Here are some tips for choosing prepared meals:

• Determine what you want most. A quick-fix meal to keep on hand for a time-crunched evening? A change of pace from your usual dinner repertoire? A kit that walks you through cooking steps so you can still feel like you "made" it?

• Proceed with caution so you don't end up with meals you won't eat; many sound better than they really taste. Try one frozen meal first before filling your freezer with them. Some of the meal-preparation stores offer sampling events or introductory packages.

• Figure your cost per serving. If you have a large family, you may need three or four packages of a frozen entree to provide enough servings. At $8 or $9 per bag, that adds up quickly.

• Some options require more advance thought. This is not necessarily a bad thing; it might get you in the habit of planning ahead and end that 5 p.m. what's-for-dinner panic.

• Check preparation instructions before you buy. Some meals come completely assembled in their own disposable pan. Others require preparation steps and could be just as much trouble as throwing together your own from-scratch meal.

• Check nutritional information. Many prepared meals are high in fat and sodium, and they're usually heavy on meat and starch. Add a salad or veggie side dish to round out the dinner, or doctor up one-dish meals with a can of diced tomatoes or a cup of frozen broccoli.

• Even on a budget, you may not want to completely give up your favorite restaurant. Some restaurant meals are competitively priced with premade meals, especially since restaurant portions are usually larger than the USDA-specified serving sizes. Most offer takeout service, too.

And consider what you enjoy most about dining out. It's usually not just the food but the ambience, service, the elegant way the food is plated, or having someone else do the dishes. These are things that probably can't be replaced by a prefab meal.