Lean cuisines and other frozen "low calorie" food.

Jane92394
Jane92394 Posts: 74
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
I've recently started eating a lean cuisine instead of a meal once a day or for a snack, and I was wondering if they really are healthy or if they are bad because of preservatives or something in them. I find them an easy way to eat a decent sized meal with calories I can track on days I don't have time to cook. Is it bad to eat them so often or are they ok once a day?

Replies

  • hgellings
    hgellings Posts: 295 Member
    I eat lean cuisines and love them. One of the things I watch when buying them is mostly how many carbs and sodium are in the ones I buy.
  • BamBam1113
    BamBam1113 Posts: 542 Member
    The sodium in them is horrible, but I keep a few on hand for a quick meal when I need one. They are good though. Just don't eat too many of them and make sure you're hydrating real well to get rid of all the salt.
  • RedHotRunner
    RedHotRunner Posts: 850 Member
    They're not my first choice, but I will have one or two a week for lunch at the office. Of course they're full of preservatives and sodium, so i'd just eat them in moderation.
  • staciekins
    staciekins Posts: 453 Member
    Because they are processed and very high in sodium, it would be best to just steer clear...IMO
    If you do eat them, make sure to drink and extra couple servings of water during that meal.
  • JellyJaks
    JellyJaks Posts: 589 Member
    I've tried a few of them and honestly if I make my own food, it tastes better and has less sodium. Don't get me started on how much they cost because you always pay more to eat "healthier"
  • ricnrac
    ricnrac Posts: 95 Member
    The sodium in lean cuisines are not that bad compared to some other lunches. During work, I bring supplies to make a turkey sandwich and cape cod chips or veggie straws. The sodium in ONLY my sandwich which consists of arnold sandwich thin, oscar meyer deli sliced turkey, laughing cow light swiss, humus, tomato, and spinach. That sandwich actually has 1000 mg of sodium!! Most lean cuisines/healthy choice meals have 400-600 mg of sodium. So in that respect, the lean cuisine is better than my homemade sandwich........
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I like them for convenience, but I'd rather make up my own rice or noodles with some stir fry veggies and some chicken, shrimp or fish. I can eat more for the same calories and a LOT less sodium.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I buy them when they are on sale and only use them when I really don't feel like cooking. They are high in sodium so I only eat them rarely and watch my sodium the rest of the day. I also add extra veggies most of the time just to make them a little healthier.
    They are not bad in Calorie, Carb, and Fat. Just sodium.
  • staciekins
    staciekins Posts: 453 Member
    The sodium in lean cuisines are not that bad compared to some other lunches. During work, I bring supplies to make a turkey sandwich and cape cod chips or veggie straws. The sodium in ONLY my sandwich which consists of arnold sandwich thin, oscar meyer deli sliced turkey, laughing cow light swiss, humus, tomato, and spinach. That sandwich actually has 1000 mg of sodium!! Most lean cuisines/healthy choice meals have 400-600 mg of sodium. So in that respect, the lean cuisine is better than my homemade sandwich........

    It's choosing the lesser of two evils...it's still an evil. Your sandwiches have processed meat so the sodium will be high...
    If you justify eating something bad with "it could be worse", you aren't doing your best. IMO
  • BabyDuchess
    BabyDuchess Posts: 353 Member
    I eat Lean Cuisines for lunch almost daily. All of the choices I have in the freezer are PRESERVATIVE FREE and have 20% of the daily allowance of sodium in them, which is right in line with what most people can have and since I never pick up the salt shaker I'm okay with that. I love them and they are a much healthier choice than fast food.
  • alexbowser
    alexbowser Posts: 322
    I keep a few in the freezer for when my family randomly decides on fast food for dinner. I don't like them enough to eat them on a regular basis, but they're handy for when I'm really hungry and low on groceries.
  • ricnrac
    ricnrac Posts: 95 Member
    The sodium in lean cuisines are not that bad compared to some other lunches. During work, I bring supplies to make a turkey sandwich and cape cod chips or veggie straws. The sodium in ONLY my sandwich which consists of arnold sandwich thin, oscar meyer deli sliced turkey, laughing cow light swiss, humus, tomato, and spinach. That sandwich actually has 1000 mg of sodium!! Most lean cuisines/healthy choice meals have 400-600 mg of sodium. So in that respect, the lean cuisine is better than my homemade sandwich........

