9 healthy, minimally processed foods from the freezer aisle
A registered dietitian gives tips on healthy shopping in the freezer aisle. Plus, check the best healthy frozen food brands that are minimally processed.
9 healthy, minimally processed foods from the freezer aisle
A registered dietitian gives tips on healthy shopping in the freezer aisle. Plus, check the best healthy frozen food brands that are minimally processed.
As someone who makes at least some sort of effort to eat healthy, I’ve traditionally typically steered clear of the frozen food section at the grocery store. In my mind, it was a wasteland of TV dinners, frozen waffles, and bags of tater tots. Delicious? Yes. Healthy? In my mind, not-so much.
Then I learned that while I’ve been shopping the produce and alt-pasta aisles, the frozen food section has undergone a major Queer Eye-level makeover. But even after checking out the selection of cauliflower pizzas, plant-based burgers, and riced veggies, I was still a little confused. I’ve always been told that processed foods aren’t healthy (and practically every study these days seems to back that up), so how do these foods—made to literally last a year in the freezer case—fit into a healthy diet?
To find out, I asked registered dietitian Amy Shapiro, RD. I was curious how frozen foods like frozen fruits and veggies compared to their fresh counterparts—isn’t fresh always nutritionally superior? “When produce gets picked, it starts to lose nutrients. So if you grow apples in DC and ship them to California, they will lose nutrients in that journey and will be less potent when you eat it fresh,” Shapiro explains. “Frozen food, however, is flash-frozen at the point of harvest, which preserves those nutrients as is and until consumed. So if it isn’t berry season where you live, I recommend buying frozen berries as you’ll benefit from more nutrients.”
I had also always assumed that microwaving food was inherently less healthier than cooking it in the oven or stovetop. That’s also not a true story, Shapiro says. “What changes the nutritional value is usually how long you cook it, how high the temperature is that you cook it at, and how much water you use use,” she says. “Nutrients leach out into water, so boiling is the worst offender. Microwaves can be helpful in the fact that they cook [food] quickly and often not submerged in liquid.” Mind. Blown.
However, certain frozen foods can be highly processed, so Shapiro has a few suggestions to keep your frozen options super healthy: Look out for artificial sweeteners, artificial colors (like Blue 1 or Red 40), carrageenan as an emulsifier (which has been shown to cause inflammation and possibly be carcinogenic), dextrose (a heavily processed form of sugar from corn), high-fructose corn syrup (which may increase appetite) and MSG (which causes headaches in some people). She also says to keep an eye on the sodium content, as salt is a common preservative.
The TL;DR version of this is to look for a simple ingredients list with things you recognize—just like you would in other parts of the grocery store. If you’re looking for some specific product recs, check out the nine rounded up here, which all sync up with Shapiro’s advice.
Scroll down for nine of the best frozen food products that are healthy and minimally processed.
Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission
If you're feeling like winter has been particularly brutal this year, you're certainly not alone. However, we can think of a few really good ways to spend your time while you're cooped up indoors—hint: they all involve a vibrator. Whether you're partnered up or riding solo, Lelo is here to keep the good vibes (literally) of Valentine's Day rolling with an extended sale through February 28. You can expect to save up to 50 percent on sex toys from Lelo—aka the Mercedes of vibrators—and even snag a free Lelo Dot Travel as a bonus when you spend over $199.
advertisement
There's no promo code required, but February is zipping away quickly so this Lelo Post-Valentine's Day sale is one you'll want to jump on while it's hot. Read on for a few of the sex toys the W+G team is eyeing, then get to saving!
Take a whopping 30 percent off this dual-stimulation toy, which W+G writer Natalie Arroyo Camacho says delivers a "triple-blended orgasm that I’d never before experienced." One end is a suction toy to provide clitoral stimulation, while the insertable end targets the A-spot for deep, targeted sensation.
Take 20 percent off this vibrating penis ring, which is made from smooth body-safe silicone and features 8 rumbly vibration settings. Penis-owners can enjoy it solo for a little added stimulation, or to ramp up the pleasure with a partner. You can even control the vibration settings via the Lelo app for a smoother romp.
