What's your opinion on Lean Cuisines?

135

Replies

  • midnight333
    midnight333 Posts: 149
    I just reveiwed my diary. I sometimes added a side salad also or threw in some raw frozen shrimp when cooking it in the convection oven.
  • Papayamaya5
    Papayamaya5 Posts: 45 Member
    NAY! It's poor quality ingredients that you don't need to be eating! opt for a healthier choice like Amy's or Kashi brand..Amy's even makes low sodium versions.
  • mistyblue666
    mistyblue666 Posts: 11
    Very high in sodium we should not have more than 2500mg a day of sodium and lots of processed food is nothing but sodium.
  • saragato
    saragato Posts: 1,154
    Personally I find them awful. The quality is poor, some of the stuff is tasteless or has been marinating in the bellpepper bits/strips in the food that you can't taste anything but that, and they're not even filling.

    When I was a teenager my dad lived on Lean Cuisines and anything he could throw in the microwave because he had no idea how to cook and despite his belief that only women cooked he never trusted me with the stove. So I had to eat them too and I don't like a lot a vegetables and certain things so my choices were far more limited.

    And yes, stuff like that is sky-high in sodium. Even canned stuff.
  • relucas81
    relucas81 Posts: 76
    I have to eat 2-3 of them to add up to a decent, calorie appropriate meal... but its delicious!
  • gmpuggles
    gmpuggles Posts: 137 Member
    I like to eat them every now and then when I don't feel like making myself a sandwich for lunch or if I'm by myself for dinner and there's no leftovers, despite the fact that I know they can have a lot of sodium in them.
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
    Nay.
    Too much sodium. Too many other additives. Too few calories that don't have a good balance of carbs / protein / healthy fat. Not enough veggies. If I want a low cal snack, I just have some yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit and nuts.
  • lmt920
    lmt920 Posts: 1
    They work well for me as a lunch choice onceor twice a week but i try to not rely on them all the time . Fresh as i hve seen others say is better because you can control th ingredients but as far as conveinience they are great . They do have plenty of choices and are more affordable then some of the others . If i had to advice you i would say use them as a break from cooking but dont let them take the place of homemade. Good luck with your efforts
  • kwest_4_fitness
    kwest_4_fitness Posts: 820 Member
    It's a yay for me. But I really prefer the Healthy Choice meals over Lean Cuisine.
  • litatura
    litatura Posts: 569 Member
    The only one that I'll eat is the herb roasted chicken and I probably have it once a week for supper. I pair it with a nice salad, so I'm not starving.
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
    Do your research on sodium, please. :)
    Consider also the case of salt. For years, the conventional wisdom has been that we're eating too much salt and that it contributes to the risk of heart disease. Recently, though, the hyperbole has reached a new level.

    "Salt is the single most dangerous ingredient in the food supply," warns the often hysterical Center for Science in the Public Interest. Meanwhile, CDC chief Thomas Frieden claims that "if you just eat the food that's in front of you, you will end up with high blood pressure."

    Looking at recent research, though, should make us wonder if our blood pressure isn't affected more by these doomsday prophecies than salt.

    A review of 167 studies published last fall in the American Journal of Hypertension found that sodium reduction was associated with significant increases in both cholesterol and blood triglycerides (fat) -- both risk factors for cardiovascular disease. And a study in the same journal released in the summer used data from 6,500 patients and found that even a 50 percent salt reduction was not associated with a significant decrease in the risk of dying or cardiovascular disease.

    The American Dietetic Association rejects the idea of good and bad foods, noting that "the total diet or overall pattern of food eaten is the most important focus of a healthful eating style." That's what responsible professional advocates should focus on -- eating in moderation.
  • Savemyshannon
    Savemyshannon Posts: 334 Member
    Yay, for me. I don't eat them often but I usually keep a small selection in my freezer so I have something to grab on the way to work if I didn't have time to cook. The paninis are amazing :)
  • rockchalk03
    rockchalk03 Posts: 54
    Yay for me!
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
    They just don't taste good. I can't imagine that anyone who thinks Lean Cuisines taste good eats much food that's freshly prepared from high quality ingredients.

    There are frozen meals that taste decent, but Lean Cuisines they are not.
  • funkyspunky872
    funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
    Yay for me. :) I could care less about sodium. I think some of them are pretty tasty, but lately I've been eating a lot of Amy's Light meals. They're all organic and whatnot; makes me feel extra special.. And my God are they tasty and low-cal.

    Somedays a lean cuisine or other frozen meal just isn't enough so I add an entire can of green beans or sliced carrots.. Or a few cups of fresh steamed vegetables if I have them on hand.
  • pitbullmama
    pitbullmama Posts: 454 Member
    Ok once in a blue moon but they throw my sodium macros out of whack, really don't taste that great or fill me up.
  • goingwithgrace
    goingwithgrace Posts: 109 Member
    They're awful and full of sodium. I've had 2 friends end up with high blood pressure and were told to stop eating them by their doctor. It helped.

