Lean Cuisines - The Good, The So So, & The Gross

[Susan Bartolini]

Ok...so like many of you, I am trying to start the new year with a commitment to getting back into shape (after two kids and a year of two of complete neglect of my body). So, I am doing Weight Watchers Online and working out but I find it hard to cook for myself and my family....and so, occasionally, I just pop in a Lean Cuisine for myself. Now, as we all know, these things aren't the best tasting food in the world....but some are better than others. I am hoping that we can each share our favorites so that we don't have to go through the expense and agony of trying crappy LC's. Here are my picks:

The Good
Santa Fe Rice and Beans
Chicken Florentine Lasagna
Cheddar Potato & Broccoli
Tortilla Crusted Fish
Chicken Enchiladas Suiza - newly added!

The So So
Cheese Ravioli

The Gross
Macaroni & Cheese
Chicken Marsala
Steak Cheddar & Mushroom Panini (this one really depressed me)

So...gimme your LC picks...I have to know. I cannot try another bad one when I am starving.

Susan

PS - If you can recommend some of the WW brand dinners, that would be cool too!

[lizzyfizzy]

the WW Calzone Italiano is yummy!!

can't remember the others ones i love/hate atm.

[ColleenSwerb]

I really like the Grilled Chicken Ceasar and the Chicken Parm and the Grilled Chicken with Penne.

[lovely1m]

Oh, I love LC! I take one to work most days. My favorites are the Red Beans & Rice and the Veggie Eggroll. I buy 1 of those every week. I also like their pizzas, the cheese & mushroom/spinch ones being the best. I also like all of the tomato sauce pasta ones.

[Mandy]

The WW Smart Ones Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae is the friggin bomb.
I may need to get one later, I'm having a sweet tooth.

[kscwgirl]

Looooooooooooove the LC pizzas. Every single one of them. Love.

Also the chicken/bacon panini is good.

[pbumbaca]

I love the Lemon Chicken and the Chicken Ranch Pocket things.

For Smart Ones:
The Breakfast Quesadilla were not bad but the tortilla edges were a little hard
The Breafast English Muffin Sandwich with Canadian Bacon was pretty good

These are the ones I eat mostly for Lunch
Creamy Rigatoni with Chicken and Broccoli
Santa Fe Rice and Beans
Honey Dijon Chicken
Three Cheese Ziti Marinara

[LeeAndra]

I always buy 1-2 LC Chicken Club sandwiches/paninis a week. I like to eat the two slices in the box separately rather than together like a sandwich so it feels like I have more food. *lol*

Ditto Col's suggestions. The caramel(-esque) apple dessert wins me over every time when it comes to the Chicken & Penne.

I enjoy the Chicken Mediterranean, Chicken Tuscan, and Grilled Chicken Primavera.

Although I generally love margherita pizzas, the LC version has WAY too many teeny onions that can't be picked off and made the whole thing gross.

Chicken w Basil Cream sauce is so so. Roasted Garlic Chicken is so so. Rosemary Chicken is so so.

[alansrock]

Originally Posted by Chef

The Gross
Steak Cheddar & Mushroom Panini

I love these and think they are the best thing Lean Cuisine makes, so I don't think you want my list! LOL!

[Susan Bartolini]

Originally Posted by alansrock

I love these and think they are the best thing Lean Cuisine makes, so I don't think you want my list! LOL!

Give us your list! We don't all have to agree. I am just a Philly Steak connoisseur and was really grossed out by it. I think my expectations were too high. I am just starting to eat LCs and they definitely are a CHANGE from my normal diet.

Does anyone else salt the hell out of these things? I feel like they are tasteless unless I add some salt, spices or a little sprinkle of parm cheese.

Susan

[aggiefamily]

I love their pizzas.

Have you tried the Weight Watchers Smart Ones? I like those as well. The Santa Fe Rice and Beans, Enchiladas Suiza and their new fruit inspirations are good.

Chicken Picata is good if you can find it. I think it might be phased out.

I like most of the Italian meals.

And I love the WW 1 point snack cakes. Those are YUM!

[aggiefamily]

Originally Posted by Chef

Does anyone else salt the hell out of these things? I feel like they are tasteless unless I add some salt, spices or a little sprinkle of parm cheese.

Susan

Red Pepper Flakes are my friend. I don't do much salt but I pour on the pepper and salsa for the Mexican meals.

[Kat Stokes]

I like the LC mainly because they are Stouffer's which makes pretty good regular meals

Lean Cuisine:
My faves:
Macaroni & Cheese (hate the WW brand though)
Cheese Ravioli
Veggie & Regular Lasagna
Baked Chicken (with stuffing & mashed potatoes)
Meatloaf & Whipped Potatoes
Three Cheese Stuffed Rigatoni
French Bread Pizza
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Deluxe Pizza

Okay:
Herb Roasted Chicken
Grilled Chicken Ceasar

Gross:
Any of the flatbread melts - blech!