Save 20 percent on the beloved Lelo suction toy, the Sona 2 Cruise. It features 12 modes of vibration, which amplify the harder you press the toy to your body (in other words, the Sona 2 shows up when you need it most). Worth noting: this toy is waterproof, but Lelo recommends using water-based lube instead for Earth-shattering results.
If a rabbit vibe is your jam, don't miss the chance to snag the Ina Wave 2 for 30 percent off. It uses 12 vibration settings to tackle both clitoral and G-spot stimulation (with Lelo's signature "Wave Motion" technique) for blended orgasms that deliver every. damn. time.
Take 50 percent off this set of ben wa balls, which insert into your vagina to help strengthen your pelvic floor (and give you better O's as a result). The set comes in three different size options—mini, classic, or plus—to strength train as you see fit, and include handy silicone holsters so you can keep things organized.
Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission
I’m a sucker for a multitasking sex toy. While I admit that may make me sound like I’m bringing the productivity imperative to my pleasure practice, dual stimulators have been popular for a long, long time.
sex educator and founder of the erotic ethical porn site FrolicMe.com.
advertisement
More than 25 years ago, in 1998, Sex and The City gave air time to the iconic rabbit vibrator, a category of sex toys that stimulate the vagina and clitoris at once. Since then, these inside-outside stimulators have continued to reinvent themselves time and time again through different shapes (see: SnailVibe), different external stimulation tactics (see: Lelo Enigma Double Sonic), and various hinges (see: We-Vibe Nova 2). But with the launch of Playboy Pleasures’ latest creation, a brand new style of multitasking toy is now available. Introducing: The Aurelie Tickler ($84).
“The Aurelie Tickler is like an updated rabbit toy,” says sex educator Marla Renee Stewart, MA, an expert with Lovers and co-author of The Ultimate Guide To Seduction and Foreplay. But rather than focusing on the clit and shallow portion of the vagina, “it is designed to simultaneously stimulate the deep and shallow erogenous zones in the vagina canal,” which are known as the A-spot and G-spot, respectively, she says. Another key feature of this motorized toy lies in its name; rather than just vibrating against these vaginal hot spots, users have the option to employ a new-to-market tickling technology.
Curious if this innovative multitasker is as pleasurable as it is intriguing, I decided to try it. After a solid month of testing this tickle-met G-spot vibrator, all I have to say is, ‘again, again’!
The first of its kind, the PlayBoy Pleasures Aurelie Tickler is an internal stimulator that can pleasure all the erogenous zones inside the vaginal canal with vibration and tickles.
“The Aurelie is an innovative dual simulator that focuses the A-spot and G-spot in the vaginal canal,” explains Stewart. To the naked eye, it may look like a regular ‘ole rabbit vibrator, which typically has a long arm for internal stimulation and a short nub that stays outside and gives the external clitoris some love. But actually, both prongs of the Aurelie are designed to go inside your vaginal canal, where they each target different vaginal erogenous zones.
The main shaft, which has 7 inches of insertable length, is designed to slide deep inside the vaginal canal, where it can stimulate the A-spot, explains Stewart. An often-overlooked erogenous zone, the A-spot (anterior fornix) is a point deep within the vagina, right in front of the cervix, which some vulva-owners say responds well to pressure, explains sex educator Anna Richards, the founder of the erotic ethical porn site FrolicMe.com.
“Meanwhile, the rose gold prong—dubbed the tickler by Playboy Pleasures—is designed to stimulate the G-spot,” says Stewart. For the uninitiated: “The G-spot is an area located one to three inches along the upper wall of the vagina,” says Suzannah Weiss, an AASECT-certified sex educator and author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject. To the touch, this area is reported as being springier and more textured than the surrounding vaginal tissues. However, the exact size varies from person to person, and Weiss notes that the term G-spot is misleading, as it is more a general area or zone. That’s why experts call it the G-area or G-zone instead.
