Smart Ones vs. Lean Cuisine vs. Healthy Choice-Best Option

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  • Robertus
    Robertus Posts: 558 Member
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    I've tried many of these, but I am always more hungry afterwards than if I did not eat anything at all.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I hardly buy these any more, unless it is to tide hubby over when I go out. He's convinced me he'd starve to death if I did not feed him. I have leftovers for lunch.

    When I did buy these, I'd line up the nutrition labels of a few candidates and compare. For processed foods, I look at the salt and fat content and pick the lowest.

    Hot dogs are a big surprise. Typically the cheaper the better.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,573 Member
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    My favorite hot dog: Hebrew National 97% Fat Free - they are kosher (which I normally am not concerned about but taking into consideration what *could* be in a hot dog, I like knowing it was blessed by a rabbi. lol) and only 45 calories & 6 grams of protein.
  • Disdvcmom77
    Disdvcmom77 Posts: 6 Member
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    Thank you all for the great suggestions. You mentioned brands I'm going to look into that I've never heard of. (I tend to stay in my comfort zone at the grocery store!) I guess I'm lucky that one of these "meals" usually satisfies me for lunch with a small piece of fruit in the afternoon but I am learning what they are made of isn't necessarily the best option. I hope to incorporate better habits as I learn more (only 6 days on MFP so far) but it will have to be something I can stick with. In the meantime I'm going to go as healthy as I can in a pinch. Thanks again all!
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
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    In my diary you can see that I eat almost the same thing for lunch every work day.

    Banquet Frozen Meal - Charbroiled Beef Patty With Noodles, 1 meal 310kcal
    Activia - Yogurt - Strawberry, 4 oz 110kcal
    Dole - Peaches In Strawberry Jello, 1 container 90kcal
    Generic - Metamucil - Orange Fiber Powder, 1 Tbsp 45kcal

    Total 555kcal

    I am 6'1" and over 200 pounds. I find the Banquet frozen dinner, yogurt, and jello cup to be satisfying. The Banquet dinner costs .80 to $1 each. Combine the low cost and convenience and I am happy.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Disdvcmom77 wrote: »
    Thank you all for the great suggestions. You mentioned brands I'm going to look into that I've never heard of. (I tend to stay in my comfort zone at the grocery store!) I guess I'm lucky that one of these "meals" usually satisfies me for lunch with a small piece of fruit in the afternoon but I am learning what they are made of isn't necessarily the best option. I hope to incorporate better habits as I learn more (only 6 days on MFP so far) but it will have to be something I can stick with. In the meantime I'm going to go as healthy as I can in a pinch. Thanks again all!

    Perfectly sensible approach to take.

    Nothing wrong with frozen meals, though I have to admit they leave me hungry, too. Even the salt isn't an issue if you don't have a medical reason to avoid it. Just make sure you drink enough throughout the day to avoid water retention.

    If you decide you want to get away from them, consider making extra food for dinner and packing the leftovers for next day's lunch. Or making bulk meals and freezing them away in lunch-sized portions. Easiest way to go for a homemade take-it-with-you lunch.
  • KingofWisdom
    KingofWisdom Posts: 229 Member
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    Healthy Choice has some decent selections with good amounts of protein. Chicken & Spinach Alfredo, Roasted Chicken and Potatoes, Beef Merlot, Chicken Fresca with Chardonnay, Meatball Marinara, Sweet Sesame Chicken, Rosemary Chicken & Sweet Potatoes, Chicken Margherita with Balsamic, Crustless Chicken Pot Pie, Four Cheese Ravioli & Chicken Marinara, Beef Pot Roast, Classic Chicken and Noodles, Honey Roasted Turkey.
  • gamesandgains
    gamesandgains Posts: 640 Member
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    Healthy choice steamers are pretty good. Haven't eaten one in quite a while but I remember them being calorie friendly.
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
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    I'm super lazy when it comes to cooking. Personally, I noticed that the Healthy Choice steamfresh dinners fit my macros the best, though they have super tiny portions. Most of my lazy meals consist of fresh baby spinach (a good way to get more food in for less calories) mixed in with a Healthy Choice dinner and a Green Giant box of frozen vegetables.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    I love Kashi's. A bit expensive, but doesn't taste like (yuck) Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones, and leaves you feeling full.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,574 Member
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    Amy's. Mexican casserole (380), Tamale pie (170 calories-and it's big, the best bang for calories I've seen and you can eat something else with it), the spaghetti with vegetarian meatballs (220). Some of the others are up over 400 and I'd rather cook a huge dinner for 400 at that point.
  • tracie_minus100
    tracie_minus100 Posts: 465 Member
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    I rarely eat these nowadays but I will say, I love the Smart Ones Santa Fe rice and beans. I make a homemade version now, but if I'm in a pinch and really need something fast, that's the one I would buy.
  • runnrchic
    runnrchic Posts: 130 Member
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    I make batches of food and freeze my own lunches in glass bowls, but I always keep a few Amy's burritos or lunches in there too. Just in case I run out before I have a chance to cook up more of my own meals I freeze.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Smart Ones. I think most options by the other two taste like cardboard. That said, if I'm having a frozen dinner, I'll splurge the calories on Marie Callender's.
  • autumnsquirrel
    autumnsquirrel Posts: 258 Member
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    Amy's and Smart ones, in my opinion---Smart ones goes on sale a lot. However, they are loaded with sodium and in my humble opinion, not very filling. Before I had kids and metabolic issues, I would eat Smart ones every night as part of my Weight Watchers program. It worked, I lost the weight. I am 44 now, and the games have changed;) Watch what you are eating, especially if it is processed. Have you tried Morningstar Farms products? If you need to, supplement your meals with the veggie burgers or sausage pattie. Amy's is a nice alternative, but again, the prices=it really adds up. Can you prep your meals in advance? Make a weeks worth of salads in mason jars? Keep hardboiled eggs handy, make Jello if you fancy that for a snack. this way, you aren't foraging when you're hungry and it's already made for you:) Try skinnytaste.com for good recipes that will help you through your lifestyle journey.
  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
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    I found some good ones at Trader Joe's that had minimal preservatives.
  • sdado1013
    sdado1013 Posts: 209 Member
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    how bout real food?

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