Lean Cuisine!

geniebelle
geniebelle Posts: 9
edited October 6 in Food and Nutrition
Hey everyone!

So on my last trip to the food store I wanted to find something effortess and low-cal that I could bring to my office job with me everyday for lunch. I decided to check out the lean cuisines and I have to say they are my new obsession! Sooo many different kinds, and all low calorie! I'm planning on stocking up on them this week while they're on sale at my grocery store. Just wanted to get peoples' general opinions on lean cuisine and if you dig 'em too, what are your favorite kinds that you think I should try?!

Thanks in advance! Here's to a great week!
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Replies

  • wilkin_rebecca
    wilkin_rebecca Posts: 51 Member
    I love them too, buy a few when on sale. My favourite and i just had it yesterday lol is sweet and sour chicken.
  • redbird99
    redbird99 Posts: 298 Member
    Asian Pot Stickers! Taste great, and add a salad with fresh veggies, and you have a great meal.
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
    They're handy, but a lot of them are very high in sodium, so watch out for that.

    I like grilling chicken breasts and adding them to LC entrees with chicken :) That way, I'm just adding chicken into a dish that's made for chicken, so there aren't any conflicting flavors. I need the extra protein since I'm doing weight training.

    My favorites are balsamic chicken with orzo, and the pasta marina with chicken. Non-chicken favorites include jumbo rigatoni with meatballs (extremely low cal for a meatball dish, handy if you're craving them balls) and Asian pot stickers.

    By the way, if you have a Trader Joe's in your area, check them out too. They have delicious frozen entrees that aren't super high in sodium.
  • fitacct
    fitacct Posts: 242 Member
    I really like Lean Cuisine and it's been an invaluable aid during my journey here on MFP as the meals provide portion control and good taste. I always look for entrees under 600 grams of sodium. My favs are Thai Style Noodles and Chicken, Lemongrass Chicken, Chicken in Peanut Sauce, Thai Spring Rolls (sooo good!), Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce, among others. Healthy Choice meals aren't as tasty, imo, but are lower in overall fat and sodium. What I normally do when I have a frozen entree is round it out with a salad or cooked veggie and add a fruit. : )
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    I love to bring them to work with me, it makes worrying about lunch a lot easier! The Asian Potsticker is my favorite! If you haven't tried the Smart Ones, I would try those, too. I mix between the two. They are really good, too. But like someone else said, they are very high in sodium!
  • Flynnskie
    Flynnskie Posts: 12 Member
    I like the new snack dips with pita bread! They're great for a snack or meal if you add a side of veggies to fill you up!
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    I love to bring them to work with me, it makes worrying about lunch a lot easier! The Asian Potsticker is my favorite! If you haven't tried the Smart Ones, I would try those, too. I mix between the two. They are really good, too. But like someone else said, they are very high in sodium!
  • staceyseeger
    staceyseeger Posts: 778 Member
    I love fast convenient foods...my favs are Smart Ones. I totally contribute my success to them. :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

    Starting this week, I am eating "Cleaner". Haven't had a frozen meal or can of soup in 3 days...That's saying alot. For the past 1 1/2 years, I ate them on a daily basis. :noway: :noway: :noway:

    I promised my PT I would give it a whirl. :wink: :wink: :wink:
  • skinnyjess15
    skinnyjess15 Posts: 82
    I just started eating Lean Cuisine meals last week because I saw they had them on sale at the store and I'm also obsessed now! So far I've tried the Lemongrass Chicken (I had it for lunch today!) and Pecan Chicken (or something along those lines). I've also tried the ziti, which was yummy, and the pita bread with garden veggie dip. SO good!!!
  • _Timmeh_
    _Timmeh_ Posts: 2,096 Member
    I take them to work for lunch. Today I have the bbq chicken pizza.
    My advice is don't eat them all the time, you will get burned out even with all the variety.
  • genthel
    genthel Posts: 59 Member
    My favorite is the salisbury steak with onions and macaroni and cheese. YUM!
  • Maryprice1717
    Maryprice1717 Posts: 1
    Meatloaf and mash potatoes
  • lorig_2000
    lorig_2000 Posts: 106 Member
    I love Lean Cuisines too. I haven't seen the Asian Potstickers or Lemon Grass chicken before. I'll have to check next time I'm at Safeway.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    lean quisine....check the sodium level...check for ingredients that you have no clue what they are....they sure are convenient but they arent really that great as fuel for your body...having one now and then is probably ok but I wouldnt eat them every day
  • cydonian
    cydonian Posts: 361 Member
    They have really improved over the years! I really like the Basil Chicken, though that one rarely goes on sale, it's not one of the "cheap" ones. I just tried the parmesan fish and that was good too! Smart Ones are alright too, they're on sale more often here locally.