Weight Watchers:
My Faves:
Peanut Butter Cup Sundae
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae
Chocolate Mousse
Brownie A La Mode
Chicken Santa Fe
Lasagna Bolognese
Penne Pollo (very hard to find)
Ravioli Florentine

Okay:
Fiesta Quesedella
Chicken Enchiladas Monterey
Three Cheese Ziti Marinara
Spicy Szechuan Style Vegetable & Chicken
Chicken Mirabella

Gross:
Macaroni & Cheese

Any I use quite a bit of salt and pepper on my entrees.

Susan, you can make a lot of your own recipes lower in points by using lean meat, low fat or non-fat cheese products, etc. Also, cutting back the portion size on your protein and carbs and increasing the veggies will help. That way you can eat what everyone else is having. Of course that won't do you any good if they like a lot of fried food...

[ColleenSwerb]

Susan, I would really not recommend adding any salt to these meals. They are LOADED with sodium.

[Susan Bartolini]

Kat - that is a great list. Thanks! And we agree on the flatbreads....YUK!

We don't eat any fried foods (save for the occasional trip to McD's for the happy meals for the kids). We really aren't that much of a sweets family either.....so that is good. My biggest problem is CHEESE (I LOVE IT), carbs (hello, I married into an Italian family...can you say PASTA?), and portion size. When something tastes good...I have a hard time limiting myself. I guess that is why these LCs work...because they just taste OK to me. LOL!

Col - Yeah...I know, you're right, they are loaded with sodium, but they tend to be tasteless. MY BP is really low as is my cholesterol (I get it checked every year)...so I feel ok using salt. I know that means I am retaining more water...but its a trade off I am willing to make.

Susan

[ColleenSwerb]

I just wanted to make sure you were aware

[MamaK]

I am warry of their new fish meals, not sure if I trust frozen fish? OhMyLordy... I'm looking at their website so I can remember all the meals I eat and there are sooo many that we don't get here. *yum*

I love the
Butternut Squash Ravioli!
Roasted Turkey Breast
Chicken Enchilada Suiza
and the Panini's are pretty good.

[lovely1m]

Yeah, they are really high in sodium, I would never add salt to them, but I don't much like salt anyway.

[WalkersMommy]

My favorite is the chicken garlic pizza! its reeeeally yummy the cheese pizza is good too!

[SmallMoments]

I haven't read through the others... these are my favorites. (I LOVE the steak & mushroom panini, btw!)

Chicken Fried Rice bowl
Chicken Ranch Club Flatbread
Chophouse Steak Flatbread
Roasted Garlic Chicken Pizza
Spinach & Mushroom Pizza
Chicken Philly Flatbread

I eat a lot of pizza & flatbread.

[scrapmonkey]

My personal favorite is the Sesame Chicken. I also like the Butternut Squash Ravioli (almost as good as Linda McCartney's) and the Tortilla-Crusted Fish.
I tend not to add salt to the meals - the only ones I'm tempted to do that with are the Healthy Choice meals.

[Angie4b1g]

The Santa Fe Rice and Beans is my favorite of the WW ones.

[rach3975]

I'm a vegetarian, so there are a lot I don't bother with. Cheese is my weakness, too.

My faves:
Santa Fe rice and beans (I add 1T of light sour cream. I eat all the others as is.)
Lasagna--the non-meat one
Vegetarian eggroll-I mix the orange sauce w/ the rice instead of on the eggroll
Margherita pizza
Spinach pizza
Potato and broccoli w cheese--can't find this lately. I hope they didn't discontinue it!

Good:
Butternut squash ravioli
Mac and cheese
Veggie pizza

Okay:
pasta w sauce
ravioli w sauce

The WW desserts are great, but I generally like the LC meals better. I'll buy the WW entrees if they're on sale and LC isn't.

[KMBaker]

I Love the Sesame Chicken, thats my favorite! I also like the sweet and sour chicken. Personally I can't stand the Swedish Meatballs YUCK! I do like the Panini's but not the flatbreads.

[mrsmbm]

The butternut squash ravioli is my all time FAVE LC!!!! Sooooooooo yummy!!!

[Susan Bartolini]

Ok...I just had the Chicken Enchiladas Suiza today and it ROCKED! I added a tiny bit of low fat sour cream and it was really delicious!

Susan

[MamaK]

Originally Posted by Chef

Ok...I just had the Chicken Enchiladas Suiza today and it ROCKED! I added a tiny bit of low fat sour cream and it was really delicious!

Susan

Yeah! I should have mentioned that I love that one even though it cooks up a little dry for me. I have cut off about a minute of the cooking time and think I'll try adding a teensy bit of water to the rice next time to see if it says a little moister.

[robinforman]

One that I like that hasn't been mentioned is the Peanut Chicken. I like it a lot!

[Pamela Gibson]

i love the lean pockets chicken ceaser

[Sari]

I love the Chicken Carbonara.

[aggiefamily]

My Kroger has all Lean Cuisine for $1.88!

I bought all the Butternut Squash Ravioli and Chicken Club Panini they had.