Healthy Choice/Lean Cuisine/Weight Watchers Smart Ones

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Determined2010
Determined2010 Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Good afternoon, everyone!

I actually wanted to see what everyone's opinion is about eating the frozen meals from Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine and the Smart Ones from Weight Watchers. I mostly eat the Healthy Choice cafe steamers because I dont really like a lot of the choices in the others. But I get a lot of flack from people for eating those on my diet instead of making things for myself.

My biggest reason for using those instead of making my own food is because they're already proportioned out. I have a bad habit of adding in more than I should when it comes to making my own meals. I stick with a lot of things already portioned out because of that reason.

Is it bad to eat those? Are they as unhealthy as I've been told? Is it because of the sodium levels?
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Replies

  • NOLA_Meg
    NOLA_Meg Posts: 194 Member
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    I was eating the steamer meals quite regularly without the sauce and had to stop after a couple months mainly because I got sick of them. I would take them to work and then go out to lunch because I didn't want to eat it. I think they are ok once in awhile, maybe keep a couple in your freezer and have one when you're in a pinch for time, but personally I like to cook my dinners at home and have things that are fresh. For lunches I like to take left-overs or the ingredients for something I can put together at work like black bean tacos or something. The main reason I stopped was because of the sodium. Second, because you can make the same thing at home without all the sodium and preservatives and portion it out yourself, and lastly because they are expensive compared to buying the ingredients.
  • shanerylee
    shanerylee Posts: 298 Member
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    honestly in my opinion , they are good in a pinch if you dont have anything else, but they are so loaded in sodium. The fat is gone, but instead pumped up with sodium. My body holds onto sodium like you wouldnt believe and then I get discouraged when I get on the scale due to the water weight. What I do is, make a huge pot of veggie soup, or your favorite low fat meal, measure it out in tupperware containers and freeze, just as easy to pop in microwave.
  • Determined2010
    Determined2010 Posts: 5
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    I was eating the steamer meals quite regularly without the sauce and had to stop after a couple months mainly because I got sick of them. I would take them to work and then go out to lunch because I didn't want to eat it. I think they are ok once in awhile, maybe keep a couple in your freezer and have one when you're in a pinch for time, but personally I like to cook my dinners at home and have things that are fresh. For lunches I like to take left-overs or the ingredients for something I can put together at work like black bean tacos or something. The main reason I stopped was because of the sodium. Second, because you can make the same thing at home without all the sodium and preservatives and portion it out yourself, and lastly because they are expensive compared to buying the ingredients.

    I have actually been able to get them for $2.00 a piece at the Walmart grocery store by my house. Which is actually cheaper for me. When I used to try and do the 'cook it myself' thing, I used to spend about a hundred in groceries. Now, I'm spending half of that.

    But I also change it up at night when I go home and have a salad or a sandwich with the arnold select whole grain thins. I'm a basic type of person. I really hate having to spend so much time thinking about things I'm going to eat. I know that's part of the whole diet/lifestyle change package but I don't understand really why it is a bad thing to eat them.
  • Determined2010
    Determined2010 Posts: 5
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    honestly in my opinion , they are good in a pinch if you dont have anything else, but they are so loaded in sodium. The fat is gone, but instead pumped up with sodium. My body holds onto sodium like you wouldnt believe and then I get discouraged when I get on the scale due to the water weight. What I do is, make a huge pot of veggie soup, or your favorite low fat meal, measure it out in tupperware containers and freeze, just as easy to pop in microwave.

    I'm not much of a cook. -__-

    I never have been. I get distracted from it very easily or get frustrated because it doesn't come out the way it should. I guess I need to research a bit more on what I can eat and what I can't eat.

