Love them! You definitely have to watch the sodium, but they are great for times when you are tempted to pick up fast food b/c you don't have time to cook. I keep them in the freezer at work so on the days that I can't take a regular lunch (or forget what I fixed the night before) I have something to eat. They also help with portion control.
i do...especially when i'm craving pizza or pasta it is a more healthy version rather than buying the full fat kind from a restaurant. i think they are helpful but you might want to consider adding a fruit or salad with because they don't really keep you full for too long. and as you mentioned they do tend to have high sodium but i think they are beneicial in terms of eating healthier, better portioned meals
I eat them once in a while. If I want lasagna or the Santa Fe rice and beans...mmmm They make a nice quick meal. I usually add some microwaved steamed vegetables with it just to make more or some low calorie toast with no cal spray butter and some garlic (I like to eat a lot).
So yes they can help you on your weight loss journey.
If you want to get a grip on portion-control have a look in the CC recipe database and pick a recipe. All the meals are calorie-counted and, as long as you stick to the quantities by weighing out the ingredients you're home and dry. It's really easy to put together a truly healthy meal in less than 25 minutes and it'll be cheaper, more filling, nutritious and more satisfying than any microwave meal. Best of luck
I eat Lean Gourmet's (Michaelina's) everyday. They are similar to Lean Cuisine's, but about $1.00 cheaper!
My favorites include...
- Santa Fe Rice and Beans
- Vegetable Rice Pilaf
- BBQ chicken with Mashed Potatoes
- Cheese Pizza
- Buffalo Chicken Bites (be careful...there are two serving to this box)
I don't see a huge problem with eating these everyday. They are healthier than the foods I see my co-workers eating. I make sure to get in a fresh breakfast and lunch to balance things out. Hope that helped! Good luck!
I eat them every day because I'm kind of lazy. Well maybe not lazy, but I do have time constraints. By the time I exercise, fix dinner, clean up, do whatever household chores I need to get done, the last thing I feel like doing is packing a lunch. Since I do know that they are hight in Sodium though, I try to curb intake of Sodium with everything else I eat.
I admit it! I'm lazy sometimes and I love Lean Cuisines. Like others have said, I always have to add something on the side to feel satisfied, though. A banana, some yogurt, etc.
I don't think I'd eat them every day or for every meal, but they're a great break from cooking. Maybe check out some Healthy Choice meals, too. I think they're a little lower on the sodium.
The butternut squash ravioli is awesome!
I'm with gi-jane on this.
They are a staple! I eat them myself once in a while when I'm in a hurry and need to make sure I have something!
Truth be told though I want to eat home cooked food! You can skinny down any recipe! As jane said there are a number of great recipes here on CC. Cooking Light magazine has a website with a wealth of awesome recipe's for every palate also cooking done light! I have added the links below.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder /main
http://cookingdonelight.com/blog/
Make friends with your kitchen food is not the enemy!
We eat Lean Cuisines twice a week ... instead of restaurant food.
The rest of the time we cook "from scratch".
If you log all your foods and check the analysis daily, it helps. I eat egg whites for breakfast almost every day, once or twice a week unsweetened mueslix with 1% milk (half a cup). If I have a LC for lunch, then in the evening I have a can of tuna packed in water . Every night I have around 300 calories or so of fruit salad made from fresh fruits. Every day I have 8 oz. of 1% milk. Every day I take a multivitamin and additional calcium.
My caloric intake is between 1200 and 1400 most days. I am losing about 5 lbs. a month and am 6 months into this lifestyle. I feel good and have no cravings and am not hungry.
Once a month or so we are invited out and then end up eating 1800-2400 calories for the day.
I eat them most every day at work for lunch. I love them.
Original Post by gi-jane:
To misquote an old saying... "give a man a Lean Cuisine and you feed him for a day, show him how to cook and you feed him for life" LOL!
I think I may have that engraved on a plaque and hung over the mantle!
I used to eat them every day about 18 months ago. I lost weight, but I was constantly hungry. As a result, I ended up falling off the diet wagon and binging since I was so food deprived.
Since I've discovered calorie count, I've starting eating only freshly prepared food. The thing I love, is that I get to eat a much highervolume of food, and I'm generally feeling fuller and more satisfied.
I would say that they are ok in the beginning while you adjust, but you should definitely work towards making your own fresh healthy food. In the long run, that's what's going to stick with you and make a healthy life long lifestyle.
I do not eat lean cuisine daily, I prefer to cook my own food but, FYI regarding the sodium; If you drink enough water, you flush the sodium out. I do not concern myself with sodium counts since I drink about half gallon of water daily. I dont like juices, sodas, etc so water is all I drink.
I don't eat them anymore (a little too expensive for me right now), but I did eat them a lot at the beginning of my "lifestyle change". I manage to lose weight pretty quickly back then, so I don't think my weight loss was adversely affected by the LC.
They are portion-controlled, quick and easy meals, they are laced with sodium and that's not a good thing, but if it works for you, try it for a while. They won't kill you (although some people will try to convince they will). If you can add in a salad and/or fresh veggies then you are even further ahead. Do what you gotta do to get to the point where you think you can do more fresh food preparation.
My mom buys them all the time...but honestly I don't think they're worth the money because I end up feeling hungry like less than two hours after I eat them lol. :D But if you are looking for a small, healthy meal, I guess they are fine. The only ones I think are suitable for eating is the salmon with orzo pasta and the butternut squash ravioli.... yumm. :]
i feel like i totally live off of lean cusines. basically cause i have noo idea how to cook. i even mess up trying to grill a chicken breast :( my mom is a health nut though so she will occasinally make things but i'd rather have the lean cuisine instead of the popcorn chicken in the freezer :D
and they seem to fill me up just fine....sooo idk.
