Lean cuisine, smart ones, atkins.....etc

CassieJones104

I'm hearing different opinions on these meals. Are these good for weight loss bc of low calories and portion control or bad bc of sodium etc? also in your opinion which are the best/worst dinners?

PaulaWallaDingDong

Sodium doesn't have much to do with weight (except a little water retention, or a lot if you're very sensitive). They're ok for calorie control IF you can handle smaller volumes of food and/or can be bothered to bulk up the meal with veggies.

My favorite frozen dinners are Marie Callender's (not very calorie friendly). I've never been a fan of Smart Ones. Lean Cuisine ans Stouffer's have a lot of decent-tasting options, but again, very little volume. Stouffer's Fit Kitchen is a pretty good line.

seska422

My evening meal most days is a Lean Cuisine supplemented with plain (no sauce) steam-in-bag veggies. It's fast, convenient, and I can get a filling meal for about 400 calories. I keep the freezer full with a variety of flavors and just grab what I'm in the mood to eat.

I like most Lean Cuisine meals and they are compact enough to fit nicely in my freezer. My favs are Orange Chicken, Glazed Turkey Tenderloins, and Salisbury Steak with Mac & Cheese.

I balance out the sodium over the course of the day by using low or no salt versions of other things, such as unsalted butter.

DeficitDuchess

My issue's that, they aren't filling; by themselves & for the $!

Cherimoose

The only advantage i see is convenience. But i can make a healthier meal, with more veggies, in about 5 minutes. Just weigh everything on a food scale for accuracy in calorie tracking.

courtneyfabulous

Home made is best made.

joans1976

I rely on Lean Cuisines for one or two dinners a week. The nights when I work late and I'm just exhausted. My favorite is the four cheese pizza one (by itself) or the Vermont white cheddar one with a sandwich. I stock up on them when they are on sale. I also always keep one at work just in case.
I feel like the Smart Ones are much smaller.
Healthy Choice-not a lot of taste but seems like a lot of salt (to me.)
Atkins-never tried.

I recently tried an "Eating Well" meal (had a coupon) it was horrible! It looked horrible, smelled horrible and was just pure salt. I couldn't finish it.

I use these meals as a last resort. I couldn't imagine eating them more often than twice a week. I think they serve their purpose.

pebble4321

They are just food, if you like them and you want to have portion controlled meals without having to do it yourself, then go for it. If you don't have medical issues that cause you to limit sodium then that's probably not a big issue, though it does depend what else you are eating across your day.

I'm not a fan of frozen meals generally though, I can cook much better meals myself (better taste, better quality) and portion control isn't hard if I pay attention to how much I cook in the first place, and how much I put on my plate. I eat them very occasionally if I'm super busy or super lazy but I can't think of anything worse that eating these every day.

malibu927

Lean Cuisine has no taste. I like some Smart ones varieties though. But I'd rather get regular Stouffers.

kommodevaran

Good for perceived convenience.

snowflake954

Try it and see if it works for you. I like the idea above of cutting salt intake the rest of the day so it'll work out. The important thing is to lose and not be hungry.

crzycatlady1

Love them and have used them on and off throughout my weight loss phase and still occasionally now in my maintenance phase. I always add stuff like frozen veggies and canned chicken to them, to make them more filling. Actually going to have a Boston Market one today for lunch

CooCooPuff

They don't fill me up at all and never heat properly.

My sister really liked Healthy Choice meals

maryjay52

i like cooking foods fresh and not much on premade foods. however the lean cuisine butternut squash ravioli is amazing .. i never buy it though unless its on sale and i only use it if im in a rush

kgirlhart

I like the healthy choice steamer bowls. I eat them occasionally because they are convenient. I don't have issues with sodium so I don't really worry about the sodium content. Like anything they can be good or bad.

LAWoman72

Convenience and portion control, yes.

