What do you guys think about Lean Cuisine or Michelina's

mikeylikesit1177
mikeylikesit1177 Posts: 79
edited October 10 in Food and Nutrition
So I have tried the Michelina's from walmart and wondered what you guys thought about them. They are very low in calories but how good are they for you. Any thoughts
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Replies

  • MobiusMan
    MobiusMan Posts: 385 Member
    watch the sodium
  • kioga86
    kioga86 Posts: 126 Member
    watch the sodium

    This. The calories are usually pretty good, and some of them are REALLY tasty, but make extra sure you've set aside enough sodium in the day to fit it in. Eating meals like that can put you over on your sodium in the blink of an eye.
  • angelarose12
    angelarose12 Posts: 17
    the Lean Cuisines are yummy. Everyone I have tried so far are good.
  • soccermom004
    soccermom004 Posts: 444 Member
    I eat the lean cuisines and healthy choice a lot for lunch. They are quick, easy, portion controlled and I like to eat something warm when it is cold outside. Many of them are pretty good on sodium too and have no preservitives.
  • RaeannePemberton
    RaeannePemberton Posts: 382 Member
    good for a quick fix but overly processed and "unclean" food overall.... i had a healthy choice last night for the first time in probably a year. LOL. it was okay... nothing delicious... but was in a time crunch.
  • slimyfishy
    slimyfishy Posts: 114 Member
    "Diet" meals are great if you are in a pinch. However, they are ALL high in sodium. Have them as a last resort, but compensate by having fresh fruit/veg and lots of water as a side :-D
  • mschelle
    mschelle Posts: 240 Member
    Blech, IMHO. I like Healthy Choice meals much better.
    Believe it or not Marie Callendar has a few meals < 400 calories! Those wouldn't be in the "diet meal" section. The Pot Roast one is really yummy.
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
    Try to keep under 2,400 mg per day of total sodium and you should be fine. Lean Cuisine's are great for portion control.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/160841-lean-cuisine?hl=lean+cuisine#posts-2149309

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/156975-lean-cuisines-anyone?hl=lean+cuisine#posts-2105178
  • shelbyj72
    shelbyj72 Posts: 184 Member
    Michelina's is good but it is too small. I like lean cusine and healty choice they have better protions.
  • westernjoy
    westernjoy Posts: 175 Member
    I love the Lean Cuisine. When I'm working I use them. I watch the the sodium count,
  • amyj78
    amyj78 Posts: 5 Member
    They serve their purpose, but I wouldn't eat them every day. I keep a small stash in my freezer for times I'm in a pinch. Like everyone said, they are very HIGH in sodium and not always that filling. Eat with a big side of veggies for a more complete meal. You can make your own 'frozen' meals to have on hand by freezing healthy leftovers from dinner. A lot cheaper and a lot better for you and you know what is in your dish.
  • Tarah1357
    Tarah1357 Posts: 139 Member
    I buy the weight watchers smart ones but I try not to eat them too often because of the amount of sodium. I think it's that way with just about all the frozen prepared meals. They are great for when you don't have the time (or energy lol) to cook...but like anything else, once and a while isn't bad. At least not in my opinion and experience. :)
  • mikeylikesit1177
    mikeylikesit1177 Posts: 79
    I'm thinking of only eating them for lunch Mon-Fri. I dont have a lot of time to prepare for lunch
  • helenamonks
    helenamonks Posts: 176
    watch the sodium

    This. The calories are usually pretty good, and some of them are REALLY tasty, but make extra sure you've set aside enough sodium in the day to fit it in. Eating meals like that can put you over on your sodium in the blink of an eye.