The sensitivity of this area, as well as the sensations its stimulation elicits, also vary. “Some people can orgasm through G-spot stimulation alone, while for others, it may simply be a way to enhance a clitoral orgasm,” says Weiss. In fact, the clitoris and G-zone stimulation combo is often credited as a reliable way to achieve a blended orgasm. And an anatomical structure called the skene's glands—sometimes dubbed the female prostate—can be accessed through the G-spot. “Stimulating this area may emit prostate-specific antigens, zinc, and sugar, similar to the male prostate,” aka female ejaculate, she says.
By stimulating the G-zone and A-spot together, “the idea is that the Aurelie allows people to enjoy multiple channels of [vaginal] stimulation at once,” says Stewart. Notably, the dual stimulation can encourage people, especially those who have a hard time staying present in sex, to stay in the moment with their body, she says.
My honest review of the Playboy Pleasures Aurelie
As a professional sex journalist who reviews pleasure products for a living, my preference for external to internal stimulation is well-documented (case and point). A partiality to clitoral stimulation is common amongst vulva owners, with research suggesting that more than 70 percent of women require it to orgasm, and an additional portion say it intensifies and ushers along orgasm. My bias has, historically, been further encouraged by the fact I have a pelvic floor condition that sometimes manifests as my muscles being too activated for any penetration to take place at all. So, while I may enjoy a multi-tasking sex toy, I was skeptical that a dual-stimulator that doesn’t have an external attachment would do much for me. Well, color be tickled because it did.
I’ll give it to you straight: The first time I used this toy I came incredibly hard. ICYWW: I didn’t squirt or ejaculate, which wasn’t surprising because those aren’t things my body has ever done. But after spending more than thirty minutes listening to audio porn and teasing myself with my hand, I finally lathered Aurelie up with hellawater-based lubricant and slid the toy deep inside. After fiddling with the nine different vibration patterns and speeds to find the one that would get me off, I lay there listening to my erotica app until I came.
As it turns out, enjoying and orgasming from vaginal stimulation isn’t as huge a hop, skip, or jump from clitoral stimulation as it may seem, according to Weiss. “There is a high concentration of nerves that pass through the clitoris to the internal vagina,” to where the G-spot and A-spot are located, she says. So, while external clitoral stimulation is often the money-spot for many vulva owners, certain types of vaginal stimulation target the clitoris from the inside, she explains. And, based on the result, it seems that Aurelie was able to stimulate just that spot because the vaginal orgasm I experienced was similar in intensity to the clitoral ones I’m accustomed to.
The second time I used the toy, I didn’t have quite the same ample time for penetration prep. The toy, after all, is 1.75 inches thick, which requires a long warm-up for me. But, rather than swapping Aurelie for my go-to clitoral vibe or suction sex toy, I decided to experiment with using the toy externally. The bulbous head of the tickler is textured, and that, combined with the intense vibrations, did me in.
advertisement
Because the handle of the Aurelie vibrates (which I find annoying) and the handles of wand vibrators don’t, I won’t routinely rely on the Aurelie when I know I only want clit stim. However, I love that I can use the Aurelie for external clitoral love to help myself get in the mood for the G-spot and A-spot stimulation that will follow.
Is the Playboy Pleasure Aurelie for you?
It may be! The Aurelie makes it easy to reach all of the nerve-dense spots that run the length of your vaginal canal, thus making it a suitable selection for those who already know they love incorporating internal stimulation into their solo or partnered play.
Richards also recommends it for any pleasure-seeker interested in exploring their internal erogenous zones. “Your fingers just aren’t able to reach as far as the Aurelie’s long, flexible shaft due to their shape and length,” she explains. Plus, “you are less likely to get tired out from holding it than from doing all the work with your own hands,” she says.
Additionally, because there truly is no sex toy on the market quite like it, the Aurelie may be worth trying if you enjoy experimenting in the bedroom. At just $84, it’s a more moderate price than many other similarly luxury or innovative options.
Ultimately, I don’t foresee the Aurelie ever gaining the same notoriety as the SATC-sanctioned rabbit because it isn’t designed to provide the external clitoral stimulation the majority of vulva owners crave. However, this dual stimulator def deserves a place in the collections of those who go nuts for vaginal penetration.
Sign Up for Our Daily Newsletter
Get all the latest in wellness, trends, food, fitness, beauty, and more delivered right to your inbox.
