Fave Lean Cuisines? (Or other not-too-bad-for-you foods!)

[ellaila]

After reading Mara's post ...

and can i just say how fabulous the Lean Cuisine 'Spaghetti in Meat Sauce with Basil and Mushrooms'... is? It tastes like restaurant spaghetti, which either means I eat at some mediocre Italian places or the LC is just REALLY good.

... I had to try it! Had it for lunch today, and ... Mara, you eat at some crappy Italian places!

Ha ha -- just kidding!

My verdict: YUM It's tasty and SO filling -- I'm stuffed!

I also really like any of their dishes that come with apple desserts -- the turkey with cornbread stuffing and a side of cinnamon apples is my all-time favorite! BUT it's not very filling

I also like the grilled chicken w/penne and caramel apples.

But I fear I'm falling into a rut by sticking with my faves, so if y'all have any favorite not-too-bad-for-you and good-to-eat-at-work-for-lunch ideas, please share!

 

[FireGoddess]

I''ve done some sampling and Lean Cuisine is the best IMO out of all the low-calorie frozen food meals. Healthy Choice

and I can''t remember which other I''ve tried.

I love the LC lasagna with meat sauce, the plain and pepperoni pizzas, the mac n cheese, and there''s another chicken dish I love but I''m blanking right now.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I eat the rigattoni (sp?) and meatballs (although I dump a TON of parmessean cheese on it, so there goes the "Lean" part, LOL!) and I really like the orange chicken too.

Just discovered the paninnis the other day. The chicken ones are pretty good but, as with most frozen meals, my advice would be to take a pass on the beef!

 

[jcrow]

i don''t do LC''s but i do LOVE amy''s. it''s organic frozen meals. i love the amy''s pizza''s. YUM!

 

[sumbride]

I love the paninis! The spinach and mushrooms is awesome and I really like the chicken club too. In the microwave at work, I actually get the grill marks, but the one at home doesn''t seem to do it. I try not to eat them at home anyway... that''s where I can eat real food! I think the "spa meals" are pretty good too. Had the lemongrass chicken today for lunch and it was good! Though at just 250 calories, I had to add a little something to lunch. I think that''s where people go wrong with the LCs... they think that one box is all they are supposed to eat. My FI has actually been known to heat up two!!! I say "hang on... have a salad and some cheese instead of a whole other meal!!!"

 

[ellaila]

Yah, I try to eat the LCs reaaaaalllllly slooooowly so that way I feel like I''m eating more! But my belly is smarter than I give it credit for, and it knows I did not give it enough food!
I''ll have to try those paninis -- they sound yummy! And yep, FG, I ate the lasagna with meat sauce religiously for a few months -- it''s really good! I like to "burn" it a little (as much as you can in a microwave), so that the sauce kind of hardens up around the outside -- gives it a totally different flavor.

 

[belle]

i love the roasted vegetable pizza. yummy.

 

[Mara]

how funny elaila...!! i'm glad to hear it's not just me lovin on the LC spaghetti with meat sauce...hehe.

i also tried a bunch of the healthier type ones out there, Healthy Choice, Michelinas Lean, LC, and another one I can't remember...and they were all pretty bland and tasteless, except for a few of the Michelina ones. LC adds a lot of salt to their entrees which I think is why they are so good...not SO great but it does taste better.

however, i do like the low calorie count on them, and if i don't have any more salt the rest of the day it's pretty balanced so i feel okay, i just try not to have them daily or all week long. i try to break up my daily lunches with other fresh items like a tuna sandwich or a salad as well. butmy fave LC is the spaghetti (duh..hehe!) with the meat sauce, but i also had the spaghetti and meatballs the other day and it was fab too. the pasta ones seem to keep me more filled up longer which is a perk. i will eat them on days i'm not working out so that i don't have to have an afternoon snack.

i also really like some of the chicken ones they have like herbed chicken is a fave (don't cook it as long as the directions say or else it's too long and the potatoes get like tough little chips) and there is another chicken one i just tried the other day that was good too. glazed chicken is good as well.

i tried the pizza one recently and it was kinda yak...i haven't tried too many others, but i do like the pastas with shrimp and veggies as well. i am not really a fan of beef frozen entrees, it's just a mental block. i had the turkey one with the apple desert you mentioned and it was a little salty for me...and i love salt typically!

anyway, i just experiment with what i like and what sounds good...sometimes the pastas are too creamy for me..but i like the chickens and the spaghettis as my faves!