    It's choosing the lesser of two evils...it's still an evil. Your sandwiches have processed meat so the sodium will be high...
    If you justify eating something bad with "it could be worse", you aren't doing your best. IMO

    400-600 mg of sodium in one meal is not bad. Daily intake in my diary shows 2500 mg per day. An average of 500 mg of sodium in one meal is only 1/5 of that daily total. How is that bad? I was explaining that the logic of less sodium if you make it yourself does not fly in all cases. Again an average of 500 mg of sodium in one meal is not bad.
  • ricnrac
    ricnrac Posts: 95 Member
    The sodium in lean cuisines are not that bad compared to some other lunches. During work, I bring supplies to make a turkey sandwich and cape cod chips or veggie straws. The sodium in ONLY my sandwich which consists of arnold sandwich thin, oscar meyer deli sliced turkey, laughing cow light swiss, humus, tomato, and spinach. That sandwich actually has 1000 mg of sodium!! Most lean cuisines/healthy choice meals have 400-600 mg of sodium. So in that respect, the lean cuisine is better than my homemade sandwich........

    It's choosing the lesser of two evils...it's still an evil. Your sandwiches have processed meat so the sodium will be high...
    If you justify eating something bad with "it could be worse", you aren't doing your best. IMO

    Also, the sodium in the cheese and sandwich thin is 490. Just a sandwich thin and cheese wedge have just as much sodium as a whole lean cuisine/healthy choice meal.
  • staciekins
    staciekins Posts: 453 Member
    @ricnrac, I understand where you are coming from...I was just implying that just because it seems better than other things doesn't make it good for you. A few pieces of fried chicken may be better than a Big Mac, but it isn't good for you. Sorry if I offended.
  • AnnieeR
    AnnieeR Posts: 229
    Rule of thumb for me is to look at the number of ingredients - if there's more than about 5 or 6 and/or if I don't know what even one of them might be, I steer clear. While you're cooking dinner, chop up extra veggies and cook a bit of extra chicken, etc. for a salad the next day - at least then you know exactly what you're eating!
  • ktc33
    ktc33 Posts: 249 Member
    The sodium in lean cuisines are not that bad compared to some other lunches. During work, I bring supplies to make a turkey sandwich and cape cod chips or veggie straws. The sodium in ONLY my sandwich which consists of arnold sandwich thin, oscar meyer deli sliced turkey, laughing cow light swiss, humus, tomato, and spinach. That sandwich actually has 1000 mg of sodium!! Most lean cuisines/healthy choice meals have 400-600 mg of sodium. So in that respect, the lean cuisine is better than my homemade sandwich........

    It's choosing the lesser of two evils...it's still an evil. Your sandwiches have processed meat so the sodium will be high...
    If you justify eating something bad with "it could be worse", you aren't doing your best. IMO

    400-600 mg of sodium in one meal is not bad. Daily intake in my diary shows 2500 mg per day. An average of 500 mg of sodium in one meal is only 1/5 of that daily total. How is that bad? I was explaining that the logic of less sodium if you make it yourself does not fly in all cases. Again an average of 500 mg of sodium in one meal is not bad.

    Actually 2500 mg of sodium is pretty low anyway because often times at the hospital patients are placed on 3000-4000mg sodium diet and that is considered a low sodium diet.
  • Purple_Orchid_87
    Purple_Orchid_87 Posts: 517 Member
    In the UK the packets all have a GDA of 6g salt = 6000mg
    I found it strange when MFP tells you 2500mgs but i'm able to stick to this if i dont add salt to any of my cooking or my dishes
  • Rozzie75
    Rozzie75 Posts: 20
    I eat them occasionaly when I don't have to cook for the family, or if I want a piece of lasagna because lean cuisines lasagna is yummy. The sodium is not bad. I don't feel eating them once a day is bad cause most meals have the calories of 280 - 320 and that is not bad compaired to what you can get on the run.
  • ColoradoRobin
    ColoradoRobin Posts: 510 Member
    I really like a lot of the Kashi frozen meals, which are made with whole grains and come in some great varieties.
    As for sodium, I think the MFP default is low. Salt is necessary for proper electrolyte balance, just don't go crazy with it. Ham is one of my favorite lean proteins, but is high in sodium. That's okay. Now when it comes to people who salt already salty foods like pizza, they are overdoing it. :)
  • staciekins
    staciekins Posts: 453 Member
    If anyone thinks 2500 mg of sodium/day is too low, please read:

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002415.htm
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Actually 2500 mg of sodium is pretty low anyway because often times at the hospital patients are placed on 3000-4000mg sodium diet and that is considered a low sodium diet.

