Would you like to eat a healthier diet but can't decide whether to heat up a low-calorie frozen entree or go out for broiled fish and broccoli? Do neither.

There's another solution. Dietitian-approved fresh-prepared meal programs such as Good Measure Meals and Fresh 'n Fit Cuisine are delivering calorie-calculated breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to thousands of metro area customers hoping to lose weight, lower their cholesterol or simply eat and feel better.

Chris Gyoury / Special (ENLARGE)

Brent McIntire is executive chef for Fresh 'n Fit Cuisine.

Becky Stein / Special (ENLARGE)

An entree from Good Measure Meals includes basil-and-lemon-marinated pollock with pine nuts on Mediterranean whole-wheat pasta with artichokes and a side of broccoli.

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In January, Lydia Connerty of Buckhead began Fresh 'n Fit Cuisine's 1,200-calorie-a-day regimen along with a new in-home treadmill to trim down for her son's wedding in April.

"It's super convenient and the recipes are really flavorful. But I chose the five-day plan so I can cook and entertain on weekends," she said.

The menus

Both programs employ chefs and dietitians who plan everything you need for nutritionally balanced meals, including lettuce for sandwiches and dressing for salads. The freshness is what separates these services from national chains such as Jenny Craig and NutriSystem.

Both Fresh 'n Fit Cuisine and Good Measure Meals have two deliveries a week, generally Mondays and Thursdays. The food just has to be refrigerated, then heated as needed.

"Control is forced on you," says Fresh 'n Fit's executive chef Brent McIntire. But he knows customers still want the flavorful foods they're used to. "So we give them horseradish mashed potatoes and use less butter and less cream."

Fresh 'n Fit dietitian Ashley Owings says she enjoys surprising customers with healthy makeovers of favorite foods. Want a chili dog for lunch? Here's the Fresh 'n Fit version: turkey hot dog with whole-wheat bun, Vidalia onion relish, chopped tomatoes and turkey chili. Even on a 1,200-calorie-a-day plan, a Good Measure Meals dinner could be this: chicken breast marinated with lemon, rosemary and thyme topped with sautéed mushrooms, artichokes, tomatoes and onion. Cheddar chive grits. Broccoli and carrots with toasted almonds. Whole-wheat roll and apple butter.

A dinner entree from Fresh 'n Fit Cuisine's 1,200-calorie menu might be Sesame Ginger Salmon Fillet with julienne zucchini served with steamed rice flavored with lemon grass. The menus — ranging from 1,200 to 2,100 calories per day — cycle every five weeks and new items such as fresh fruit choices are added seasonally.

The cost of these plans starts at about $20 a day when you begin with a few weeks of meals. Good Measure Meals is a business venture owned by Atlanta nonprofit Open Hand. All of the profits from Good Measure Meals go directly to Open Hand, says Elston Collins of Good Measure Meals.

Who's buying?

People who use these services usually don't have time to cook and they're tired of fast food and frozen entrees. "They're either working or working out," says Collins about the busy professionals who sign up for the five- or seven-day meal plans. "We have home or office delivery and pick up from 40 locations in 12 counties, including gyms, health centers, wellness centers and personal trainers," he says.

Most customers may have weight-loss goals in mind, but the original idea for Good Measure Meals was hatched five years ago by Atlanta restaurateur Tom Murphy, who saw a need for senior citizens. Murphy is no longer involved, but dietitian Charlotte Hayes, who's been with Good Measure Meals since the beginning, says the service still caters to seniors and others who may be homebound, as well as working parents.

Portion control

The menus for Good Measure Meals (endorsed by Emory Health Care's Atlanta Bariatric Center) and Fresh 'n Fit Cuisine (endorsed by WellStar) are carefully planned by dietitians using nutritional analysis software to meet standards of health authorities such as the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association.

McIntire says it's not easy. "We have a lot of guidelines we have to follow, including no artificial colors, artificial flavors or trans fats. Healthy eating goes way beyond just dieting for our customers."

One of the benefits pointed out by several satisfied users is the portion-controlled meals.

"It was always fresh and the food was tasty," says Vickie Sanders who was a Good Measure Meals customer. "And they really filled you up so when you start to do your own meals again, one of the lasting benefits was learning what 1,200 calories a day actually looks like."

www.goodmeasuremeals.com

www.freshnfitcuisine.com

WHAT YOU MIGHT LIKE

• Chef-prepared meals

• Calorie controlled, nutritionally balanced

• Nutrition information packages

• Includes condiments, fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables

• Not frozen or dried

• Flexible plans for five days a week or dinners only

WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

• Menu plans are set, no special orders

• Cereal lovers might not like other breakfast choices

• These are not low-carb diets

• Fresh foods must be eaten by expiration dates

• If you like to cook or entertain, you might miss it

Carolyn O'Neil is a registered dietitian and co-author of "The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!" E-mail her at healthyeating@ajc.com.