What's your opinion on Lean Cuisines?

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Replies

  • hoopingchild
    hoopingchild Posts: 18
    They are overprocessed and too high in sodium but when used once in a while are a better choice than say...ordering a pizza. The Lean Cuisine French Bread pizza is the only thing I will buy now, I am all about making things fresh. Fresh food is better food. But I can tell you just two nights ago grabbing a LC Pepporoni pizza for 310 calories staved off my craving for REAL pizza.
  • Jenloma
    Jenloma Posts: 77 Member
    Great choices, but I'm STARVED even after I take my last bite. I don't think its worth it, although I just bought the pizza Lean Cuisine to have in the freezer for any pizza cravings.
  • mogriff1
    mogriff1 Posts: 325 Member
    I dont eat them anymore due to the sodium and preservatives. I'm trying to avoid processed and prepared meals as much as I can.
  • laineyluma
    laineyluma Posts: 358 Member
    I dont like them :(


    lean-cuisine.png
  • SomeoneSomeplace
    SomeoneSomeplace Posts: 1,094 Member
    I prefer smart ones. But as a graduate student who goes to school full time with a full time job during school and two full time jobs in the summer... I would die without frozen food

    Eat clean blah blah blah sodium is death blah blah as long as I stay within my limits who cares. My favorite frozen meals are Amy's or Smart Ones I do go for low sodium when I can but as long as you trying to lomit yourself to 2500 a day you can eat whatever you want. Not all of us have the time to cook clean meals. Not when you're working 16 hours a day.

    People who actually have the time to prepare their own meals are lucky but many of us can't do that.
  • EndlessSacrifice
    EndlessSacrifice Posts: 325
    Lean Cuisines have both pro's and con's. They're great for a quick lunch/dinner, and they're portioned perfectly. However, they do tend to contain a lot of sodium and carbohydrates. Overall, it's best to make your own meals.
  • Kandyhar
    Kandyhar Posts: 95 Member
    I used to eat the cheese ravioli one in college but that's pretty much it, never filled me up. When I'm at work and need something quick, I love the Amy's Organic frozen meals... they are delicious, a little expensive and higher calories. but as long as you are still logging them and counting your calories, i'm sure they would fit in just fine.
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
    No more than once a day is my motto due to sodium and the whole processed food thing. Love the Fajita Chicken Rolls :)
  • callmebryntax
    callmebryntax Posts: 57
    I prefer smart ones. But as a graduate student who goes to school full time with a full time job during school and two full time jobs in the summer... I would die without frozen food

    Eat clean blah blah blah sodium is death blah blah as long as I stay within my limits who cares. My favorite frozen meals are Amy's or Smart Ones I do go for low sodium when I can but as long as you trying to lomit yourself to 2500 a day you can eat whatever you want. Not all of us have the time to cook clean meals. Not when you're working 16 hours a day.

    People who actually have the time to prepare their own meals are lucky but many of us can't do that.

    A thousand times this.
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
    People love to label and categorize things, like... stereotype? Stereotyping food? assuming that if something can be unhealthy, it must always be unhealthy? This kind of belief can create a pretty unhealthy view of food such as associating delicious things like chocolate cake with guilt instead of celebration. Please stop fearing food.
  • SlidingDown
    SlidingDown Posts: 64 Member
    I've seen so many negative remarks about Lean Cuisine in both taste and sodium levels that I'm wondering if the range we have here in Australia is different to what the Nay-sayers are reviewing.

    Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice Steamed, and Weight Watchers meals are something I always have a selection of in the freezer. For those times where I'm rushed off my feet and haven't got time to cook, the old option would have been takeaway food.

    These meals have been invaluable to me from the start of my journey, helping me steer clear of junk, demonstrating portion control, and giving me practice at seeing meals which fit my macros (it can be done, yaaaaay!) without having to look up 6 or 7 individual ingredients. If I'd had to do every meal from scratch from the beginning I can assure you I would have said "Too hard!!" and given up. As far as taste goes, some versions are better than others. I can't bear the ones with capscium/bell peppers because frozen capsicum tastes like ditch water IMO. Otherwise though there are many that I find very tasty, and as I've gone along I've learned to look more closely at the label and choose the lower sodium versions.

