Lean Cuisine

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Are lean cuisine meals really healthy?

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  • myfitnessval
    myfitnessval Posts: 687 Member
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    short answer: no.

    long answer: if youre looking for "healthy" cheap on the go meals that you can zap in the microwave these are lower in calories but the sodium & other chemical crap in frozen foods is so ridiculous that it makes it almost not worth it. that being said though, my first month i ate one for lunch everyday and i still managed to lose weight. so really it depends on how desperate you are and how strapped for time/energy you are.

    it really depends on your own definition of what healthy is. if its either lean cuisine or burger king then yes its healthy, if your choice is a homemade dish from scratch vs this, then no. lol

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  • NewChristina
    NewChristina Posts: 250 Member
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    They have a lot of sodium. I keep some handy, but I try not to go there if I can help it. If I have one, I'll wake up in the morning weighing 1-3 lbs more because of water retention.
  • b0t23
    b0t23 Posts: 260 Member
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    they are low calorie and not as high in sodium as some other microwaveable dinners.
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
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    they say there's no preservatives or anything, but I try to eat fresh things more. I lost weight about 6 years ago, I ate healthy choice meals for lunch and dinner every day and lost about 50 lbs in a few months, but I was 18 then too, i didn't care how I did it, just wanted the weight gone.
  • TXGirl821
    TXGirl821 Posts: 115
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    They're pretty loaded with sodium. BUT - I think if you're trying to learn how to eat a more "normal" portion size, they are a very good training tool. And of course, they're convenient! :)
  • gecho
    gecho Posts: 426 Member
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    i hope so, i eat them all the time... i think the sodium is the worst thing about them.
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
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    sodium isn't really too bad if you don't have large amounts all the time, and when you do have it, drink more water.
  • chica23GK
    chica23GK Posts: 100 Member
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    I'd say no - but I do use them in a pinch (when I have to eat something & I don't have time to cook; and I'm so hungry I risk eating fast food or something really high in calories & fat :D). But I'll add veggies & protein (when I have some leftover grilled chicken in my fridge). And I won't have one on a day I've eaten cereal or bread - too much carbs altogether. And I'll make sure my other foods are lower in sodium because LC have lots of sodium. Basically, I use them for backup when I haven't gone grocery shopping. That's my 2 cents :)
  • mmarcy7
    mmarcy7 Posts: 227 Member
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    I never found them filling at all. For the calories, I'd rather eat something else.
  • JediSwan
    JediSwan Posts: 455 Member
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    I eat the Healthy Choice steamers when I eat those kinds of things. I think all micro meals have high sodium but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and eat it cause you dont have time.

    The best thing I have found is to make extra veggies, etc and then take those to work for quick meals.
  • MadeInDR022
    MadeInDR022 Posts: 260
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    I have about 2-3/week for lunch. Sodium is "bad" but I rarely go over my sodium.
  • lmeslie
    lmeslie Posts: 46 Member
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    short answer: no.

    long answer: if youre looking for "healthy" cheap on the go meals that you can zap in the microwave these are lower in calories but the sodium & other chemical crap in frozen foods is so ridiculous that it makes it almost not worth it. that being said though, my first month i ate one for lunch everyday and i still managed to lose weight. so really it depends on how desperate you are and how strapped for time/energy you are.

    it really depends on your own definition of what healthy is. if its either lean cuisine or burger king then yes its healthy, if your choice is a homemade dish from scratch vs this, then no. lol

    I agree with this post. The ingredients list prove that most "big brand" frozen meals are chemical laden and terrible for you, despite being low in calories. Make your own frozen meals by cooking something and freezing it in several individual portions. This way, you can use real food, no chemicals, and control everything! Just because nutrition facts look "good" doesn't make something good for you, unfortunately. It makes me sad how many chemicals, flavor enhancers, additives, and artificial flavorings have made it into most foods. I understand that not everyone can afford organic, but try buy things that only list real foods as ingredients. The fewer ingredients the better. I noticed huge changes in how I felt when I went as organic/unprocessed as possible.
  • nnylee
    nnylee Posts: 814 Member
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    Why eat those when you could pre-make a yummy chicken broccoli meal and freeze it for later? D:
  • locomokeman
    locomokeman Posts: 8 Member
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    Thanks guys, this really helps. I wasn't aware about the excessive sodium.