    Really?? I'm sure that Australian recommendations state 1500mg a day!
    The cynic in me says that that particular hospital has a catering contract with someone whose regular food is VERY high in sodium :)
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    If anyone thinks 2500 mg of sodium/day is too low, please read:

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002415.htm

    I read on the foodpyramid.gov that they are recommending lowering the sodium/day to 1500mg. 3/4 of a teaspoon a day!!!
  • ruhimaach
    ruhimaach Posts: 171
    what I've discovered is that the fresh cooking that I do at home also has equal or more quantity of sodium compared to packaged food like Lean Cuisine, Amy's Kitchen etc. For the record, I am a vegetarian. I only buy those dishes from Lean Cuisine that have no preservatives. Of course, they have to be vegetarian for my consumption.

    Amy's Kitchen has ready to go food that's higher in calories and more filling compared to Lean Cuisine. Also, 100% gluten free in a lot of cases, no GMO derived ingredients & preservatives free.

    If I can buy Lean Cuisine/Amy's Kitchen food that have no preservatives and have equal or less sodium compared to the food I make at home, then I don't understand how that food is "bad"? They let me indulge in stuff that taste similar to restaurant food, with the proper portion size. I don't have the time or patience to buy pizza bread, get pizza toppings etc. When you're working all day from 8-5, you just dont have the time to do all this for every single meal. Kudos to those who can!

    I buy probably 1-2 packs of Lean Cuisine every week. I buy Amy's Kitcken 90% of the time because they don't have MSG. Lean Cuisine- can't be sure always.

    The other thing I don't understand is the whole argument against "processed food". When you cook at home, you process food as well, right? Unless you eat raw, uncooked meat, veggies etc, you're always going to process food. Eating salad is one of consuming unprocessed food. But how else do you guys eat unprocessed food all the time? Sorry if I sound ignorant, but this is my definition of processed versus unprocessed food.

    Please check this link:

    http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/processedfoods.htm

    So we all eat processed food (eg- Milk). The difference is, do you eat Good Processed Food?
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
    The sodium in Lean Cuisines isn't the only issue - what's worse is the MSG. Sure, it doesn't say MSG on the list of ingredients, but it's there all right...disguised as "natural flavors" or "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" or "yeast extract" or one of the other code names. If you think you are not allergic to MSG, think again. You may not have headaches or breathing issues like some lucky people, but MSG is an appetite stimulant, and can make your blood sugar go on a roller coaster ride. It kills brain cells and leads to memory problems. For more info, look up Dr. Blaylock's research.
  • Aylilth
    Aylilth Posts: 125
    you know what eat your lean cuisine I know I do.

    If you are in the hunt for a quick meal which is the better option?? A) stopping by some fast food thing on the way home or B) chucking a Lean Cuisine or similar in the Micro??

    I think most ppl would say lean cuisine ya??

    Everything in moderation..............
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    .......
    The other thing I don't understand is the whole argument against "processed food". When you cook at home, you process food as well, right? Unless you eat raw, uncooked meat, veggies etc, you're always going to process food. Eating salad is one of consuming unprocessed food. But how else do you guys eat unprocessed food all the time? Sorry if I sound ignorant, but this is my definition of processed versus unprocessed food.

    Please check this link:

    http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/processedfoods.htm

    So we all eat processed food (eg- Milk). The difference is, do you eat Good Processed Food?

    My issue with processed food (by which I mean ready to eat meals, snacks etc" is that if you read the ingredient list they often have a lot of extra ingredients that I wouldn't put into something I cook at home. Also I know that the companies who make them don't exist for the sole purpose of making me healthier, they exist to make money and they will do this by using the cheapest ingredients they can get away with, filling in space with processed sugars and grains and adding preservatives to make it last longer, and salt and sugar to make it appeal to our tastebuds.

    Of course, this doesn't apply to all processed foods and certainly not all frozen meals. I think that if you can find something that doesn't have lots of added extras and it is within the nutrition guidelines that work for you, then go for it!
    I still think it is better to do what I did yesterday - cook a big batch of delicious soup which will make lunches for a few days and dinner later in the week when I know we won't want to cook. But, everyone is different and you have to find what works for you and your lifestyle.
  • ricnrac
    ricnrac Posts: 95 Member
    @ricnrac, I understand where you are coming from...I was just implying that just because it seems better than other things doesn't make it good for you. A few pieces of fried chicken may be better than a Big Mac, but it isn't good for you. Sorry if I offended.

    You didn't offend. I am just saying that 500 mg of sodium is not high if you go by the 2500mg guideline.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories