you could have plain broccoli that would have zero," says Omar.

Omar also says try not to be misled by meals labeled "lean" because most of the time they lack critical vitamins and fiber that tend to satisfy your hunger.

"The problem with the low calorie ones is that often times you would reward the food for having a low fat, but then at the same time it would have really high sodium or really low protein and it's not all that filling,"says Omar.

As a good rule of thumb she suggests adding an extra portion of fruit or vegetables to each frozen food meal.

Here are a few of Omars' suggestions on what works if you want to use the frozen aisle to help you save money and lose a few extra pounds.

-Breakfast: Have a frozen waffle and top it with some yogurt or some fresh fruit.

-Lunch: Purchase frozen shrimp and put it on salad greens. You can get 3 ounces of shrimp for less than 100 calories.

-Frozen dinner: Eat a small salad with your frozen dinner. The fiber and vitamins help you to feel full.

-Frozen chicken, beef and seafood. Add frozen vegetable variety and add teriyaki sauce or add olive oil, lemon and pepper.

-Frozen Fruits" Dessert, dessert, dessert. Blend frozen fruits with a cup of skim milk and ice in a blender to make a delicious smoothie. Spread vanilla yogurt onto a graham cracker and add strawberries or blueberries and some honey.