Lean Cuisine's & Weight Watcher Frozen Foods

Lisabeth

Is this ok to eat? I don't want unhealthy calories, etc.

Lisabeth

Is this ok to eat? I don't want unhealthy calories, etc.

wriglucy

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

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

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

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

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

I recently tried the Healthy Choice Cafe' Steamers. Yummmmm

filergirl

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

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

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

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

I like the Healthy Choice meals without the dessert and my favorite is the Lean Cuisine bowl with 4 cheese ravioli

rowlandk

I love the panini's too! They are awesome!

LightenUp_Caro

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

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

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

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

TamTastic

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

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: