All DietsWhat You Should Know
Frozen meals have come a long way since the dreaded TV dinner from the seventies and eighties that our mothers used to serve us in a pinch. The choices were pretty limited then but today’s frozen meals offer a much greater variety and the taste has definitely improved. One of the most popular frozen meal lines is Lean Cuisine, made by Stouffers. Lean Cuisine offers several categories of meals including “One Dish Classics”, “Comfort Classics”, “Café Classics”, “Spa Cuisine Classics”, “Skillets”, “Dinnertime Selects” and “Casual Eating”.
The problem with many so called “diet” foods is that they do not cater to everyone’s needs. Many people are on low sodium diets and while many of the Lean Cuisine entrees are low in fat and calories, they are generally high in sodium. The official Lean Cuisine website does offer a menu planner, a fitness planner, recipes and the option to ask a nutritionist questions as well as browse through some of the previously asked questions and answers. There are success stories where dieters can read about other peoples struggles with their weight and get inspiration from their achievements.
Ingredients
Lean Cuisine entrees feature both meat and vegetarian options.
Product Features
Over 85 of Lean Cuisines entrees have received an endorsement from fitness coach Bob Greene, author of “The Best Life Diets”. Many of the frozen meals now include whole grains, twice the vegetables and omega 3’s to give them greater nutritional value.
Advantages
- Lean Cuisine offers a variety of meals for everyone’s taste.
- Lean Cuisine meals are low in fat and calories.
Disadvantages
- Lean Cuisine frozen entrees may be high in sodium and not healthy for those on a low sodium diet.
- The entrees must be kept frozen and require a microwave to cook them and may not be convenient for those on the go.
- Dieters must add other food items to the diet plan to have a complete meal.
Conclusion
Lean Cuisine may be good for dieters who want a quick alternative to cooking their own meals. All one has to do is pop the meal in the microwave and in minutes you have a hot meal on your table. However it may not be a good option for those on the go, since the entrees must be kept frozen and preparing them requires a microwave oven. Unfortunately if you are on a low sodium diet, you may want to stick with cooking for yourself. Lean Cuisine is not the best choice for those who prefer low sodium options. When dieters prepare their own meals at home, they are in better control of what goes into them especially the salt. Spices like garlic powder, pepper and others can add a lot of flavor without the sodium.
I am a heart failure patient but a very fit man of 86 years. I hike regularly and eat healthily– low sat. fat, etc.
I have stopped buying your dinners because of the following:
Your foods are OK, but salt is too high. As a “healthy food organization, shouldn’t you have a food with a sodium option of 250 mg sodium or less.
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Your roasted turkey breast was a disaster. It contained 4 tiny pieces of turkey, half the size shown on box. The stuffing was dryed bread with pieces of celery. (yuk)
the green beans should have been thrown away instead of serving them in a meal. Very disappointed. Will not buy this product again.
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I love all the varieties of foods. The paninies/pizza’s are a great option to regular sandwiches/pizza.
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Krogers had lean cuisine on sale this past month. I bought several varieties to see if I liked them. After two weeks, I have lost 10-pounds and have never been hungry or dissatisfied. I cook one in the morning to take work, then only warm it at work. I really appreciate the spaghetti and meatballs, and the beef with portobello mushrooms and red potato combination! As I write this, I am eating their swedish meatball with pasta selection while my “dieting friends” are eating rice cakes. The have an enormous selection to suit any taste. I teach and am not affiliated with this company.
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HERB ROASTED CHICKEN. Directions call for 11 min & 30 sec. cooking. Needless to say,the whole meal was burned and had to be pitched. I noticed, afterwards, directions called for “50% power” which most microwaves do not have. I’d appreciate being reimbursed, and perhaps you can change the directions.Thank you.
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I absolutely love Lean Cuisine.. Every morning I have a fat free yogurt and piece of fruit for breakfast, followed by a low fat cheese stick for mid morning snack. Lunch is always a Lean Cuisine and a side salad with low fat or fat free dressing.. Afternoon snack is a piece of fruit and dinner is a Lean Cuisine and side salad.. I have lost nearly 80 pounds following this simple plan and feel better than ever. Lean Cuisine does seem to have a bit of sodium, however, drink your daily recommended intake of water and you will have no worries. TIP: I always buy the Lean Cuisines that have 5g of fat or less. I wish they would come out with some =good, low fat breakfast selections!
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I like Lean Cuisine but I was appalled when tried to read the ingrediants list on the lastest batch I bought. Guess what? None in English on the box. I will stop buying it if they don’t fix that.
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I think your meals are wonderful. Taste great, good balance, but I am allergic to wheat, and will have to quit eating them, unless you can come up with a wheat or gluten free section. Thank You for the many varieties you have. I know you can’t please everyone. I esp would like to thank you for the perservative free meals.
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