()– The pandemic has had a profound impact on Americans’ lives over the past year. This includes their health and well-being habits. According to a recent One Poll, 61% of Americans have gained 6-25 lbs in the past year. This was based on 2,000 respondents. Growing health and immunity issues have made us want to eat healthier at home. However, we also feel fatigued by cooking and are now looking for a faster and more efficient way to prepare dinner.

Frozen meals are a great option. Courtney McCormick (RD, MPH), manager of clinical nutrition and research at Nutrisystem, says frozen meals have five main benefits.

* Frozen Meals are Convenient
Freezing meals reduces the time it takes to prepare them. “Gone are the days of having to spend significant time in the kitchen preparing a healthy dinner for the family,”McCormick says. Frozen meals make it easy to get dinner on the table quickly. Nutrisystem is one example of a company that delivers meals to your doorstep.

* Frozen Meals are Nutrient Rich
The frozen food industry is focusing on ingredients that are both good for you and good for your health. “Not only do frozen meals deliver on taste, many options today deliver on health too,”McCormick agrees. Many of these include vegetables that are picked at their best when they are nutrient-rich. They are also easy to prepare for the whole family, and allow them to experiment with new things.

* Frozen Meals are Portion Controlled
“For many food categories, portions have doubled over the past 20 years, and this isn’t just at restaurants, but in packaged foods as well. Without even knowing it, we often find ourselves eating more than we should,”Joan Salge Blake is an internationally recognized nutrition expert. in a recent webinar titled “The Hottest Trend in Nutrition: Frozen Meals.”Frozen meals take the guesswork out portion control and help to teach sensible portion sizes. The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Evidence-Analysis Library concludes there is strong evidence to support the use of single-serving, portion-con-trolled meals for weight loss.

* Frozen Meals are Versatile
Frosted meals allow for creativity. Fresh vegetables can make meals a lot more substantial. It’s easy to make sure that everyone is eating healthy by serving a salad with your meal or steaming fresh vegetables for the family.

* Frozen Meals are Sustainable
Frozen meals can be used to save leftovers and ingredients that you haven’t used. You can save money on weekly grocery shopping by freezing meals. They have a longer shelf lifespan. You can also feel better about buying them because many meal cartons can be recycled.

It’s time to let go of the pressure and guilt that comes with cooking healthy meals every night. Let frozen meals be your friend.

Visit www.nutritionsides.com for more information and to find inspiration for healthy side dish recipes. leaf.nutrisystem.com.