    I agree that to make a meal from scratch with lean protein and umpteen vegetables is going to give you more bang for your buck in terms of nutrition for calories. HOWEVER Lean Cuisine is not the devil of sodium... the other day I made a steak and vegetable dinner, opened a can of beans as one of the vegetables and the canned beans had almost as much sodium as a Lean Cuisine meal for goodness' sake. FRESH vegetables don't have the high sodium levels, absolutely. Granted. But canned vegetables, while supposedly good in that they've retained most of their nutrients, are just as bad on sodium as any freezer meal.

    In my view, everything in moderation. I'm learning to make meals myself that are even better nutritionally, and will do that more as I get organised with doing bulk cooking on the weekend. Other times, when I don't have time or other resources to cook, I'm going to the freezer and pulling out a frozen meal, with a smile on my face. They are a useful tool for me, and I don't think they deserve the stigma or hysteria that I see on here every second day.

    PS: I find nearly every variety of them to be filling enough. The person who said they had to eat 3 of them in one sitting... yeah, I can see why you'd object to the high sodium levels, and maybe portion control needs more work, hmm?
  • Apocalypse_Meow
    Apocalypse_Meow Posts: 90 Member
    Very rarely do i pick up a lean cuisine (that isn't french bread pizza) I recently stopped buying healthy choice and smart ones too. If i want something quick from the freezer i eat an organic burrito from Amy's or a frozen Amy's meal. They have more calories because there's more food, and actually enough for a meal. The cool thing about amy's meals is it's like someone cooked you dinner portioned out it and froze it for you. My husband would be a happy man if I did that every week :)
  • Laddiegirl
    Laddiegirl Posts: 382 Member
    For me I use them now and again for a ok meal choice when I'm in a pinch. I do try to keep them to a minimum because they are high in sodium for my goals are and I honestly don't like the taste of too many of them anyhow. But I totally realize that sometimes I just cannot prep anything from home or am in a bind so I have no issue going for it (the spaghetti w/meat sauce is my fave and very filling to me).

    I think you need to find what fits into your goals and don't worry what other people say because someone will always have an opinion against it. Some people feel that to be successful you have to follow their vision of what is good and what is bad, and thats not true. There is no one specific path that works for everyone, just what works for you and if Lean Cuisine works for you, then enjoy it and don't worry what others say.
  • fitbydons
    fitbydons Posts: 19
    They are ony good for emergency meals now and then! They are high in sodium and don't really give you much protein or nutrition - if you have them serve with a nice big green salad or steamed veggies. Better off doing big cooking batches when you get time and have those in the freezer.
  • narwhalicorn
    narwhalicorn Posts: 8
    Best pizzas ever!

    I wouldn't live off of the frozen food products of any brand but they make a great (and filling!) lunch or dinner. I find it's much better to pop one of those in the microwave and enjoy a quick meal than to skip it entirely. I have a very busy schedule so good, quick meals that require little to no prep are what keep me going.

    (Seriously though their BBQ Chicken Pizza... amaaazing. :wink: )
  • DOElston
    DOElston Posts: 102
    Good when you need something quickly but you need to be judicious as to the sodium.
  • audreysmagic
    audreysmagic Posts: 1
    Love them. I'm not as concerned with the sodium because I don't eat a lot of other high-sodium foods and I only have them once a day when I have them. Not always filling, but they've kept me in my goal many times.
  • Nikki_42
    Nikki_42 Posts: 298 Member
    I like them, and have zero issues with them.

    Imo thought, the best is Healthy Choice. (because they do complete 'real' meals with veggies/dessert and are much more filling) I don't worry about the sodium because drinking water mostly off sets that.

    There are healthy frozen foods, you just have to read the labels a little bit more and compare.
  • StarvingDiva
    StarvingDiva Posts: 1,107 Member
    It's a nay for me.

    The only time i buy them is if I'm on my way to work and I forgot my lunch and I stop at like a 24-hr CVS and need something quick for lunch. But other than that I don't eat them. I find they all kind of taste the same and there is just way too much sodium in them for my liking.
  • Nikki_42
    Nikki_42 Posts: 298 Member
    Just want to say I totally agree. Frozen foods have been invaluable in my journey too, and they aren't the devil that people make them out to be.
    I've seen so many negative remarks about Lean Cuisine in both taste and sodium levels that I'm wondering if the range we have here in Australia is different to what the Nay-sayers are reviewing.

    Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice Steamed, and Weight Watchers meals are something I always have a selection of in the freezer. For those times where I'm rushed off my feet and haven't got time to cook, the old option would have been takeaway food.

    These meals have been invaluable to me from the start of my journey, helping me steer clear of junk, demonstrating portion control, and giving me practice at seeing meals which fit my macros (it can be done, yaaaaay!) without having to look up 6 or 7 individual ingredients. If I'd had to do every meal from scratch from the beginning I can assure you I would have said "Too hard!!" and given up. As far as taste goes, some versions are better than others. I can't bear the ones with capscium/bell peppers because frozen capsicum tastes like ditch water IMO. Otherwise though there are many that I find very tasty, and as I've gone along I've learned to look more closely at the label and choose the lower sodium versions.

    I agree that to make a meal from scratch with lean protein and umpteen vegetables is going to give you more bang for your buck in terms of nutrition for calories. HOWEVER Lean Cuisine is not the devil of sodium... the other day I made a steak and vegetable dinner, opened a can of beans as one of the vegetables and the canned beans had almost as much sodium as a Lean Cuisine meal for goodness' sake. FRESH vegetables don't have the high sodium levels, absolutely. Granted. But canned vegetables, while supposedly good in that they've retained most of their nutrients, are just as bad on sodium as any freezer meal.

    In my view, everything in moderation. I'm learning to make meals myself that are even better nutritionally, and will do that more as I get organised with doing bulk cooking on the weekend. Other times, when I don't have time or other resources to cook, I'm going to the freezer and pulling out a frozen meal, with a smile on my face. They are a useful tool for me, and I don't think they deserve the stigma or hysteria that I see on here every second day.

    PS: I find nearly every variety of them to be filling enough. The person who said they had to eat 3 of them in one sitting... yeah, I can see why you'd object to the high sodium levels, and maybe portion control needs more work, hmm?
  • vikdexkaykai
    vikdexkaykai Posts: 92 Member
    I really think these are a personal choice (like most everything when it comes to losing weight). I do eat them - not everyday, but I do. I keep them in my freezer for the nights I don't feel like cooking, have to work late or am simply busy, busy, busy. I don't see them as anything bad - yes, they have preservatives in them and higher sodium, but there are worst things out there to eat in my opinion. And if they help someone master portions or help keep someone on track - they are worth it.

    ^^^^^^THIS, but I myself don't eat them b/c I don't like the taste or textures of them or most frozen foods
    THIS!
  • alias1001
    alias1001 Posts: 634 Member
    They have way too many roasted red peppers in them.
  • vlmay1955
    vlmay1955 Posts: 100 Member
    When I had to live by myself in a small apartment away from my husband for my work, and worked 60 - 80 hours week, these were my best friend. Had them almost every night for dinner (along with other diet frozen entrees such as Healthy Choice, Amy's etc.). I would usually pile more vegetables on top of whatever I was eating. You have to look at each one individually, yes some are high in sodium, etc. Just read the labels, you will find appropriate nutrition levels for whatever you need to watch.
  • vikdexkaykai
    vikdexkaykai Posts: 92 Member
    I prefer smart ones. But as a graduate student who goes to school full time with a full time job during school and two full time jobs in the summer... I would die without frozen food

    Eat clean blah blah blah sodium is death blah blah as long as I stay within my limits who cares. My favorite frozen meals are Amy's or Smart Ones I do go for low sodium when I can but as long as you trying to lomit yourself to 2500 a day you can eat whatever you want. Not all of us have the time to cook clean meals. Not when you're working 16 hours a day.

    People who actually have the time to prepare their own meals are lucky but many of us can't do that.
    LOVE THIS!!!!
  • ripemango
    ripemango Posts: 534 Member
    sodium, blah blah.

    my problem w them is the quality and the price. I feel like you are getting so little for what you are paying for. On top of that, it all tastes kind of bland. They all need additional seasoning after heating. ALL!!

    I personally prefer to make and freeze my own food/frozen dinners. It isn't that hard either. You just make a big meal and freeze at least one portion for a future meal.
  • richard205
    richard205 Posts: 18 Member
    I have to eat three of them

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