    I like the Michelina's they are normally waaaay tastier than the lean cuisines, and its normally a bigger portion. Healthy choice isn't bad either!
  • rcrea
    rcrea Posts: 80
    I eat lean cuisine and weight watcher's meal fairly regularly. I track my sodium and these are both very well balanced. I have never gone over a day due to either of them. And they are pretty tasty. :)
  • allysonvb
    allysonvb Posts: 236 Member
    The best ones, in my opinion, are the Healthy Choice Steamers. A lot of fiber, reduced sodium and great portions with lots of veggies. My favorite is the chicken red pepper alfredo. Delicious. 260 calories. Yum!
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
    The Steamers are nice once in awhile, but they are heavy on the carb side.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    The Michelina's ones are too small for me. And only halfway decent in taste.
    Smart Ones are all pretty gross to me.
    Lean Cuisines have stepped up a bit and are very tasty. (avoid meats other than chicken or shrimp though, the beef stuff is still gross)
    Healthy Choice Steamers - both the bowls and the flat steamer trays - are where it's at. I love those things. Tasty, doesn't really taste like a microwave meal and can be found on sale for less than two bucks if you stay on top of things. I think they're $1.98 at Walmart, $2.08 at Target and are currently on sale at Lucky for $1.88.
  • javamom
    javamom Posts: 309
    As a treat, I like the new Lean Cuisine thai chicken spring rolls. 3 for 200 calories. You'd never guess it wasn't an appetizer at a restaurant. De-licious!
  • cookingcriolla
    cookingcriolla Posts: 145
    I've tried Lean Cuisine, Health Choice and Smart Ones. I prefer the Lean Cusisne and Healthy Choice steamers. I've never tried Michelena's. I like to keep them on hand for lunch when I don't have time to prepare anything. They're a hot meal, no work involved and reasonably priced but like everyone's said, watch the sodium!
  • heyitsmekatie
    heyitsmekatie Posts: 544 Member
    i haven't really had many of the michelina's, but i'm a big fan of lean cuisine and healthy choice. yeah, i know they're high in sodium but they are so easy and convenient and most are really tasty.
  • LMPRF97
    LMPRF97 Posts: 97
    Eat healthy choice it has less sodium and bad stuff.
  • Mirabilis
    Mirabilis Posts: 312 Member
    They helped me figure out portion control, which is really helpful, but you can do better by cooking yourself.

    I adore my crock pot. I eat better than any tray now, but I admit there are still 3 or 4 in the back of my freezer.

    Edit: One other thing... I am very mold sensitive. I can smell and taste it where other people can't. On occasion, the veggies in the Lean Cuisines are not quite right up to par, although I doubt many would notice.
  • lakefunn
    lakefunn Posts: 3 Member
    I used to eat all of those, but since my daughter and I have steered more toward whole food, these frozen dinners taste horrible, especially Michelinas Lean Gourmet. Yuk
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    If it were the zombie apocalypse and they were all I had, I'm sure I'd happily eat them.
  • QueenKristine7
    QueenKristine7 Posts: 25
    Healthy Choice has a pumpkin squash ravioli that is soooo good, a bit high on the carbs but delicious none the less
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited October 2014
    slimyfishy wrote: »
    "Diet" meals are great if you are in a pinch. However, they are ALL high in sodium. Have them as a last resort, but compensate by having fresh fruit/veg and lots of water as a side :-D

    This^

    I use them sometimes, but always add some extra veggies. If sodium is something you need to watch, then look up sodium counts on Lean Cuisine's website before going to the store. Compensate by having lower sodium snacks/meals the rest of the day.

    https://www.leancuisine.com/Products/Search.aspx

    You can plug values into the sodium section
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
    Try Amy's Organic...so much better than Healthy Choice & Lean Cuisine!
    And I never have a problem fitting them into my macros :)
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
    They're fast, convenient, relatively cheap, and you know exactly what you're getting for calories and nutrition, so if you don't mind the taste and texture, go for it. I never found anything like that (even the Kashi ones, which I enjoyed, as opposed to just tolerating because I was having a lunch emergency) very satisfying, though.
  • erockem
    erockem Posts: 278 Member
    I used to eat them everyday for a few years, sometimes twice a day.

    They were CHEAP, usually $1-$2 on sale
    Fast
    The calories fit my plan.

    I was typically hungry most of the time because 250 calories in a LC is a lot smaller than 250 calories in a large chicken breast and broccoli as an example.

    But, I didn't enjoy them (they were fair) and my weight never changed. I tried making my own food which tasted better and fit my plan even more. With in 3 months I went from 220lbs to 185lbs and all I changed was replacing LC's with food I prepared.

    I prepare food on Sundays. This past Sunday I cooked several chicken breasts various ways (shredded, diced, whole, seasoned, etc), made swiss steak, and cooked some cubed beef. Make some veggies and it's all ready for the week for lunch and dinners.

    My wife will still occasionally eat them. I just cringe when she does because her face looks as bland as the food she is eating. The rest sit in the freezer since the fridge is full of prepared meals.

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