    They are just enough to fill me where its comfortable. And like I mentioned before, I have a problem with adding things in I shouldnt. Extra bits I mean.
  • bjenegiles
    bjenegiles Posts: 75 Member
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    Honestly, I keep about 3 of them in my freezer. They are awesome for those days when you just don't feel like preparing a lunch. I wouldn't recommend eating 1 EVERYDAY. I did that in the beginning of my weight loss journey and plateau-ed REAL QUICK!!! IT's loaded w/ sodium. One a week is plenty. Be careful of soup as well. They r loaded with that salty goodness as well. When I prepare dinner at night, I make enough so that I can get an extra serving for my lunch.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Read the ingredients list, if you cannot identify what some of the inputs are, or if there are a lot of chemicals, and sodium, most likely they are not good for you. It the ingredients are natural and the sodium content is reasonable, then I would say the are at least somewhat healthy.
  • abutterflyemerges
    abutterflyemerges Posts: 101 Member
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    I like the lean cuisine when I cannot prepare my meals in time or I am strapped for time. I watch my sodium intake with these. But like you I sometimes have portion problems. So they do work well for me too. I haven't really tried the others. I know Lean Cuisine came out with new ones so I have been enjoying those.
  • chocolateandvodka
    chocolateandvodka Posts: 1,856 Member
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    they're fine. and they're effective. although as a previous poster mentioned - if you have sodium issues (or sugar) you may want to watch the content of those two things.
    i think the main issue others have with "dieters" using microwave meals for lunch is because if and WHEN you finally get sick of them, you won't be accustomed to creating healthy alternatives to bring with you. i used them for a long time (like 2 years) and now i can't stand the thought of them lol. but that's me. the most important thing is that you do what works for you - i can not stress this enough!
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    I eat them.
    I use to have high blood pressure, including daily meds.
    After losing some weight, I don't have high blood pressure anymore, no more meds.
    I eat them daily for lunch.
    I track my sodium on my food diary.
    Sometimes I exceed it, other times I don't.
    I've still seen weight loss by eating them for lunch for years.
    I have no sense of portion control, personally. They help.
  • Ang8178
    Ang8178 Posts: 308
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    I also started out eatting alot of them. Yeah, they are quite high in sodium, but if that's pretty much all you're eatting you shouldn't really go over on salt. A big problem I see with this is when you do get to your goal weight how are you going to maintain it? If you really want to try to break away from pre packaged foods and make some of your own meals I'd recomend getting measuring spoons and cups. When I stated measuring everything yeah, it was a pain in my butt :laugh: However, now I really don't need them because I've learned what a serving size looks like in the foods I eat. Use some hard self control to not add a little here or a little there. For example when I make rice (I eat alot of it) I don't put the TBS of butter in to cook with that I used to. I find cutting out the little things I thought I needed to put in food really makes a difference in calories and it's not that much of a taste change. I still keep some frozen meals around for busy days, but I really like to make my own mmeals.
  • skdehen
    skdehen Posts: 24
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    If you aren't much of a cook a easy thing to do is get a crock pot. The crock pot recipes are usually through stuff in a pot and let it cook all day. Plus, I like to make extra and I have leftovers for lunches later. There is a thread in the recipe categories with great ideas for the crockpot. As far as the frozen meals go, except for the Heathly Choice steamers, they tend to not fill me up and I end up snacking through the afternoon. But they are convient when you are in a pinch.
  • cymills
    cymills Posts: 133 Member
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    They are a staple in my everyday world! I have a crazy busy job and can get good food - fast. They are lw in calories and high in variety. I hav elsot 10 lbs and seldome does a day go by where I do not have them . others may site high sodium , pre packaged foods are not good for you. BUNK - I say. I have als lost 10lbs and have never been able to do that ever! I strivctly count calroies & hav emade better food choices overall. As with everything - do what works for you. BTW - My husband is a fabulous cook - and we Both enjoy cooking fabulous dinners. By keeping my calories down through out the day - i have calories to enjoy great food and WINE at the end of my day!!!!!
  • Determined2010
    Determined2010 Posts: 5
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    If you aren't much of a cook a easy thing to do is get a crock pot. The crock pot recipes are usually through stuff in a pot and let it cook all day. Plus, I like to make extra and I have leftovers for lunches later. There is a thread in the recipe categories with great ideas for the crockpot. As far as the frozen meals go, except for the Heathly Choice steamers, they tend to not fill me up and I end up snacking through the afternoon. But they are convient when you are in a pinch.

    I eat a normal breakfast, around 270-280 calories. Egg beaters, fresh mushrooms, a slice of reduced fat colby jack cheese, and some sandwich turkey meat thrown in. I never use salt on it.

    For a snack, its usually yogurt or strawberries or a banana.

    Lunch is a healthy choice meal with a sugar free jello.

    Dinner is a salad with another healthy choice meal or a sandwich.

    Snack is usually sugar free something, like Luigi's Italian Ice or even a skinny cow popsicle.

    Thats the extent of my day. It ranges between 1250 to 1400 cals a day. I also exercise at the gym three times a week for 45 minutes and walk on my lunch break for forty five minutes around three to four times a week.

    I just seem to be having an issue with losing the weight. >.> Its irritating me and I thought maybe the Healthy Choice Meals might be one reason.

    I dont have much of a support team at home because my mom is always trying to push me to eat things I shouldnt so asking her to help me plan out meals isnt going to work. And I am not very good with portion control. Obviously. -__-
  • jrbowers83
    jrbowers83 Posts: 282 Member
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    It does sound like you're getting alot of sodium in your diet given your typical meal plan. A frozen meal is usually about 600mg of sodium and a sandwich can pack at least that plus if you choose salad dressing there's more sodium. You might try adding sodium as one of the nutrients you track so you can be more aware of how that effects your weight loss. I would also suggest adding in some more fiber in the form of steamed veggies like broccoli (no sauce) and fruits like pears, melons, berries.

