The Lean Cuisine started in 1981 as something healthier than Stouffer’s frozen meals. Lean Cuisine is sold today by Nestle in the US, Canada, and Australia. There are various frozen dishes available in shops, such as pizzas, comfort food, dinner entrees, etc. There are also ethnic traditional cuisines available, such as Asian or Mexican cuisines. Though Lean Cuisine is quite familiar and easy to prepare, is it a healthy choice? 

Is Lean Cuisine Good for You?

Lean Cuisine is a good option when you are looking for something quick to eat. However, remember that Lean Cuisine is not a replacement for a prepared meal or for fruits and vegetables. It should be eaten in moderation. 

Advantages of Lean Cuisine

One good thing of Lean Cuisine is that the portions and calories are controlled. Normally, the portion size and the amount of calories you consume a day are very important if looking to lose weight. With Lean Cuisine, you can easily control the number of calories you consume a day, essential for a weight-loss diet.

Another good thing is that you will have a hot meal quickly. After long working hours, who wants to come home and cook a dinner for the entire family? Just pull the Lean Cuisine out of the freezer, put it into the microwave and there you will have your dinner ready in just a few minutes.

Besides, Lean Cuisine offers a variety of different dishes, even traditional ones, suitable for everyone's taste.

Disadvantages of Lean Cuisine

Is Lean Cuisine good for you? Well, not so bad, but it has its drawbacks.

• Lean Cuisine meals tend to be high in sodium.
• Lean Cuisine meals are not always the tastiest meals. Even though frozen meal manufacturers have come a long way since their start, frozen food still tends to taste like a frozen food.
• Lean Cuisine meals tend to be low in fibers as they rely on processed grains like white flour and white rice.
• If your diet consists strictly of Lean Cuisine, you will not get all the necessary nutrients.
• You will probably remain hungry; it is well known that Lean Cuisine meals are low in calories and have a small portion.

What Are the Healthier Meals of Lean Cuisine?

To eat Lean Cuisine in a healthier way, choose the meals that contain more vegetables. Here are two good choices for you.

• The Sweet Sriracha Braised Beef seems to contain more than 50% of vegetables like red bell peppers, snap peas or broccoli florets.
• Pomegranate Chicken is another healthy meal of the Lean Cuisine, containing about 180 calories and more than 50% vegetables like yellow carrots and green beans.

In general, people who wonder "is Lean Cuisine good for you" actually worry about the fat, calories, sodium and other contents of the Lean Cuisine. Here are some tips on how to choose healthier meals based on these ingredients:

Calories in Lean Cuisine Meals

 Sodium in Lean Cuisine Meals

 Fat in Lean Cuisine Meals

The American Heart Association states that at most 30% of the total calorie can come from fat. The Lean Cuisine meals meet the standard, with the amount of fat ranging from 2 g to 9 g in each meal. 

Lean Cuisine’s Gluten-Free and Organic/Non-GMO Options

Lean Cuisine offers gluten-free meals too, like Chicken Fried Rice, Chile Lime Chicken, Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry, Fiesta Grilled Chicken or Ranchero Braised Beef. There are at least 12 different gluten free dishes offered by Lean Cuisine.

Lean Cuisine also offers organic and non-GMO meals too like Ricotta Cheese & Spinach Ravioli, Cheese Tortellini, Mushroom Risotto, Mexican Black Beans & Rice, etc.

How to Eat Lean Cuisine in a Healthy Way

Now you know the answer to "is Lean Cuisine good for you". If you decide to eat Lean Cuisine, try to eat in a healthy way. Here are some great tips which will help you stay healthy even though you are eating frozen food from time to time:

• Don’t eat frozen food from Lean Cuisine more than twice a week.
• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables combined with a Lean Cuisine meal.
• Regulate the sodium intake after eating a Lean Cuisine meal.
• Include low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese to your daily meals.
• If you consume Lean Cuisine regularly – more than twice a week, make sure to take supplements which will help you regulate the absence of minerals and fibers.
• Fish oil tablets are also recommended when Lean Cuisine meal is a regular part of your diet. These tablets will help you maintain an optimal balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
• If you want to punch up the flavor of Lean Cuisine meals, add pepper or dried herbs. Don’t add salt.