lean cuisines: actually OK for you?

Hayesgang

I eat them all week at work and love them.

I usually add some extra protein to mine. A lot of people don't like them because of the sodium but it doesn't affect me.

msmellebelle

I agree with the above posters. i used to eat them everyday...kind of went for a do your own jenny craig approach. it tasted good (with all the sodium, what wouldn't!?) but i would be hungry within 3 hours. Not just like a little twinge of hunger either, i would be starving. they are good grab and goes when you are running super late, but i would recommend doing it very often.

cydonian

They are high in sodium, but I make sure to drink enough water and even with eating one for lunch during the day, I have my breakfast and dinner homemade and I'm nowhere near my sodium limit, like ever. I think it's a lot of fearmongering. I try to pick the tv dinners that are preservative-free; Lean Cuisine has quite a few of them out now that are pretty tasty. I also eat mine with a vegetable every time, even if the meal has them in it.

SarahofTwins

I've eaten them just about every day during the work week for lunch for the past 450 days... they haven't had any adverse effect on me. Sure, they're a little higher in sodium, but there's nothing stopping me from cutting out additional sodium the rest of the day -- and I'm under my sodium macros about 99% of the time.

To each their own, I suppose...

^ This

apena_06

I eat the Smartones almost daily and true they are high in sodium but I don't get much sodium in my diet elsewhere so it's not a big issue for me. Since I have a good breakfast and a snack in the afternoon the portion sizes seem to be just right for me also. If you have a lot of sodium in your dinner and breakfast I'd say do frozen dinners sparingly and not daily.

magnum6

I just use them as a backup plan. The best choice is always unprocessed, whole foods. Sometimes, though, I just don't have time to prepare a whole foods meal - or sometimes I just don't have anything on hand because I didn't restock. Most often, the scenario that leads to bad food choices for me is a lack of options. I try to keep a dozen or so Healthy Choice meals in the freezer so that I never have an excuse to justify reaching for that junk food. On particularly crazy weeks, I may eat them 4-5 times. I try not to depend on them, but they are miles better than eating junk.

So, if eating Healthy Choice meals keeps you on plan - then stick with it. We often torpedo our best laid plans because we use a huge amount of energy trying to make perfect choices rather than the best choices in the moment.

Sweet_Potato

My issue isn't with the sodium-- I just don't like them. At all. They don't taste like food to me and there aren't nearly enough vegetables involved.

I'll occasionally eat an Amy's or Trader Joe's frozen meal. Some of them are remarkably similar to what I'd make from scratch, and they don't have all the preservatives. I've never checked, but they're probably lower in sodium as well.

chell53

I use them once in a while.......yes sodium is high in any of the frozen meals, however I spoke with my Cardiologist and he told me if the sodium is 600 or below then that should be fine since he wants me to watch that intake. So I look at how much is in what I want to eat if it is over then I put it back..............guess it is not worth it for me.....lol

Good luck...........hope this helped you a little

vzucco

My issue isn't with the sodium-- I just don't like them. At all. They don't taste like food to me and there aren't nearly enough vegetables involved.

I'll occasionally eat an Amy's or Trader Joe's frozen meal. Some of them are remarkably similar to what I'd make from scratch, and they don't have all the preservatives. I've never checked, but they're probably lower in sodium as well.

Amy's is awesome! I also hate lean cuisines

jlcieslak

I track my sodium in my diary and frozen meals (Lean Cuisines, Smart Ones) are always the highest in sodium, unless I splurge and have fast food.

According to the Mayo Clinic web site, "The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease."

If you have more than one frozen meal a day, that 1500 (or 2300) comes up pretty quickly!

gatecityradio

I use to eat the mushroom and spinach lean cuisine pizza's. Then I found that harris teeter makes an organic spinach feta frozen pizza that is full size for about the same price. So I just throw on some mushrooms, bake it at home, and take two slices with me to work and refrigerate the rest.

GurleyGirl524

Better than fast food for sure!!! I usually have another veggie with mine and/or some fruit & drink lots of water to counter the sodium.

sarabeth120

I don't see anything wrong with them. I eat them a lot and don't go over my sodium count. And, if I do, it's not because of them. Sometimes when I eat them, I'm still under my goal sodium intake by almost 1,000mg. They're good for those days when you just don't feel like cooking. Plus, they're good for portion control. For me personally, they fill me up for several hours.

Honestly, I cook some things that have more sodium then any frozen meals sometimes because of the ingredients and the different spices I use.

If you get a lot of sodium from something else that you eat then you should probably stay away from them, but if you don't get too much sodium in your diet then I really don't see anything wrong with eating them.

jnbud2002

I've eaten them just about every day during the work week for lunch for the past 450 days... they haven't had any adverse effect on me. Sure, they're a little higher in sodium, but there's nothing stopping me from cutting out additional sodium the rest of the day -- and I'm under my sodium macros about 99% of the time.

To each their own, I suppose...

^ This

I'm on the road to success, and I'm just starting to walk it. So I think they aren't too bad. I mean, One step at a time. I'm trying to work out all the kinks in my new lifestyle change, and to go from where I started, I can use the portion control and the calorie count. I've got the calories thing down now, I'm working on the portions which I find helpful with the lean cuisines. I'm starting to add more exercise too. And my next hill, is sodium. Like some others have said, watch what else you eat if you are ready to start watching everything. I find it kind of overwhelming to do it all at once, which is why over these past few weeks I've been working on each thing, calories, got that, exercise, getting that, and portion control, still trying. But I'm also trying the whole sodium thing, but some encouraging friends on here pointed out to me that I'll get there, just be glad with what I have done for now

Maggie_Pie1

I eat lean cuisine, healthy choice, kashi, and smart ones all the time for lunch. blah blah blah sodium sodium sodium.

RavensFan20

If you have an iPhone there is an app called "Fooducate" it is really cool in the way it grades foods. It tells you what is bad about the food you are looking at and offers better suggestions. I don't know if the app is available for other phones. Most people have said it, but sodium is the worst part of prepared foods like Lean Cuisines. Just make sure you drink plenty of water and you should be ok.

dodd319

I'm working on getting my free lunch bag now!!! And I love Lean Cuisine meals & only eat one or two a week.

I keep a lean cuisine on hand at work, in case I forget my lunch one day-otherwise I end up buying fast food.

.. and through the Lean cuisine points, I got a free lunch bag.

Home cooked & fresh food are always better, but Lean Cuisine is not bad on the fly.