Smart ones, lean cuisine.... A good idea?

They are high in sodium... I use to do them thinking I was doing good, but they are processed and filled with sodium.

Why don't you try to pack a simple lunch instead? Sandwiches, fruits, veggies and dips, salads, pasta. There's a whole lot of things you can do that don't require a lot of cooking. Look up bento box blogs for ideas, especially ones dedicated towards packing for kids. You can also start making a double portion of dinner and eating that at lunch the next day.

Convenience foods might be just fine now and then, but relying on them might back you into a corner. Will you want to eat like that for a long time? Would you benefit more from taking the time to learn how to make quick, healthy meals? It might take some adjusting, but you might find that more worthwhile in the long run.

Why don't you try to pack a simple lunch instead? Sandwiches, fruits, veggies and dips, salads, pasta. There's a whole lot of things you can do that don't require a lot of cooking. Look up bento box blogs for ideas, especially ones dedicated towards packing for kids. You can also start making a double portion of dinner and eating that at lunch the next day.

Convenience foods might be just fine now and then, but relying on them might back you into a corner. Will you want to eat like that for a long time? Would you benefit more from taking the time to learn how to make quick, healthy meals? It might take some adjusting, but you might find that more worthwhile in the long run.

This. It takes 10 minutes on Saturday to cut up a bunch of carrots and celery. You can go to Costco and buy hummus REALLY cheap. It's delicious, healthy, and better for you.

Cheese sticks and turkey breast (nitrate free...or roast it yourself) are easy to keep on hand and throw in a lunch box.

Bento boxes are super popular right now and so there are TONS of ideas out there. I think that's your healthiest bet.

If you really "need" to go the processed frozen meal route then you might look at Healthy Choice. I know they focus on low fat low sodium.

I usually have a frozen dinner for lunch most weekdays. Most of them are high in sodium, but one of my favorites is the Stouffers baked Chicken breast with mashed potatoes & gravy. I scrape most of the gravy off, but it's 240 calories, 8g of fat & 24 g of protein. I add some fat free yoplait light, fruit, vegetables & a Jello sugar free pudding & it tides me over until supper.

I do lean cuisines alot for lunch. I do try to stick to ones with under 350 cals and lower in sodium.

Smart Ones are a life saver...yes watch the sodium..which shouldn't be a big issue as long your'e having one a day..Remember no matter what diet you follow always supplement with good multi mineral/vitamin...

I think the best advice someone could give you is......TRY IT FOR YOURSELF.

I think the solid food would keep you more full over a protein shake. Yes, they may be higher in sodium, but I like the fact that they are portion controlled. Some of them are pretty tasty. I often take them to work for lunch, and if I'm feeling lazy I'll eat one for dinner (I live alone so often cooking for one is a pain).

Well, speaking for myself, I ate frozen lean meals on a daily basis for lunch during the work week for about 6 months. That paired with a healthy breakfast and dinner, I was able to lose 50lbs and have kept it off for the past 6 yrs.. So, it worked for me. Now, some days I would eat tuna, low-fat cottage cheese and wheat thins for lunch, so I would change it up from time to time. Like a previous poster said, there are so many options that you could eat them long term and not get too burned out on them.

Yum. Sodium!

Great way to add taste and lose weight!

Works for me

I think the lazy comment above is a bit harsh.

I got wrapped up in all or nothing thinking. That I had to prepare all meals, all the time with all natural, all whole ingredients. And it started to get over whelming. Sometimes, in life when you are trying to balance a lot of things, you have to prioritize. And for me, sometime reading a second bedtime story to my son IS more important the cooking chicken for lunch the next day. When I do cook, I do enough to have left overs, but sometimes leftovers run out and it is just best to cut myself some slack and grab a frozen meal.

I have noticed that Healthy Choice seems to have stepped up their meals a notch. They seem to have decent ingredients. I ALWAYS add extra veggies. I buy those Zip 'n' Steam bags that Ziplock makes and toss veggies in that to steam in the microwave. (sometimes I buy pre cut/pre washed veggies to save on time, too, even though they are a bit more $!)

Healthy choice makes some that seem to be a bit lower in sodium and use "real" ingredients - I can't remember what line they are, but they're under the Healthy Choice brand.

I like Amy's burritos in a pinch too. They're basically a whole wheat tortilla, beans, veggies and cheese. Less than 300 and more filling than the LC's. They're in the frozen section and you just microwave them for 3 min I think.

Lean Cuisine is a really good option if you don't worry about sodium. I was relying on them for a while when I couldn't cook because of my depression.
Any frozen low-cal meals are great as long as you find stuff you like. ^.^
Don't listen to people saying you're 'lazy' -_- There's no shame in not cooking. Everyone has different time constraints in their lives, and different levels of ability to do things.

I think they are fine once and awhile, but they are convenience foods .. AKA .. processed city!!!!!!!! Loads of sodium. Once and awhile I have them, but they really don't fill me up and are not worth the bloat!

There is really a diffrence between wanting to be healthy and thin. I always focused on thin in the past and these types of meals may be helpful, but long term (from tons of experience), they are not healthy by any means. Focus on whole foods. I have no time either, and I work 50 hours a week, as well as have a child. However, it is really easy to plan and I do it on Sundays. It is also way cheaper as well.