whats your opinions on lean cuisine microwavable meals?

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  • kmjenkins
    kmjenkins Posts: 396 Member
    I used to eat them all the time and was still able to lose weight, they tend to have alot of sodium but if you drink enough/alot of water it's not really a big deal in my opinion. But, as I increased my workouts and explored food options I noticed the frozen meals did not keep me hungry and that I could have alot more fresh food that I made myself for less than or the same amount of calories than the lean cuisines. In short they're not going to hurt you, and if they keep you full, go for it.
  • Jacole18
    Jacole18 Posts: 716 Member
    I keep my favs in the freezer for emergencies or when I'm feeling lazy lol...I like them!
  • tajmel
    tajmel Posts: 401 Member
    I relied on them when my son was in the hospital and we had nothing but a microwave to cook with and wanted to be away from his bedside as little as possible. It's not the best option, but sometimes "better" is the best we can do.
  • FeistyTri
    FeistyTri Posts: 8
    Frozen meals are really one of the worst inventions out there for health reasons, but they DO help with learning portion control, as long as you stay away from Hungry Man, of course.
  • FeistyTri
    FeistyTri Posts: 8
    They are expensive, don't taste very good and aren't very filling.

    You can find them on sale almost every week. I look for the sale and stock up.Can't make a meal for 2 bucks. Add a side salad some extra veggies and it's good for me.
    I stay away from the pizza's and high carbs entrees

    I work out 6 days a week, so my focus is on portion control, not so much carb control. I stay away from frozen meals, except for pizzas, since there are days I and my fiance do not have the energy to cook, sometimes from general tiredness, sometimes from working out hard.
  • Mawkish1983
    Mawkish1983 Posts: 117 Member
    I like ready meals. The measured prescribed amount of food appeals to me.
  • crimson_seven
    crimson_seven Posts: 42
    I bring them to work with me on days that I don't have time or are too tired to prepare a meal in advanced. Most of them are around $2 at my local Wal-mart and I prefer them SLIGHTLY more to the SmartOnes. It stops me from eating the horrible pastries we have at the coffee shop.
  • jessickahhh
    jessickahhh Posts: 20
    I try to avoid all that processed junk. I'm ocd about calories. :p those frozen meals have sodium and such that go through the ROOF.
  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
    When I get sick of cooking my options are frozen pizza or frozen food. I spend a lot of time trying to pick the ones with the least sodium, most protein, least sugar. Then I try to eat only one portion. Lean Q is just not enough food for me! But I have had others and split it to one portion reading the package. It's not usually the diet ones. It's never satisfying, but I do get a cooking break.

    Better options are to cook in bulk and make your own freezer food to microwave. Cook a whole turkey and debone the entire thing to portion out for the freezer. Cook a wopper winter squash and cut it into 1/2 cup pieces and freeze. Find recipe's you can "lighten up" and freeze. I have a favorite chili recipe mostly made of low sodium foods and beans that freezes well, and I make it 22-35 cups at a time and freeze. That can be chili, taco, nacho's. You can eat way more food if you make it yourself. I know a lady that made muffin cup baked egg and meat things. Oil a muffin tin, crack an egg in each, slice of something like ham in each. You can put these in the fridge for low carb high protein snack or egg mcMuffin style. A weeks worth! Start thinking like that.
  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
    Here's another option. Get those preskinned chicken breasts (sodium, I know, but it's better than McDonalds and lots of other things). Now cook them ALL! Dice them up, freeze in portions what you can use. Make a couple cups of brown rice and stir fry some chopped up veggies. Now you have your own Lean fast food in the fridge. Add a little light soy and butter if you like (I like). Garlic, onion, spices. If you mix the veggies, rice, chicken cubes up today you will have a whole weeks worth of it ready to microwave.

    Here's some visuals if you would like some more ideas:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/640175-what-does-1500-calories-look-like?hl=what+does+1500+calories+look+like?
  • Jeepjenn2
    Jeepjenn2 Posts: 7
    What has always worked best for me is cooking most of my meals on Sundays...for example, cooking a salmon or a roast, then portioning it. When I come home, I just have to cook the veggies and/or make the salad, and heat up the main course.

    Anything pre packaged is going to be loaded in sugar or salt....and I like to have control over what goes into my body.
  • sarahharmintx
    sarahharmintx Posts: 868 Member
    I like some but I only eat them because I work and refuse to eat out. If I was a home, I would cook an actual lunch.
  • MENichols5
    MENichols5 Posts: 176 Member
    Throw them away.

    this

    take some responsibility and eat real food. many people justify eating this crap by saying they are just too busy. thats bs. its because they are lazy

    I think that is a little harsh. Changing your lifestyle is hard enough as it is. If someone has children and a busy schedule and needs to eat a frozen meal a few times a month to stay on track with their calories, I don't think that's a big deal. Yes there are obviously healthier things out there, but it won't be the end of the world if you need to eat a frozen meal occasionally.

    Just don't make it a habit and you will be fine. Do try some of the suggestions that other people have mentioned though about cooking extra food at meal times to have left overs!

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