So I bought some Lean Cuisines and some Smart ones (which are Weight Watchers premade meals.) Do you guys really think these are okay to eat. like they are all made with white breads. I bought some thinking I could eat like 2 a week, not everyday but just something o satisify craving for pizza or a quick lunch. Calorie for the oven roasted chicken and onion pizza was 330 calories.
Personally they do not fill me up! I was always hungry after I ate them. I have found that the Kashi meals are much better at keeping me full and they taste really good. The chicken is very good too. I like the fact that they don't have all those preservatives like the other meals. I always add a green veggie to my frozen meals as well. Its personal taste and how your body feels. I did not lose any weight when I was eating those meals. My body does not like all the preservatives and "white" carbs.
My understanding is that the main advantage of whole wheat breads is extra fiber so you feel fuller longer. I have a fiber suppliment I take during the day but I don't have any qualms about eating white rice or white bread. It's not the 1/4 cup of rice that got me here.
I like them. They really help me stay on track during the day. It's good portion control for lunch and the lean cuisines are really really tasty. I think they're great for weekday lunches.
I was eating them quite regularily for a while. A few weeks ago, I took a glance at the ingredients list on the back of a Smart One's and was seriously surprised how many things are in there. I didn't read the ingredient list that carefully, but I didn't recognize a lot of them. I will still eat them every now and then, but I have started just cooking more for dinner to take leftovers for lunch.
I lost 20 pounds eating those crazy things...then I decided I didn't want to be hungry anymore (I was eating them twice a day)....I still use them as a crutch from time to time...and hey, if it does the trick for a pizza craving..well it's far better than going to the buffet!!!
btw..just got a super yummy homemade pizza recipe...the crust is made from crushed Fiber One cereal and oatmeal...interesting combo I thought---and I am gonna try it!
I lost 90 pounds eating Lean Cuisines once or twice a day. (Thankfully, sodium is not a problem for me.) They were great for portion control and were very, very convenient. I am now very slowly starting to cook a bit, so I'm using them less these days. But I am pretty certain that weight loss would have been harder and slower for me without them.
Personally, I stopped eating them once I changed my lifestyle around. The ones I bought had 18-38% of your days sodium! I find it's better if you just make the meal yourself, like if the frozen meal is a mini pizza, you can make your own (with a fraction of the sodium) on a whole wheat pita and add on lots of veggies and some lean chicken or something like that. And then you know what's going into it as well, without any of the "extra" processed stuff. BUT, that being said, I don't really see a problem with having one as a quickie meal once in a while, but I'd say once a week, tops. My opinion only. Good luck with your weight loss!
Box Meals