Personally, and I am NO food snob (generally), but just the smell of those things makes my stomach turn nowadays. (Why is it that they all smell the same? To me, anyway.) I like eating in bulk so I put plenty of veggies and some protein onto my plate and I eat eat eat...I would never go back to frozen meals if I weren't absolutely forced to. To bring food to work, it literally takes minutes to chop up a salad and some chicken. Minutes. Less time than to start a thread on here, anyway. Toss in a granola bar or a few chips or whatever and, voila. Night-before lunch prep done.

TeaBea

I eat these occasionally. I look for ones with the most protein, and typically add some veggies. These are great to keep me on track when I'm in a rush, or when I'm in a rut.

Healthy Choice steamer bowls for me too. Although Lean Cuisine Chicken Alfredo is great with broccoli.

qpmomma1

My go to quick lunches are leas cuisines lol

Mary_Anastasia

I like Stouffers best. I also often will heat up other frozen goods like a veggie burger and have it with steamed veggies or a lettuce bed (ala burger salad). There are also great veggie medley bags in the frozen veggies section, including protein blends by Birds Eye- they're not frozen meals, but I love them as one

https://www.birdseye.com/

kenyonhaff

I eat quite a few of these, because they are convenient and portion controlled. I tend to stick to Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, and Weight Watchers...no particular leaders on those brands. But Kashi makes fabulous ones.

JaydedMiss

I ate allot of those when i was easing myself into portion controlled eating - First month of 2 maybe of my life changes? felt it helped at the time but second i realized i can eat so much more for less calories fat and salts i was sold on making my own food XD I think they can be good and bad really. Nothing overall wrong with them if you like them, Nothing overall special about them if you don't

I felt they helped my stomach adjust to smaller meals, If you struggle with overeating could be a bonus. But I prefer a belly full of veggies and huge plates of potatoes, yummy

Alassonde

I eat these sometimes. I absolutely HATE cooking, so if my husband isn't cooking (he loves to cook!) I sometimes have one, or have them on my lunch. Some seem to be more filling than others. I like the Healthy Choice steamer bowls...they are more filling than some of the Lean Cuisine/Smart Ones. I do try to watch salt more on days I eat those.

RandiNoelle

I just had a Lean Cuisine for lunch (delicious pecan chicken!) after stocking up on them for the week. They're easy lunches for the office when I'm too busy (or lazy) to get something together in the morning.

RAinWA

I like the Healthy Choice steamer bowls too for lunch sometimes when I get them on sale. I just bring some spinach in my lunch bag and mix it in with it to bulk it up a little and help get all my veggies in.

bebeisfit

I'm not a fan. I thought the taste wasn't very good and the portions were really small. I haven't had one in a few years though. I have become a pretty good cook and feel like my meals are better. I love to cook and usually make enough for a few meals. I do eat frozen pizza though - which I never ate in the past. I guess our taste buds change over time.

cwolfman13

They're gross

CMNVA

Yes, they can help with portion control. I am sort of "off" them now and am preferring the Luvo brand (tastes more real to me). But they serve their purpose. Sometimes I don't have leftovers and it's all I can eat for lunch without sabotaging my caloric intake.

not_my_first_rodeo

I used to rely on these for lunches. Nowadays I make my own food. That said, I probably got the best satiety from Kashi (until my grocery store stopped carrying that brand), then Healthy Choice, then Smart Ones, and lastly Lean Cuisine. They were high in sodium and they were not really feeling.

NancyYale

In the beginning I ate them almost every day. As time went on I prepped most of my lunches but still ate them occasionally. You certainly can lose weight eating them. I usually add a half steamer bag of veggies to them to bulk them up.

KDar1988

I'd rather have my own food. I find the meat can be tough in the frozen meals. But, I have found Smartmade frozen meals. They claim they are made with real ingredients. I do buy 1 a week for a night when the family is eating pasta (which I don't eat).

spiriteagle99

If you have problems with portion size, they can be helpful. When I ate them, I didn't find them filling or especially satisfying, so I would supplement with vegetables. I haven't had any of the low-cal meals in years. I do occasionally eat Stouffers or Marie Calendar's lasagna because I love lasagna and if I make it myself or eat out, I eat too much. My husband and I can split one and I don't feel guilty. OTOH, I eat it when I'm not especially hungry.