That label is lying to her. And so are her friends who told her that shirt was cute.

Be warned, ladies: Nutrition labels lie.

A new study of meals from ten different popular food chains found that the actual calorie counts of those meals averaged 18 percent higher than what was advertised. I’m not very good at math, but I think that adds up to a LOT of extra cals.

I know what you’re thinking: first, it’s my grande caramel frappucinno, and now I can’t even indulge in a little frozen Chicken Carbonara? The truth hurts, sista.

It doesn’t surprise me that Wendy’s and chains like Ruby Tuesday would cheat a little to impress the occasional health nut who actually checks their calorie counts and market themselves as “healthy.” But with them, what does it really matter? If you’re wolfing down a Classic Triple with cheese or Shrimp Alfredo pasta with white cheddar mashed potatoes on the side, calories are probably not your first concern. What does surprise me is the fact that frozen meal companies, like Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers, are doing this and getting away with it. Um, isn’t low cals the only reason anyone buys a Smart Ones Salisbury Steak? Lord knows it’s not because it tastes good… or like Salisbury Steak. Read More »

Hey ladies! Got any frozen dinners in your freezer? Know anyone who does? There is breaking news that frozen dinner manufacturers Lean Cuisine is issuing a major recall of its products.

Lean Cuisine has issued a recall of 9.5-ounce packages of “Lean Cuisine Pesto Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta,”  10.5-ounce packages of “Lean Cuisine Chicken Mediterranean,” and 12.5-ounce packages of “Lean Cusine Chicken Tuscan.”  citing that the food may contain small pieces of plastic.  If you own any of these dinners, you are urged to call (800) 993-8625 to speak with a customer service representative. 

So if you keep a stock of frozen dinners in your fridge, or you know someone who does, pass the word along!

Yikes, that doesn’t look appetizing.

Let’s be honest: when I get home at the end of a long day of work and classes and studying, the last thing I want to do is whip up a fancy meal for myself. Sometimes, I just need something fast and simple. But after a few months of take-out and pizza and dining-hall food, I realized that I was sacrificing my waistline for the sake of convenience.

What’s a calorie-counting busy girl to do?

Embrace the frozen entrée. I know, I know. Frozen entrees make me think of my Mom and Weight Watchers and scary-looking meat products in soupy liquids. No thanks.

However, there are some delicious frozen meals out there if you know where to look. The best part? Every last calorie and carb and gram of fat and milligram of sodium is right on the box, so you know exactly what you’re getting. To top it all off, they provide us with something this entire country is severely lacking—portion control. You shouldn’t need a hamburger the size of your head just to feel satisfied—frozen meals are a great way to teach yourself what is considered normal (the measurement for a normal serving of protein is the size of your fist…not your head).

Since I’ve become somewhat of a connoisseur of the frozen meal, I thought I’d round up a few of my favorites, for your thawing pleasure: Read More »