    This is a lifestyle change and it does take time to adjust. Take some baby steps. The frozen meals are great for teaching your body appropriate portion sizes and to get veggies where you might not have in the past. So take one or two days a week to break away from those meals and practice cooking up some healthy meals. Buy some Glad containers or something like that, and portion the meals into 4-6 servings before you sit down to eat to ensure you don't eat extra or cut the recipes down so that it makes only 1-2 servings. There are lots of great, quick recipes on the recipe section here, and I'd be happy to share some with you as well if you PM me. Also, if your problem is adding in extras like butter, try switching to an alternative. I love the no calorie Parkay, and use it often in place of oil to keep things from sticking in a pan or to top off veggies. It takes the place of adding salt, butter, or creamy sauces to my foods.

    I wish you luck. It is really hard to get used to cooking and going more natural, but it definitely pays off in the end, and you'll find that you crave the fresh stuff over all that processed frozen.
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
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    I think they are ok in moderation. Especially if you team them with a healthy salad. They are high in sodium and they're not really nutritionally dense so I find if I use them too often, I start getting hungry and then I overeat.

    I do like the Cafe Steamers. They taste fresher to me. I limit them to a couple/three a week and then only when I'm pushed for time.
  • sissy56
    sissy56 Posts: 108 Member
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    My husband, the cook, and I will use frozen dinners in a pinch, but try not to regularly. We've found packaged meals on the shelf from Asian Passage and Indian Fare that seem to be cleaner nutritionally, and we will use them instead of frozen meals when there isn't time to start from scratch. We usually augment them with quinoa and chicken he's cooked in big batches over the weekend.
  • lvfunandfit
    lvfunandfit Posts: 654 Member
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    I don't eat them. I like to enjoy my food.... not just eat to eat. I don't enjoy frozen meals. If I do eat frozen items, canned items, boxed items, etc I buy all natural products. I don't like all the fillers and chemicals in processed foods. Most everything I make is from fresh foods (I'm also now trying to go all natural and organic there too... making the switch has to be a total family buy in, still working on the husband)... . There are a lot of great recipes on sparkrecipes.com

    Become friends with your crockpot. Make and freeze your own meals and take those for lunch instead. =)
  • KristyO
    KristyO Posts: 126
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    They are not filling enough for me. I am usually hungry soon after I have one so it doesn't work for me. I also don't really care for the taste of the meats (the chicken is too rubbery).

    But do what works for you! If they are helping you reach your goals then I say keep eating them.
  • dragonfiel
    dragonfiel Posts: 7
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    After pulling a bicep and lower back muscle spasms (+10 months of RR and physical therapy) I started working out again. After going through the measurements of lean body mass and total % of body fat etc I found my caloric intake amount and started planning my intake from there on. I incorporated Healthy Choice steamers into my daily regimen and just started trying Lean Cuisines as well. Honestly, and I might be in the minority, but I prefer the Healthy Choice steamers meals. I find the Lean cuisines have much more Carbs in the form of simple sugars than the HC steamers. The HC meals allow me to maintain the 350-400 calorie intake I need and actually feel full. The LC come with desserts that although not bad tasting, I can really do without. There are LC's without the desserts but they run aroun 250 calories which will stagnate my intake and not assist with maintaining my metabolism at the rate Im obviously shooting for while "grazing" and eating 4-5 meals a day. 6-8 cups of water, some fruit, maybe 2 special K granola bars (85 mg of sodium, 110 calories) in place of a meal and Im good to go. Ive been able to go from 255 to my current 242lbs in 1 month without loss of muscle mass while doing 3 workouts a week (using the EA Sports 2.0 program on my WII) and believe me it kicks your rear! I do find myself hungry (believe it or not) at times and have incorporated some nuts as well into my intake.
    So my opinion, HC Steamers spicy chicken (asian), asiago chicken, are pretty tasty! And just plan out your meals when you go shopping. Ill substitute Brown rice with tuna instead of a frozen dinner at times, but I dont have an issue with "bland non exciting meals" since Im trying to eat to live as opposed to live to eat and make it my life style as opposed to a temporary fix while loosing weight.

    Also, 2300mg of salt (for me at least) is not hard to avoid, once you start eating cleaner and avoiding fast foods, cakes, breads with refined flour etc. Just eat cleaner, and dont strees out bout the Frozen dinners just make sure you check the labels when buying.

    Ohh yeah, grazing helps you "shrink" your stomach back to a normal size and allows you to feel full throughout the day, thus not having to wait 1/3rd of the day to get the next meal. Thats especially where the Frozen dinners and certain bars (in my case Special K, because of the protein and fiber contents) come in handy, quick to warm up or just unwrap the bar and its gone, so you can definately fit the grazing lifestyle into your daily routine!
  • Rosemarose
    Rosemarose Posts: 69 Member
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    Is there a grocery store near your workplace that you can go to for lunch? They typically have a salad bar that you pay for by the pound. I try this when I haven't brought my leftovers and I typically spend about $2.50 on a salad there. Much better than a salad at McDonalds or any other fast food place, plus it's a lot tastier. Hope this helps.

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