    The sodium level can be a concern, but I monitor mine and as long as I eat one of those and do something homemade for dinner, my sodium level is usually half of what it could be for the day, even with eating the TV dinner. I don't really have the option of doing a low calorie lunch before I go to bed every night, there just isn't time and it's not always plausible. I do always bring a vegetable and a fruit with me for lunch though, so that I feel a little healthier (even if the tv dinner has veggies).
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I always add frozen veggies to make it more filling. It works great and if you check the nutrition info some are less cal, carbs and sodium then a sandwich.
    I'm not a picky eater so I make sure they have around 30 carbs, 600 mg of sodium because they are all pretty much low calorie.
  • efranz12
    efranz12 Posts: 46 Member
    I used to eat 3 or 4 Lean Cuisines or Smart Ones a week and could not drop weight. Cut them and a lot of the other packaged foods I was taking to work out of my diet and losing has been 100 times easier. I think my body is super sensitive to sodium though.
  • withervein
    withervein Posts: 224 Member
    I tend to prefer the Healthy Choice ones that you "steam" with the little basket of food over the sauce? The boxes for them are hexagonal.

    They tend to have lots of high-protein choices with several at 18-22 grams. That makes me feel full longer than the Lean Cuisines. You may want to check them out.
  • SDkitty
    SDkitty Posts: 446 Member
    I used to eat 3 or 4 Lean Cuisines or Smart Ones a week and could not drop weight. Cut them and a lot of the other packaged foods I was taking to work out of my diet and losing has been 100 times easier. I think my body is super sensitive to sodium though.

    I also had this problem although I think the main reason for me (besides the ridiculous amounts of sodium) was that quite a few of them just aren't filling. I would eat them for lunch at work and within a couple hours I would already be hungry again.
  • Gunff
    Gunff Posts: 47
    i had lemon pepper fish today. it was really good.

    I didn't have any leftovers in the house for lunch today so I stole it from my wife's lunch stash. Hopefully she doesn't get too mad :)
  • WolfieCougar
    WolfieCougar Posts: 79 Member
    My recommendations are definitely Southwestern Chicken Panini and Lemon Chicken (with rice)
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    My opinion is that they're overpriced, processed crap that doesn't taste very good.

    That said, if you like them and they fit into your diet, have at it.
  • thecrossfitter
    thecrossfitter Posts: 424 Member
    lean quisine....check the sodium level...check for ingredients that you have no clue what they are....they sure are convenient but they arent really that great as fuel for your body...having one now and then is probably ok but I wouldnt eat them every day

    Yeah, I hate to be such a downer - and if you're happy/it's working then I'm happy for you - but this isn't really REAL food. Sure they won't hurt once and awhile, and they are super convenient. I used to eat them all the time several years ago. With all due respect to individuals doing their own thing, these aren't great fuel and aren't giving your body what it needs.

    As an alternative, perhaps consider making something in bulk at home on the weekend, and then taking it to work throughout the week? My personal philosophy is that if it doesn't have a mother or come from the ground, I don't want to eat it. Real food leaves me fuller, more satisfied, and provides me with more energy.

    Again - I mean all respect :)
  • jillybaby86
    jillybaby86 Posts: 66 Member
    I love the 5 cheese rigotini and the tortilla crusted fish... yummmmy!
  • sharonsjones
    sharonsjones Posts: 574 Member
    I used to eat them everyday of the week while at work for lunch. I've been cutting back to a few times a week, they do have a lot of sodium. I try to take leftovers but if I don't have any then they are better than the fried foods they serve in the cafeteria.
  • treesha450
    treesha450 Posts: 321 Member
    I always eat a lean cuisine( favorite BBQ recipe Chicken Pizza-Wood Fire Style)
    at work for lunch. fast easy and delicious. I also eat Healthy Choices-(favorite- tangy chicken BBQ with apple crisp dessert )and Eating Right ((Safeway brand)favorite pineapple black bean chicken). Then for dinner I make something at home and try to use whole foods.
  • sarad777
    sarad777 Posts: 210 Member
    My husband eats stouffers or lean cuisine every day. Remember to open up the box, then go to their website and log in the code. He's had so many free gift cards!! yay!
  • cheree1965
    cheree1965 Posts: 29
    I LOST 11OLBS ON THEM , YOGURT FOR BREAKFAST, SMARTONES AND CKN AND SALAD AT NIGHT WITH SALSA.
  • kristelpoole
    kristelpoole Posts: 440 Member
    Not a huge fan, though I've had them a couple times. Overall, I just think they are really bland and boring, too small to fill me up and not worth the cost. Like someone else said, I'm always just hungry again ...
  • iuew
    iuew Posts: 624 Member
    i have eaten a lot of these during my diet and maintenance phase. they are good; sometimes surprisingly so. however, they can be dressed up significantly with the correct spices / low cal sauces.

    i find most of the Italian dishes benefit greatly from garlic powder / oregano. i tend to salt them, as well, although that's optional.

    there are many spices that turn a lean cuisine into something closer to a full calorie dish. LC and smart ones have definitely helped me to control calories and portions.
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