In today's fast-paced world, convenience is key, and frozen meals offer a quick and easy solution for busy individuals and families. However, not all frozen meals are created equal. Choosing healthy options is crucial for maintaining a balanced diet and overall well-being. Publix, a popular supermarket chain, offers a variety of frozen meals, including healthier choices. This article will guide you through navigating the frozen food aisle at Publix to find nutritious and delicious options that align with your health goals.
Publix's Commitment to Customer Well-being
Publix is committed to protecting your privacy. Please read this policy carefully before you start to use our Services. By using the Services, you consent to our posted Terms of Use (the “Terms”) together with this Policy, which the Terms incorporate by reference. Publix reserves the right, at any time, to modify this Policy. By continuing to use the Services following such modifications, you agree to be bound by such modifications.
While operating our business, we collect a range of personal information. You may be able to use some of our Services or conduct in-store business with us without providing any personal information to us. However, in order to take advantage of certain features, offerings, or other functions available in stores or on our Services, you may be asked or required to provide personal information. You can always choose to not provide us with the requested information; however, if you choose to not provide such information, you may not be able to engage in certain in store transactions or access or use certain features or functions of the Services.
We may also receive information about you from other sources, including third parties that help us: update, expand, and analyze our records; identify new customers; collect information on our behalf; and prevent or detect fraud. The information we receive from these sources may include, but is not limited to, identifiers, demographics, education information, address information, Internet or other electronic network activity, and inferences about your preferences or other characteristics. This information is collected for various reasons, including to help ensure that the Services continue to work correctly, to improve the Services, to support marketing campaigns (including targeted advertising), to understand our customers and how they use the Services, and to offer you a more personalized experience.
Navigating the Frozen Food Aisle for Healthy Choices
Understanding Nutrition Labels
The first step in choosing healthy frozen meals is understanding how to read nutrition labels. Pay close attention to serving sizes, calories, fat content (especially saturated and trans fats), sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, and protein. Aim for meals that are lower in calories, saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars, and higher in fiber and protein.
Read also: Healthy food access with Highmark Wholecare explained.
Focusing on Whole Foods
Look for frozen meals that prioritize whole, unprocessed foods such as vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. These meals tend to be more nutrient-dense and provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Identifying Healthier Brands and Options
Several brands offer healthier frozen meal options that you can find at Publix. Some examples include:
- Healthy Choice: Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers offer healthy frozen meals that give your body everything it needs to feel satisfied. A tasty experience any day of the week, this frozen meal is made with no preservatives to deliver wholesome microwave meals that don’t sacrifice flavor. Healthy Choice never compromises on ingredients so you can taste the goodness in every bite.
Reading the Fine Print: Ingredients and Additives
Always read the ingredient list carefully. Be wary of meals with long lists of artificial ingredients, preservatives, and additives. Opt for meals with recognizable ingredients that you would use if you were cooking from scratch.
Healthy Frozen Meal Examples at Publix
Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Barbecue Seasoned Steak With Potatoes
Enjoy satisfying and quick meals with Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Barbecue Seasoned Steak With Potatoes. This frozen meal combines tender frozen steak strips with russet potatoes and vegetables in a whiskey BBQ sauce for a dish that is as delicious as it is healthy. Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Barbecue Seasoned Steak With Potatoes is perfect for quick and delicious healthy frozen meals at work or frozen dinners at home after a long day. Simply microwave this steak dinner bowl for 4 to 4 1/2 minutes, stir the steamed food into the sauce bowl, and then check to make sure the food is cooked thoroughly before enjoying. Keep this Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Barbecue Seasoned Steak With Potatoes meal in your freezer to have wholesome, healthy meals on hand.
Ingredients: RUSSET POTATOES, SEASONED COOKED BEEF STEAK AND BINDER PRODUCT (BEEF, WATER, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: CARAMEL COLOR, DEXTROSE, SEASONING [NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, MALTODEXTRIN, DRIED WHEY, DRIED CAULIFLOWER, SESAME OIL], MODIFIED CORN STARCH, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SPICE EXTRACTIVES), WATER, CORN, GREEN AND RED BELL PEPPERS, ONIONS, MOLASSES, TOMATO PASTE, BARBEQUE SEASONING (BROWN SUGAR, SUGAR, MOLASSES, WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE POWDER [CORN SYRUP, SALT, CARAMEL COLOR, GARLIC, SUGAR, SPICES, SOY SAUCE SOLIDS {FERMENTED WHEAT AND SOYBEAN, SALT, MALTODEXTRIN, CARAMEL COLOR}, PALM OIL, TAMARIND, NATURAL FLAVOR], MALTODEXTRIN, SODIUM DIACETATE, SPICES INCLUDING PAPRIKA AND TURMERIC, NATURAL SMOKE FLAVOR [CONTAINS MALTODEXTRIN], CITRIC ACID, LACTOSE, DEHYDRATED ONION AND GARLIC), CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SUGAR, SALTED WHISKEY (WHISKEY, SALT), MODIFIED CORN STARCH, RED WINE VINEGAR, SALT, NATURAL MESQUITE SMOKE FLAVOR, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, GARLIC POWDER.
