Lean cuisines and other frozen "low calorie" food.

Pebble321

Actually 2500 mg of sodium is pretty low anyway because often times at the hospital patients are placed on 3000-4000mg sodium diet and that is considered a low sodium diet.

Really?? I'm sure that Australian recommendations state 1500mg a day!
The cynic in me says that that particular hospital has a catering contract with someone whose regular food is VERY high in sodium

dls06

If anyone thinks 2500 mg of sodium/day is too low, please read:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002415.htm

I read on the foodpyramid.gov that they are recommending lowering the sodium/day to 1500mg. 3/4 of a teaspoon a day!!!

ruhimaach

what I've discovered is that the fresh cooking that I do at home also has equal or more quantity of sodium compared to packaged food like Lean Cuisine, Amy's Kitchen etc. For the record, I am a vegetarian. I only buy those dishes from Lean Cuisine that have no preservatives. Of course, they have to be vegetarian for my consumption.

Amy's Kitchen has ready to go food that's higher in calories and more filling compared to Lean Cuisine. Also, 100% gluten free in a lot of cases, no GMO derived ingredients & preservatives free.

If I can buy Lean Cuisine/Amy's Kitchen food that have no preservatives and have equal or less sodium compared to the food I make at home, then I don't understand how that food is "bad"? They let me indulge in stuff that taste similar to restaurant food, with the proper portion size. I don't have the time or patience to buy pizza bread, get pizza toppings etc. When you're working all day from 8-5, you just dont have the time to do all this for every single meal. Kudos to those who can!

I buy probably 1-2 packs of Lean Cuisine every week. I buy Amy's Kitcken 90% of the time because they don't have MSG. Lean Cuisine- can't be sure always.

The other thing I don't understand is the whole argument against "processed food". When you cook at home, you process food as well, right? Unless you eat raw, uncooked meat, veggies etc, you're always going to process food. Eating salad is one of consuming unprocessed food. But how else do you guys eat unprocessed food all the time? Sorry if I sound ignorant, but this is my definition of processed versus unprocessed food.

Please check this link:

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/processedfoods.htm

So we all eat processed food (eg- Milk). The difference is, do you eat Good Processed Food?

CynthiasChoice

The sodium in Lean Cuisines isn't the only issue - what's worse is the MSG. Sure, it doesn't say MSG on the list of ingredients, but it's there all right...disguised as "natural flavors" or "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" or "yeast extract" or one of the other code names. If you think you are not allergic to MSG, think again. You may not have headaches or breathing issues like some lucky people, but MSG is an appetite stimulant, and can make your blood sugar go on a roller coaster ride. It kills brain cells and leads to memory problems. For more info, look up Dr. Blaylock's research.

Aylilth

you know what eat your lean cuisine I know I do.

If you are in the hunt for a quick meal which is the better option?? A) stopping by some fast food thing on the way home or chucking a Lean Cuisine or similar in the Micro??

I think most ppl would say lean cuisine ya??

Everything in moderation..............

Pebble321

.......
The other thing I don't understand is the whole argument against "processed food". When you cook at home, you process food as well, right? Unless you eat raw, uncooked meat, veggies etc, you're always going to process food. Eating salad is one of consuming unprocessed food. But how else do you guys eat unprocessed food all the time? Sorry if I sound ignorant, but this is my definition of processed versus unprocessed food.

Please check this link:

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/processedfoods.htm

So we all eat processed food (eg- Milk). The difference is, do you eat Good Processed Food?

My issue with processed food (by which I mean ready to eat meals, snacks etc" is that if you read the ingredient list they often have a lot of extra ingredients that I wouldn't put into something I cook at home. Also I know that the companies who make them don't exist for the sole purpose of making me healthier, they exist to make money and they will do this by using the cheapest ingredients they can get away with, filling in space with processed sugars and grains and adding preservatives to make it last longer, and salt and sugar to make it appeal to our tastebuds.

Of course, this doesn't apply to all processed foods and certainly not all frozen meals. I think that if you can find something that doesn't have lots of added extras and it is within the nutrition guidelines that work for you, then go for it!
I still think it is better to do what I did yesterday - cook a big batch of delicious soup which will make lunches for a few days and dinner later in the week when I know we won't want to cook. But, everyone is different and you have to find what works for you and your lifestyle.

ricnrac

@ricnrac, I understand where you are coming from...I was just implying that just because it seems better than other things doesn't make it good for you. A few pieces of fried chicken may be better than a Big Mac, but it isn't good for you. Sorry if I offended.

You didn't offend. I am just saying that 500 mg of sodium is not high if you go by the 2500mg guideline.