 

[JulieN]

Healthy Choice is nasty.

I like all things Boca and the original Gardenburger, but it's best to stay away from the breakfast "meats." I usually just heat a patty, slice, and use it to top Romaine with a vinagrette.

 

[dani13]

I am OBSESSED with Lean Cuisine Margherita Pizza''s!!! I eat them all the time!!! I think there are like at least 5-6 minimum at any given time in my freezer...FI always says, "aren''t you tired of eating those PIZZAS!!!" But I never get sick of them, and I love that they are not bad for you at all!

 

[Scintillating]

I like the LC Chicken Carbonara. Yum.
I also like their sesame chicken, not as bad for you as the real thing.

I love Land O''Lakes fat free half & half in my coffee. Yum!

Scintillating...

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/9/2006 3:44:46 PM
Author: ellaila
I like to ''burn'' it a little (as much as you can in a microwave), so that the sauce kind of hardens up around the outside -- gives it a totally different flavor.

I totally do this too!

 

[IrishAngel7982]

LC''s glazed chicken. I''ve eaten it since I was little. LOVE IT!

I like most of the LC''s, but not Healthy Choice so much. I''ve wanted to try the paninis since probably 6 months ago, but I can never find them in the store. They look so yummy!

 

[diamondfan]

I used to love the beef with the teriyaki glaze and the glazed chicken with rice and green beans. It has been a while since I ate one though...

 

[Mannequin]

I love the Lemon Chicken LC from the spa line. The LCs that are Asian-inspired like the Sweet and Sour Chicken and the Chicken Chow Mein are also pretty tasty.

I never touch the beef ones. Ick.

 

[ellaila]

I just had the teriyaki glazed chicken -- YUM! And to make it even better, there just happened to be some fresh pineapple here in the office, so I added that to it, and OH was it good!

I also bought an Amy''s pizza -- something with goat cheese. I don''t know how healthy it is, but I cannot resist me some goat cheese.

 

[jcrow]

Date: 8/10/2006 3:39:02 PM
Author: ellaila
I just had the teriyaki glazed chicken -- YUM! And to make it even better, there just happened to be some fresh pineapple here in the office, so I added that to it, and OH was it good!

I also bought an Amy''s pizza -- something with goat cheese. I don''t know how healthy it is, but I cannot resist me some goat cheese.

my fave Amy''s pizza is the one with no cheese. i could eat that every day it''s SO good!

 

[jorman]

I love the LC Glazed Chicken- SO SO SO good, the Lasanga, the Margarita Pizza and the salsbury steak.

If I am feeling like being bad and want a Stouffers- the Chicken Tetrazini is fabulous as are the chicken enchiladas and real lasagna.

I totally cook all the microwave dishes until they are just slightly burned. So good! Especially the pasta dishes!

 

[ljmorgan]

I adore the LC pizzas and the lemongrass chicken. I also like Stouffer''s regular spaghetti with meat sauce. It weighs in at 350 calories, with more fat, and I find that it keeps my fuller longer for reasonable number of calories. I also like the HC french bread pizzas.

 

[ellaila]

Date: 8/10/2006 7:21:25 PM
Author: jorman

I totally cook all the microwave dishes until they are just slightly burned. So good! Especially the pasta dishes!

Ha, I''m so glad I''m not the only one who does this! I discovered it by accident actually b/c our microwave at work is like some uber-nuker machine, and it totally burns everything -- much to my delight

The burnt teriyaki sauce today was awesome!

When you guys say glazed chicken, do you mean the terikyaki glaze? Or is there another one called just glazed chicken?

 

[Mara]

there''s one called Glazed Chicken and it has green beans and rice as the side. it''s pretty simple.

lemongrass chicken sounds yummy!! i don''t think i have tried the sesame one yet because i have a mental block against things that are supposed to be like fried or something in a pan being done in a frozen kind of meal. like i wouldn''t want fish and chips in a LC. hehe.

speaking of frozen stouffers, i LOVE LOVE LOVE the lasagna!!!! it''s the best for a quick family meal when you don''t want to cook....not healthy exactly but yummy. throw on some fresh mozz in the oven and it''s extra divine.

 

[Mara]

has anyone tried the new brick oven LC pizzas? i saw an ad for one in my us weekly and it looks really yummy. i don''t know if they are out yet, i think they said it was new but i''m intrigued!

 

[ForteKitty]

I must be a pig. one meal is never enough to fill me up. i usually have to eat at least 2-3.