Read also: Healthy Eating on the Run
Directions: Must be cooked thoroughly. For Safety and Quality: Keep frozen. Do not thaw. Microwave directions developed with 1100-watt microwave ovens. Appliances vary. Adjust cooking times as needed. Food must be cooked thoroughly to 165 degrees F. Read and follow cooking directions. Must be cooked thoroughly. Microwave: (1) Microwave on High 4- to 4-1/2 minutes. No need to vent film. (2) Stir steamed food into sauce bowl. Careful, it's hot! (3) Check that food is cooked thoroughly. Enjoy! Do not use if film seal is broken. Cook only one at a time.
Tips for Making Frozen Meals Healthier
Adding Extra Vegetables
Boost the nutritional value of your frozen meal by adding extra vegetables. Frozen or fresh vegetables can be easily steamed or microwaved and added to your meal for added fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Controlling Sodium Content
Frozen meals can be high in sodium. If you are watching your sodium intake, look for low-sodium options or consider rinsing your meal after cooking to remove excess salt.
Supplementing with Healthy Sides
Round out your frozen meal with a healthy side dish such as a side salad, a piece of fruit, or a serving of whole-grain bread. This will help you feel fuller and more satisfied while adding extra nutrients to your meal.
Publix Digital Services and Privacy
You may be able to use our mobile applications to scan barcodes or take images of products or prescription bottles in order to create shopping lists or conduct transactions. To do so, our mobile applications may request permission to access your camera and photo files.
Read also: Mobile Dining Revolution
We may also use technologies to determine if you are shopping in one of our stores by relying on signals transmitted by your mobile devices. We collect this information to provide you with services, content and offers based on your location. For example, we may use our mobile applications to provide you with the location of nearby stores and deals available in those stores. You may be able to enable our Services to notify us when you enter one of our stores so that we can prepare any orders you may have or to let you know about the events and deals available in the store. To opt out of the collection of precise location or presence information, you can adjust the permissions on your mobile device or uninstall our mobile applications. Publix has no control over your device’s settings.
We understand that the privacy and security of your health information is important to you. You may give us information about other people, such as the name and address of a gift recipient, or the name and contact information of someone who will pick up items for you at a store. We may combine the information we collect from you with information that we collect from other sources. We may share your personal information to our service providers, who use that information to perform technology, business or other professional functions on our behalf, including but not limited to, hosting our Services, delivering transactional communications, fulfilling orders, and processing payments.
If you post comments, pictures, or other content via public forums that may be available on the Services, that information may be publicly available. The information may be searchable by search engines and copied or republished by third parties. We have no control over those third parties.
We offer you certain choices about what information we collect from you, how we use and disclose the information, and how we communicate with you. If you opt-out using the directions and/or mechanisms provided in a specific type of communication, please be aware that you may only stop receiving that type of communication unless you exercise another option as described herein. Pharmacy customers are entitled under HIPAA to exercise certain rights regarding PHI, such as access to records. Virginia residents have additional privacy rights under applicable law. By using the Services, you consent to our use of cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies, including those operated by third parties on our behalf. We use these technologies to receive and store certain types of information when you interact with the Services. Most web browsers are set to accept cookies by default, though you can manually disable the cookies feature of your browser. You should review the online documentation relating to your browser or consult with the provider of your browser for instructions on how to disable cookies. Please note that if you disable cookies on your Internet-enabled device, some parts of the Services may not function properly or offer you the same degree of personalization. In addition, you may be able to exercise choices regarding companies such as online network advertisers via certain third-party tools. One of the services we use to learn about how you and others use the Services is Google Analytics. Our digital properties are not designed to respond to “do not track” requests from browsers.
The Services may contain links to content or integrated content (like embedded videos) provided by third parties. The information practices of those third parties may differ from ours. You should consult the privacy policies of any third party that provides content that you access through the Services as we do not control and are not responsible for the information that they collect, use, or share. Because your web browser may obtain integrated content directly from third-party servers, the third parties may be able to collect information as if you had visited their sites directly.
Publix uses administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to safeguard the information we collect via the Services. However, no information system can be 100% secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information. Moreover, we are not responsible for the security of information you transmit or receive via the Services over networks that we do not control, including the Internet and wireless networks. You are responsible for protecting the confidentiality of your username and password(s) and you hereby release Publix from any liability related to your disclosure of your username and/or password(s) to any third party. Publix reserves the right to suspend or terminate your account or to require you to change your username and/or password if Publix believes they are no longer secure. We will make any legally required disclosures in the event of any compromise of personal information. We do not knowingly solicit or collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without parental consent.
Our Services are controlled and operated by us from the United States and are not intended to subject us to the laws or jurisdiction of any state, country or territory other than those of the United States. Any information you provide through use of the Services may be stored and processed, transferred between and accessed from the United States and other countries which may not guarantee the same level of protection of personal information as the one in which you reside.