These days, we want fast, but we want healthy, too. Yes, healthy microwave meals are possible whether we're buying frozen dinners (watch the ingredients, especially sodium) or nuking pre-prepped meals.

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Most of us need more hours in the day to get everything accomplished, but, alas, food preparation often becomes an afterthought. If you can relate, then you likely have prepared your share of meals in a microwave oven. Here’s the good news: Healthy microwave meals can be a snap.

For starters, consider that at least 40 percent of our daily diet should be vegetables, according to ChooseMyPlate.gov, a U.S. Department of Agriculture guide to eating heathy. So for healthy microwave meals, start with vegetables. Among all cooking methods, microwaving veggies retains the highest levels of antioxidants.

“Microwave cooking does not reduce the nutritional value of foods any more than conventional cooking,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “In fact, foods cooked in a microwave oven may keep more of their vitamins and minerals, because microwave ovens can cook more quickly and without adding water.”

Dana Hunnes, adjunct assistant professor of community health sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, notes that the benefits of microwaved vegetables “has to do with the fact that microwaves heat foods so quickly. Vitamin C, a nutrient that is frequently lost in cooking, has been found to be well-preserved when microwaving. In general, cooking methods that best retain nutrients are those that cook quickly, heating the food in the shortest amount of time and using as little liquid as possible.”

Frozen Healthy Microwave Meals

Not all that long ago, a frozen meal (remember the classic TV dinner?) was considered a bit of a joke, with its unrecognizable entrée, rubbery potatoes, and dried-out veggies—plus the little section of not-so-yummy dessert. Not anymore.

Frozen dinners are leading the way in healthy microwave meals, and they’re just as easy to prepare as ever. They’re also gaining popularity; Reuters predicts that the frozen foods market will surpass $309 billion in sales by 2021.

“The quality and variety are so much better than they were just a few years ago,” according to Libby Mills, RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “More people are demanding food that is both healthy and environmentally sound, and companies are responding.”

What Makes a Healthy Microwave Meal?

Healthy microwave meals may appear easy to choose based on names that include words like “healthy” and “low calories.” But beware those marketing claims.

Read labels to decide whether different brands qualify as healthy microwave meals. For example, look at sodium. According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Americans consume more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium every day, or 1,000 mg more than the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s daily recommended value for healthy adults and nearly 2,000 mg more than the American Heart Association recommends. Some microwave meals contain close to 1,000 mg of sodium in one box.

So what constitutes a healthy microwave meal? Consider these factors as you’re reading ingredient labels:

• Calories. Opt for choices that are lower than 600 calories. You’ll find some selections with as low as 200 calories.
• Protein. Lean toward choices with 10 to 15 grams of protein; some products offer even more.
• Fiber. The more, the better; try for products with at least 5 g of fiber.
• Fats. You’ll often see 10 to 20 g of fat; the ones to avoid are high in saturated fat—more than 2 or 3 g.
• Sugar. You’ll want meals with little to no added sugar
• Sodium. And, as noted above, watch that sodium. A good guide: less than 800 mg of sodium in a meal.

More Than a Timesaver

Healthy microwave meals in the freezer section of your grocery store are a timesaver for sure (less time in the grocery store, fewer minutes in preparation, and minimal cleanup). But they’re also a simple way for singles to ensure a balanced meal without having copious amounts of leftovers. They’re also a lifesaver when you’re trying to lose weight, because they’re automatic portion control (unless you eat more than one of them, of course!).

“I often recommend a healthy frozen meal a few times per week for my weight-loss patients,” says Jessica Bartfield, MD, an internist who specializes in nutrition and weight management at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of the Loyola University Health System in Chicago, on everydayhealth.com. “Instead of trying to figure out how many calories you’re going to get in a home-cooked meal or at a restaurant, you just flip the package over and you get everything you need to know.”

Still Want to Cook?

Good, because nothing beats the added benefits of home cooking, which include bringing the family together, fresh ingredients, and saving money. (No matter how you twist it, eating a meal made at home is the least-expensive option.)

You can make some great healthy microwave meals right at home, and the internet is full of recipes.

Here are three examples of recipes for healthy microwave meals:

• Microwave oatmeal bars and 15-minute meat loaf, as posted at Taste of Home.
• Chicken pot pie in a mug and loaded potato soup, courtesy of Self.
• One-dish microwave spaghetti and toasted grilled cheese, from Genius Kitchen.