Lean Cuisines, Smart Ones, and Progresso Soup?

Oo_BrookeNicole_oO

Ok, I'm so guilty of being a processed food adict. I don't think I'll ever attempt to be a clean eater. These foods are so convienient, yet I'm wondering if eating so much of them will hurt my diet? I usually eat everything out of a box or a can, unless I decide to grill chicken or fish. It's just so easy and simple, and it fills me up!

cscgal

I do these simply because I know I need to eat but work 12-15 hour days 5 days a week. I have actually noticed a DECREASED weight lose since I started. I started my diet 2 weeks ago and eat 4 Lean Cusines a week and at least one Progresso Soup a week and Im down 5 pounds. I just insure that I have some kind of fruit with me. Hope that helps

Echo17121

I had one of the lean cuisines the other night, it was really good but I was concerned about the sodium. Totally woke up extremely puffy the next day so I looked at my logs and found that was wayyyy more sodium then I consume in a meal. So water weight could really come into play with those meals I would assume.

neversettle

I never eat these due to how packed with sodium they are.

jacksonpt

Yep... sodium is my biggest concern with anything prepackaged. Water weight kills my mojo.

mallory3411

I rarely if ever eat these types of things. They are loaded with sodium which can cause a gain on the scale due to water weight gain. When I do I drink extra water.

I know these things are quick and easy but making real food is just as easy (just a bit more time).

What I do is when making dinner I will make extra and pack up for lunches the next day. Depending on how much I make I will portion it out into single portions and throw into the freezer. Easy and quick meal that is much better for you than the premade things in the store freezer section.

You could also take a few hours on a day off and make a bunch of things and portion out and freeze if you like the quick meals these things provide. Really easy and they are much better for you.

robinogue

I eat all of the above. Mostly for lunch at work.

tiedye

I think it's ok to get started with small portions using these products. They really do have a lot of sodium though, and no fresh vegetables.

I just got a crock pot, and it's been amazing to help me cook on my own without using processed foods. Allrecipes.com has tons of slow cooker recipes (everything on that site has calorie counts). I got some small freeze/microwave safe containers (glass lock) and I portion foods into these and then freeze them. It really isn't that much effort and I know exactly what goes into all my food. So cheap too.

If you plateau using these products you can try holding on them for a while and cutting back on the sodium to see if you get a bigger loss.

ki4yxo

I never eat these due to how packed with sodium they are.

After starting MFP I noticed just how much sodium
I was taking in! One of the reasons I'm on MFP is
to keep my sodium in check. I need to lower my blood
pressure, and this is a great tool to help me keep track
of my sodium intake.

I thought Subway was supposed to be healthy, until
I found out that the sandwhich I ate had 1770 mg of
sodium. Now I got it down to 860 mg. By choosing
different meats, cheese, bread, no pickles black olives,
it all adds up! I'm now well below the 2500 mg goal. :happy:

skeetpea

I've been eating frozen dinners for lunch and dinner because of my work and school schedule. I know these usually have a ton of sodium so I am careful to only pick out the ones that have around 500mg of sodium per meal. if I do that then I am ok as far as water weight. healthy choice is really good about sodium levels, they are much lower than some other brands. i also love kashi brand meals, they are great. :-)

bizco

They will eventually cause health problems due to the high amounts of chemicals and sodium. High blood pressure is just one of many.

ki4yxo

I think it's ok to get started with small portions using these products. They really do have a lot of sodium though, and no fresh vegetables.

I just got a crock pot, and it's been amazing to help me cook on my own without using processed foods. Allrecipes.com has tons of slow cooker recipes (everything on that site has calorie counts). I got some small freeze/microwave safe containers (glass lock) and I portion foods into these and then freeze them. It really isn't that much effort and I know exactly what goes into all my food. So cheap too.

If you plateau using these products you can try holding on them for a while and cutting back on the sodium to see if you get a bigger loss.

I've been using my pressure cooker a lot.
I made corned beef with cabbage, small
red potatoes, corn on the cob, parsnips,
carrots, and onion. I didn't need to add any
salt, and all the veggies were fresh! Best
part about it is, it only takes about an hour.


Per Serving:

Calories: 375

Carbs: 68

Fat: 9

Protein: 15

Sodium: 399

Sugar: 13

I can't wait until they get the recipe database
up and running. I'd like to see other people's
recipes as well!

jacksonpt

I will say this though... they can be a good option (short term) if you struggle with portion control.