    We just cook our own meals and then portion them out into containers for the week. Better for you and better tasting!
  • Tyffany76
    Tyffany76 Posts: 9 Member
    Nay. I think they are very high in sodium and they don't taste very good. Fresh is best and you know everything that's being put in your mouth.
  • Savemyshannon
    Savemyshannon Posts: 334 Member
    Yay for me. :) I could care less about sodium. I think some of them are pretty tasty, but lately I've been eating a lot of Amy's Light meals. They're all organic and whatnot; makes me feel extra special.. And my God are they tasty and low-cal.

    I love Amy's! I only just recently found it!
  • dawnagetsfit
    dawnagetsfit Posts: 81
    I've had a few of the vegetables Smart Ones in my freezer for several months now, untouched.. Don't really eat them, they are more for "emergencies" when I run out of food and too lazy to go to the store. Unlike everyone else here though, I actually am suppose to consume 5g of sodium a day for medical reasons so the sodium content isn't of concern for me. I eat clean 95% of the time anyways so I usually have to take 1-3g of Sodium Chloride tablets at night.
  • JustLindaLou
    JustLindaLou Posts: 376 Member
    There are some of the LC meals that I like, but they are not as satisfying to me as my own freshly prepared meals. I need more meat and veggies with my meals!! I will have them occasionally in a pinch, I like the pizzas and have some veggies/salad on the side. Earlier this year I was eating more of them - 1x or 2x a day - and after a few days I felt like crud and went back to preparing my meals on the weekends and dividing for the week - I feel much better. My own chili or soup or baked/grilled meat with veggies is so much more satisfying to the tastebuds as well as the full tummy feeling for the same amount of calories. (And frankly, the little frozen pizzas from Great Value (Walmart) that I make for my daughter only have about 100 cals more than an LC pizza and taste way better, are way cheaper, and if I'm gonna have pizza anyway it might as well be enjoyable!!)

    I will say, LC has a shrimp and angel hair pasta that is surprisingly good, I saute a huge pile of spinach while it nukes and serve it over a bed of spinach with a TBS of shredded parmesan and that is one of my favorite meals that feels like a total cheat!!
  • funkyspunky872
    funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
    They're awful and full of sodium. I've had 2 friends end up with high blood pressure and were told to stop eating them by their doctor. It helped.

    We just cook our own meals and then portion them out into containers for the week. Better for you and better tasting!

    Jesus, how many lean cuisines are they eating?! The recommended sodium intake is 2500mg and each Lean Cuisine has around 700mg... If you ate a damn frozen meal three times a day, you'd still be under.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Nay. Way too much sodium, overly processed, and not filling at all. I guess if you're in a time crunch it's better than nothing.
    This. I consider them a junk food snack, to be honest. I don't think they are filling or satisfying as a meal, personally. But everyone should do what works for them.
  • AggieLu
    AggieLu Posts: 873 Member
    I don't eat anything from a box. Fresh food all the way!
  • VinoFonseca
    VinoFonseca Posts: 51 Member
    Nay.... Way too much sodium. Easy to make some of these things at home and bring to work. When my doc first told me to try and get my sodium down, she said 'no' to lean cuisine.

    These days, I'm not watching sodium too much. It is generally always under 1,000.

    Fruits, grains, lean protein and you won't need lean cuisine :)
  • Erica27511
    Erica27511 Posts: 490 Member
    Love them!
    And as far as sodium goes....there are plenty of other processed meals like that with way more. AND if you don't have any health issues where you have to limit your sodium intake, there is no issue here.
  • saraann4
    saraann4 Posts: 1,296 Member
    LIttle high on the sodium, but other than that I say yay. The pizzas are pretty decent. When I'm craving pizza, I have one of those instead of eating some Papa Johns or Pizza Hut. I always pair any LC with a salad. Sometimes, I'll steam a bag of frozen veggies as an added bonus. I don't eat them every day, mostly on the week days because I'm lazy and too tired to cook. I also don't eat them for every meal, just dinner.
  • ipag
    ipag Posts: 137
    I don't eat anything from a box. Fresh food all the way!
  • natashiag
    natashiag Posts: 33
    If you turn to a lean cuisine before you make a hasty decision to go through a drive thru then YAY! For your regular meals try and make a few big meals on Sunday and use them throughout the week if your pressed for time.
  • callmebryntax
    callmebryntax Posts: 57
    They just don't taste good. I can't imagine that anyone who thinks Lean Cuisines taste good eats much food that's freshly prepared from high quality ingredients.

    There are frozen meals that taste decent, but Lean Cuisines they are not.

    In addition to eating Lean Cuisine, I am also part of a Growers Association share, where I get a huge load of farm fresh local organic produce every week. I grow my own organic herbs as well, and love the fresh high quality foods I can create with all of that.

    Just because I enjoy frozen meals as part of my current weight loss plan doesn't mean I don't love good food. Frankly, I think the frozen meals were given a bad reputation when they were much grosser a few years ago. Technology is amazing - I am picky about my food and I was actually surprised to enjoy the frozen foods by WW and LC. Some of them are super gross (I really don't like the pizzas or anything with tomato sauce - it's all watery and rubbery), but I know good food, and a lot of these aren't half bad. Add a hearty salad, and you've got a low calorie meal that took 5 minutes and is (IMO) quite tasty and filling.

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