http://www.leancuisine.com/images/lclogo_lrg.jpg

What do you guys think about lean cuisine (http://www.leancuisine.com) or other frozen dinners that claim to be healthy? Are they clean foods? Are they recomended?

They seem so convenient...I bet there is a catch somewhere...there always is :(

Cheers,
KalluMama

Learn to read and evaluate food labels. Frozen dinners are not going to be your best choice. Of course, I'm sure you know to evaluate at carb, protein and fat content... but dive deeper. Look at sodium content. Usually, those frozen dinner packages contain high quantities of salt and often preservatives in varying degrees... neither of which are very desirable.

Your best option is to find some recipes you enjoy that use fresh ingredients and you can relatively easily prep them in bulk. Portion off your food in containers and store them in the fridge. It's easy to make a tray of baked chicken that'll last you all week. It's easy to make a tub of rice and either portion it up or take what you need for each meal.

You can make fitness more convenient, but the bottom line is, you can't just go to your grocer's freezer and pick up what you need to make the body on the magazine covers a reality for you. Fitness is neither easy nor convenient - or else everyone would be chiseled.

-R

Just hire a gourmet fitness chef, then eating right is convenient ;)

"Just hire a gourmet fitness chef, then eating right is convenient" - LOL, good point.

I guess it depends if you're trying to look like the magazine cover model, or just taking steps toward a healthier lifestyle and cutting some fat.

This is just my opinion, but I think that if you're just trying to lose weight, then by all means eat them. Many people on this board will tell you to eat nothing but chicken, broccoli, brown rice, oats, and other "clean" foods. If you're that gung-ho about it, then by all means go for it. For the rest of us, there are easier ways to cut calories. Yes, they might contain some sodium and preservatives with names you can't pronounce. If that bothers you, don't eat them. The bottom line, though, is that they're easy, convenient, and lower in calories than most other typical choices.

If buying those and eating them for lunch makes you feel full on the 200-400 calories they contain instead of opting for the 1000 calorie Wendys extra value meal, then by all means eat them. I ate those Healthy Choice things for lunch quite often during my cut with great success. Ideal? No. 10X better than many other options? Yes.

Again, just my 2 cents.

"Just hire a gourmet fitness chef, then eating right is convenient" - LOL, good point.

I guess it depends if you're trying to look like the magazine cover model, or just taking steps toward a healthier lifestyle and cutting some fat.

This is just my opinion, but I think that if you're just trying to lose weight, then by all means eat them. Many people on this board will tell you to eat nothing but chicken, broccoli, brown rice, oats, and other "clean" foods. If you're that gung-ho about it, then by all means go for it. For the rest of us, there are easier ways to cut calories. Yes, they might contain some sodium and preservatives with names you can't pronounce. If that bothers you, don't eat them. The bottom line, though, is that they're easy, convenient, and lower in calories than most other typical choices.

If buying those and eating them for lunch makes you feel full on the 200-400 calories they contain instead of opting for the 1000 calorie Wendys extra value meal, then by all means eat them. I ate those Healthy Choice things for lunch quite often during my cut with great success. Ideal? No. 10X better than many other options? Yes.

Again, just my 2 cents.

The whole point of changing your lifestyle and eating healthy is to become healthy. If you're going to eat something low calorie and still consume a lot of sodium and preservatives contained in foods you would normally eat then why go through all the trouble eating those 'healthy' TV dinners in the first place? Why not keep eating ice cream and drinking milkshakes but in smaller portions/moderation?

That's the whole idea, is that they're not "going through all the trouble," they're getting something thats fast, easy, convenient, and a better choice than many others. Not the best, but better. Most people are not going to do a 180 and suddenly start eating only healthy foods. 300 calories worth of ice cream will not satiate anyone.

All I'm saying is that if someone is at 25%bf and likely just starting the "journey," that 500-600mg of sodium isn't going to make a noticeable difference. Maybe after making some progress they'll decide to take it to the next level and eat totally clean.

I realize that I'll never convince a lot of people of this, and I'm not arguing the fact that suddenly eating perfectly isn't a better choice. Just not a likely one.

Some real good points made by you guys here...i mean i see the need to eat clean all the time...but i also see the need of ease and some ppl will tend to burn out quicker.

The main concern with these food items is sodium...is that all? Is there anything else to be concerned about? is high sodium really that bad?

My BF is 26% and right now all my goal is to drop BF in the low teens!! Time is not that imp a factor. If i can do it in a way that will keep me happy and get results, i will do it.

So maybe I guess items like LeaN Cuisune are good occasionally but definately not everyday...

So maybe I guess items like LeaN Cuisune are good occasionally but definately not everyday...

I think Lean Cuisine are GARBAGE... but admittedly, better than a HUNGRY MAN XXL...

http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0744/yucky.gif

I think Lean Cuisine are GARBAGE... but admittedly, better than a HUNGRY MAN XXL...

http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0744/yucky.gif

WOW!! :eek:

OK I get the message!! :tu:

I love Lean Cuisine meals, especially the new ones. My favorite one is the 150 calorie Roasted Turkey with Vegetables. Obviously there are much healthier things to eat out there, so I wouldn't eat them all the time, but for a quick two or three o'clock meal at work, I think they're perfect.

Of course, I don't care about sodium at all. Other people might, and if they do, they won't like these meals.

I love Lean Cuisine meals, especially the new ones. My favorite one is the 150 calorie Roasted Turkey with Vegetables. Obviously there are much healthier things to eat out there, so I wouldn't eat them all the time, but for a quick two or three o'clock meal at work, I think they're perfect.

Of course, I don't care about sodium at all. Other people might, and if they do, they won't like these meals.
I care about sodium.

I don't eat those frozen meals very often. Mostly because, to me, they're not really meals. 150 calories? That's a tiny little snack and would have me hunting around in the fridge a few minutes later. The reason that they are better choices is mostly just because they are portion controlled. The main ingredient in those meals is white pasta or white rice. You're much better off precooking some lean meat of your choice and keeping it in the freezer, then for your meal, mix the lean meat with a large quantity of frozen vegetables (and, a litte bit of low sodium soy sauce, ginger and garlic, or salsa), and forgo the starch portion all together. Microwave your homemade mix as you would any other frozen dinner. (If you need, you could always store some cooked brown rice in the freezer to go with them.)

What lean cuisine was that picture of? Must have been one of the multi serving ones as I have never seen one with that many calories and they all have around 600mg of NA. LOL. That said, they aren't a great option but once in a while won't kill you. I've found I can make better myself.

The 'spa cuisine' are made with brown rice, btw.

What lean cuisine was that picture of?

Naw, that wasn't a Lean Cuisine meal, that was a Hungry Man XXL.

They're all crap, but I'd err on the side of a Lean Cuisine. :)

The main ingredient in those meals is white pasta or white rice.
I should have been more specific. I don't buy the ones with pasta or white rice. The turkey one I mentioned, for example, is just turkey with gravy on it and a lot of green beans.

I definitely agree that they make better snacks than actual meals.

I eat the occassional Lean Cuisine-type thing... but I consider it a "partial cheat." Because sometimes, damn it, I WANT salisbury steak with brown gravy and mashed potatoes. And I know if I made it myself, I'd eat WAY more than the 240 calories worth in that little frozen dish.

I have a friend who was training for a body fitness competition and all she ate were the Lean Cuisine meals and she lost a ton of fat. The problem is that, like what everyone has been saying, the ready made meals lack the nutrition that fresh foods contain. I personally wouldn't eat them but they can work in regards to fat loss if you don't care about the health benefits from "real" food.

I used to eat Lean Cuisine meals all the time - they were basically my way of "eating healthy" without the work.

However, the sodium is ridiculously high. Of course, you'll find that the sodium is high in almost all premade foods.

They're good for a quick fix when you're in a super hurry. But if you can, take a previous poster's advice and prepare meals and bulk then freeze them.

I don't see why people keep dogging on sodium. There's nothing wrong with high sodium, IMO. I love salt. FWIW I've lost a lot of weight exercising and eating a couple Michelina's Lean Gourmet/Budget gourmet meals daily.

I don't see why people keep dogging on sodium. There's nothing wrong with high sodium, IMO. I love salt. FWIW I've lost a lot of weight exercising and eating a couple Michelina's Lean Gourmet/Budget gourmet meals daily.

I don't have much of an opinion on sodium myself, but here (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284)is an article I found that might explain why people "dog" on sodium. I don't think the debate is on weight loss and sodium, but more on your health and sodium.

I don't see why people keep dogging on sodium. There's nothing wrong with high sodium, IMO. I love salt. FWIW I've lost a lot of weight exercising and eating a couple Michelina's Lean Gourmet/Budget gourmet meals daily.




Excess sodium is linked to high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. Maybe you do not have HBP, but there are many who have to watch their sodium intake per doctors orders.

The original poster back in January of '06, asked: "What do you guys think about lean cuisine or other frozen dinners that claim to be healthy? Are they clean foods? Are they recommended? "


It is not just sodium as you mentioned. Freezing foods destroys nutrients. So does nuking them. I would just love to test the vegetables people are eating from these packaged meals after they have been frozen for months, partially thawed while they sit in the freezer isle (or loading dock) to be stocked in your grocers freezer, refrozen again, and then microwaved. There is no telling how long these veggies sat around before they were packaged. They could have been canned, also. I remember reading about one company that bought institutional size canned veggies, then froze them to put in packaged foods to be microwaved. I wonder if there were any vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients left? I know there was probably no fiber left. I like my vegetables crunchy. I bet the veggies in those meals were reduced to piles of mush because of their ruptured membranes from the canning, freezing, thawing and then nuking process.

Fresh is always the best way to go. Does that mean an occasional frozen LC chicken and vegetable dinner is bad? No, especially if it is helping you in weight loss and you are pressed for time. If that is your only choice, then go for it. I just would not make it a staple of my diet.

and not enough protein, even for a woman.
V:D