Are lean cuisines even healthy?

tinaalisa15

I eat these whenever I do not meal prep. I can't see how they are healthy other than portion control

earlnabby

They are just as healthy as anything else. It is all about context and how they fit into daily goals. People who need to watch sodium should pay attention to labels but they can fit into any eating plan.

MikePTY

Terms like "healthy" are loaded as it all depends on what your specific nutritional goals are.

But generally speaking, they are low calorie, have a good macro breakdown, and even though they have sodium, it is not excessive, usually in about the 25% of total daily goal range. So they can be fit in pretty easily with most eating plans and nutritional goals, if you find them filling and enjoyable.

cheriej2042

I used to eat them but ultimately didn’t find them filling enough so I make my own meals now. But I still cruise the frozen food section to see what they offer and if I needed a meal in a pinch I would buy them.

kimny72

What about them do you think is unhealthy?

seltzermint555

I think you nailed it with the portion control comment. That's the biggest draw, I think.

One summer, I ate the Lean Cuisine chicken enchilada suiza 5 days a week for lunch and I did lose some weight...making me think "wow they work" but that was because they are around 300 calories, and before that summer, I was eating fast food or snacking on chocolate candy after eating a 500-calorie sandwich. This was before I understood tracking calories, of course.

They're not any more/less healthy than most frozen foods, as far as I can tell. I prefer not to eat them often since it's pretty easy to make other stuff - but would definitely have one in a pinch.

apullum

“Healthy” is a relative term that depends on your goals and medical needs.

Melwillbehealthy

I find them unsatisfying and salty. Way too much sodium for such a small amount of food. I also think most of their calories come from the sauces. I used to eat them because of their low calorie count, but can’t anymore without being hungry afterwards.
I’m trying to eat less processed foods.

WinoGelato

kimny72 wrote: »

What about them do you think is unhealthy?

Seconded. It’s hard to provide a counter argument against a term as vague as “unhealthy”. I’m allergic to strawberries. For me they are unhealthy. I don’t expect others to never eat strawberries because of my situation.

RelCanonical

Foods shouldn't really be broken down into just the two categories of "healthy" and "unhealthy". It's better to look at them in more detail and determine if they meet your goals.

Lean Cuisines are low-calorie and help people portion meals appropriately. Some are good sources of protein, some are not. Each Lean Cuisine will vary in its levels of micronutrients and fiber, so they are worth checking. Most tend to be high in salt for the portion, which makes it more likely that you will overshoot your recommended maximum salt, but not necessarily a guarantee.

Having a well-balanced diet with some variety is more important than determining if individual foods are "healthy" or "unhealthy". One might consider kale "healthy" but if the majority of your diet is kale, it's likely that you're missing out on important nutrients that kale doesn't contain.

whitpauly

I eat them for like you say portion control,plus some are really good to me but I also noticed that the pasta ones remind me of cheap "filler pasta" if that makes any sense, usually I scoop most of it out and add vegetables instead keeps me Fuller too

sammidelvecchio

I eat them (not always specifically lean cuisine, but same category) because they almost always have vegetables in them and I struggle to fit veggies in to my diet regularly otherwise.

AnnPT77

I don't think they're objectively "unhealthy" (that's a characteristic that applies to an overall way of eating, not to one food or meal).

But, in my situation (vegetarian), the ones I'd eat have too little protein and too few veggies for the number of calories. While I eat that sort of thing very, very occasionally, in general, they're not the best way for me to hit my overall nutritional goals.

Also, I don't typically find them tasty (compared to my own cooking) or filling (because of the protein/veggie problem, since protein and volume are what I find most satiating).

LyndaBSS

They didn't work for me. They tastes like crap and left me hungry.

Luke_rabbit

As a pescatarian, I will buy Sweet Earth, Amy's, Luvo and a couple other brands of meals and wraps. I think they are a good option when I need a quick meal. I don't track sodium, but I don't think they are as high as restaurant food. Most of the ones I eat are 250-400 calories, which is perfect for me for lunch and sometimes for dinner.

psychod787

Strangely enough, the calories are not too bad. What is sad is how small they are. I would eat one and loom around for the rest of it...

smithker75

I eat them occasionally but always bulk them up with a bag of steamed veg.