Lean Cuisine's & Weight Watcher Frozen Foods

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Lisabeth
Lisabeth Posts: 268
in Food and Nutrition
Is this ok to eat? I don't want unhealthy calories, etc.

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  • Lisabeth
    Lisabeth Posts: 268
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    Is this ok to eat? I don't want unhealthy calories, etc.
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
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    Foodwise..they're pretty decent. They are usually high in sodium. I know that the Lean Cuisines and the Heathy choice tend to be less in sodium than the others...but, like any processed food, you'll still have it. And..the good things with those is they are pre-portion controlled, and tell you the EXACT amount of calories you eat. so...for lunch or dinner....eat up!
  • uwhuskygirl
    uwhuskygirl Posts: 320
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    IMO, they're ok to eat. I have them for lunch maybe 2-3 times a week. I usually have to supplement it with an apple or a yogurt, but I like them. It's quick and easy.

    The thing to be careful with these is that they're pretty high in sodium.
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    I love the lean cuisines, they are SO yummy. I usually make a side salad with it too. But they can be pretty pricey. If you purchase a food scale (5-30$) you can weigh your food at home and make meals that are just as healthy and just as balanced. But I too indulge in lean cuisines...... Have you tried the paninis?? omg, yum!
  • cwalbrj
    cwalbrj Posts: 61
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    As a busy working girl - couldn't do it without them. When I have time to make my own (healthy) meal, I do.. but I love these things.
  • filergirl
    filergirl Posts: 240
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    Not a fan. In my view, they're full of a whole bunch of additives (chemicals, food colouring, preservatiives) that aren't exactly beneficial to anybody's health. My brand of choice for frozen food is Amy's Organic. It's kind of like "unprocessed" processed food. Better nutritional value, and better taste, in my opinion.
  • GravyGurl
    GravyGurl Posts: 1,070
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    I recently tried the Healthy Choice Cafe' Steamers. Yummmmm
  • filergirl
    filergirl Posts: 240
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    Here's the ingredient list for the "Chicken in Peanut Sauce" entree from Lean Cuisine's "Spa Cuisine" product line, which they bill as their most health-conscious option:

    Blanched whole wheat spaghetti (water, whole wheat durum flour), skim milk, cooked chicken tenderloins (chicken tenderloins, water, isolated soy protein, modified rice starch, canola oil, seasoning (flavors, yeast extract, salt, dehydrated garlic, citric acid), salt, sugar, sodium phosphates), snap peas, peanut butter (peanuts, sugar, salt, hydrogenated vegetable oil (rapeseed, cottonseed and soybean oils), molasses, mono- and diglycerides), carrots, water chestnuts, water, soybean oil, soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt), modified cornstarch, sugar, salt, apple cider vinegar, chicken flavor (maltodextrin, salt, natural flavor, chicken fat, chicken broth, yeast extract, sesame oil, canola lecithin), lime juice concentrate, garlic concentrate (garlic, salt, natural flavors, sesame oil, canola oil, citric acid), caramel color, spices, lactic acid, calcium lactate.

    Some effort as been made to include whole wheat flour - points for that -- but that's about where the good stuff ends. You'll see on this list the word "modified" appear several times. Er, that's "genetically modified." GM foods scare the hell out of me for a number of reasons. Definitely bad for the environment (look up Monsanto), and more than likely bad for your health (we don't have enough research to know this definitively yet, but the food industry also thought it was okay to feed cow parts to cows - until Mad Cow broke out, that is).

    Then there's the inclusion of "hydrogenated" oils - which your body can't break down. These are the bad kind of calories that nutritionists will lecture you about. And they've thrown in some food dye, too, so what you're eating looks appetizing.

    Overall, this is probably a better choice than going to McDonald's, but I wouldn't eat it regularly, that's for sure.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,783 Member
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    I found this on yahoo:

    "I try to avoid "modified corn starch" because it doesn't meet the "rule of 1900" - that is, if a food ingredient didn't exist in 1900 as a food ingredient, it doesn't belong in my body."

    Love this way of eating!
  • filergirl
    filergirl Posts: 240
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    That's not a bad rule of thumb! You might add, "if it can't grow in the soil I'm standing on, it doesn't belong in my body in any significant quantities."

    In 1900, there was actually more genetic diversity in the fruits and veggies we ate.
  • breakingthepath
    breakingthepath Posts: 124
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    The nutrition is okay but I hate how they seem to be better at making wallets slim than people. Michelina's has a line of fairly cheap diet tv dinners. They're just as good but cost half as much, sometimes less.
  • RKJR925
    RKJR925 Posts: 254
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    I like the Healthy Choice meals without the dessert and my favorite is the Lean Cuisine bowl with 4 cheese ravioli
  • rowlandk
    rowlandk Posts: 146 Member
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    I love the panini's too! They are awesome!
  • LightenUp_Caro
    LightenUp_Caro Posts: 572 Member
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    I eat them every now and then.
    I must say that the butternut squash ravioli is amazing. I love it.

    I agree though that the Amy's frozen dinners are much less processed and good as well.
    Oh, the SmartOnes desserts are really good too.

    I eat them when I come home late and don't feel like cooking...and it saves me from ordering pizza or fast food.
  • MrsSorenson
    MrsSorenson Posts: 450 Member
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    I have the Michalena's brand twice a week and they are super cheap and for the most part taste good too!

    :flowerforyou:
  • Me_Im_2b
    Me_Im_2b Posts: 165
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    The nutrition is okay but I hate how they seem to be better at making wallets slim than people. Michelina's has a line of fairly cheap diet tv dinners. They're just as good but cost half as much, sometimes less.

    I totally agree! I love the Michelina's lean gourmet meals! :happy:
  • scostello24
    scostello24 Posts: 126
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    Well I am a total pizza freak so I substitute those for my fix. I had the lean cuisine spinach and mushroom pizza last night...and lets just say I am in love...YUMMM:love:
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
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    I eat them now and then, depending on what is on sale! :) I enjoy the Healthy Choice Whiskey Steak. REALLY tasty!! And one thing I like to do for a super filling meal is buy the WW Chicken Santa Fe, which is very low cal and put it on a baked potato.

    I have recently discovered the Amy's brand foods. I like the Teriyaki Bowl, Santa Fe Enchilada Bowl and the Mexican Tamale Pie the best.
  • dshandt
    dshandt Posts: 192
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    I am cooking for one right now, so they make a lot of sense especially when I am in a snacking mood....less time in the kitchen to think about what might be in the fridge or cabinet calling my name!!

    Of course, I believe in moderation in all things.....including moderation!:laugh:

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