Lean Cuisines and the like =
- Thread starter Cbelle
- Start date
Sorry Cbelle, but they don't nor does any other processed frozen food. "Clean Eating" refers to consuming foods in their natural states. The rule of thumb is: if it swims, flies, comes out of the ground or off a tree you can have it. Although I love Leanquisine,, SmartOnes and HealthyChoice, because they are LOADED with sodium, sugar and preservatives, they don't qualify as a clean meal. An example of a clean meal would be: steamed fish, brown rice and steamed veggies. Good clean startchy carbs are: oatmeal (from the cannister -- not packets,) brown rice, sweet or russet potatoes, cream of rice, shredded wheat. Good protein sources are: Beans, Seafood, Poultry, Nuts/Seeds/Peanut Butter (Natural), Lean Cuts of Beef; Fiberous Carbs: Any and all veggies and fruits. We all can't be perfect all of the time, but if you strive to eat "clean" as often as possible, I guarantee you will look and feel your best
meredith
Cathlete
So, is bread not a clean food? What's the general consensus on that? What about only whole grain with at least 3 g of fiber per slice? That's my rule of thumb. I would hate to live without it, it's probably my fave thing to eat (well, except p'nut butter, but I KNOW I have to watch that).
Meredith
Meredith
dani21496
Cathlete
I think that if the bread is whole grain then it's good. I'll have it!!
Jif low fat peanut butter is really yummy too!!
I'm not too crazy about the Skippy low fat peanut butter, but Jif is really good.
Oh, and 1 egg (even with the yolk) is only 70 calories and a great source of protein.
Danielle :+
Jif low fat peanut butter is really yummy too!!
I'm not too crazy about the Skippy low fat peanut butter, but Jif is really good.
Oh, and 1 egg (even with the yolk) is only 70 calories and a great source of protein.
Danielle :+
I think bread is considered clean. I love a good, fresh piece of wheat bread! I have cut down my bread intake though to only 1 piece at a time. In the morning I will eat 1 egg, 1 piece of fruit and 1 piece of wheat bread
I struggle too on the Lean Cuisine's. I like them for lunch and have cut them out of my diet the past 6 months. I have considered putting them back in my diet but every time I read the sodium content and all the preservatives I just can't do it
However, years ago I lost a ton of weight eating these meals and other "clean" foods and healthy working out. I think it must have been the lower calorie part that helped me.
Also.... do you all think GRITS out of the cannister are clean? I love GRITS!!!
I also eat oatmeal about every day at work. My work has a cafeteria with home made oatmeal. It is wonderful. I put raisins on it and a sprinkle of coconut. It is scrumpsious! Plus I get my fruit and carb all in one meal. I use it for my mid-morning meal after having an egg, fruit and a piece of toast at 6:30 a.m.
I struggle too on the Lean Cuisine's. I like them for lunch and have cut them out of my diet the past 6 months. I have considered putting them back in my diet but every time I read the sodium content and all the preservatives I just can't do it
However, years ago I lost a ton of weight eating these meals and other "clean" foods and healthy working out. I think it must have been the lower calorie part that helped me.
Also.... do you all think GRITS out of the cannister are clean? I love GRITS!!!
I also eat oatmeal about every day at work. My work has a cafeteria with home made oatmeal. It is wonderful. I put raisins on it and a sprinkle of coconut. It is scrumpsious! Plus I get my fruit and carb all in one meal. I use it for my mid-morning meal after having an egg, fruit and a piece of toast at 6:30 a.m.
The Amy's brand frozen meals would be a much better choice if you want to keep some on hand just in case you get in a bind and need one. They are made from all organic ingrediants and are all vegetarian too. No crap in them. They cost a little more but like I said might be something you'd want to have about in a bind for a pretty clean meal.
I do agree however that the "cleanest eating" is not in pre-packaged foods at all.
I do agree however that the "cleanest eating" is not in pre-packaged foods at all.
I second the recommendation for Amy's frozen foods. Yummy burritos, lasagna, enchiladas, etc.. There are other good choices in the frozen natural foods section as well, like Cascadian Farms and Seeds of Change (several of their varieties include soybeans for a higher protein level than most). These fit my definition of "clean", if not cheap.
Bev
Bev
naughtoj
Cathlete
I love it when these posts come about "clean eating"!!
I think clean eating is different when you are talking in terms of simply what foods can help you shed 20 lbs rather than when you are talking about someone who wants to eliminate all sugars, chemicals, additives..all that from their diet.
To me, egg beaters as well as whole eggs are "clean". So is bread, however if I was trying to lose weight I would definately limit that.
Lean Cuisines are for sure inferior when it comes to optimum nutrition. They usually lack the protein content many of us are looking for. But if they keep you from eating the 500 calorie fried fast food lunch you would normally have and help you lose weight than the more power to you! I would say that would be a wise choice. BUT at some point you need to learn to eat, meaning you need to learn about food, what is in it and what it can do for you from a performance standpoint as well as nutritional standpoint.
There is no substitute for an education!! If you are serious into fitness there really is no excuse for not learning about nutrition...but that is just my opinion...
Janice
I think clean eating is different when you are talking in terms of simply what foods can help you shed 20 lbs rather than when you are talking about someone who wants to eliminate all sugars, chemicals, additives..all that from their diet.
To me, egg beaters as well as whole eggs are "clean". So is bread, however if I was trying to lose weight I would definately limit that.
Lean Cuisines are for sure inferior when it comes to optimum nutrition. They usually lack the protein content many of us are looking for. But if they keep you from eating the 500 calorie fried fast food lunch you would normally have and help you lose weight than the more power to you! I would say that would be a wise choice. BUT at some point you need to learn to eat, meaning you need to learn about food, what is in it and what it can do for you from a performance standpoint as well as nutritional standpoint.
There is no substitute for an education!! If you are serious into fitness there really is no excuse for not learning about nutrition...but that is just my opinion...
Janice
icklemoley
Cathlete
Seems funny, these recommendations about clean eating... You ever seen an Oatmeal tree? Hardly clean eating then is it. Oatmeal doesn't frow that way, it's processed. Same as shressed wheat and All-bran,etc... Oat Groats on the other hand, they are clean eating. Bread? Same thing ever seen a bread tree? Nope, cause it's processed. Bagels, whole grain bread, etc... Fish, meat, etc... yep real, but not if they contain nitrates. Buy it fresh. But lets get real here. Who is gonna eat whole, real, all the time. Not possible or highly restrictive in the real world and is not for me. Sure i eat whole food, but only 60% of the time, the rest of the time is processed. Is it harming me? Who can say? I will not live my life on nothing but whole food, i think it takes all the pleasure out of eating and causes food obsessions. But just my thought. Now are leanmeals healthy... well, low in cals, so a damn site better than a mcdonalds! And that to be means healthy (er) .
> I love it when these posts come about "clean eating"!!
>
> I think clean eating is different when you are
>talking in terms of simply what foods can help you shed 20 lbs
>rather than when you are talking about someone who wants to
>eliminate all sugars, chemicals, additives..all that from
>their diet.
>
I was strictly speaking of clean in terms of getting all sugars, chemicals and additives out of the diet, not the lose 20 lbs diet.
Try From The First Bite by K Shepherd, now that's a clean food plan she offers up in her book
Edith
>
> I think clean eating is different when you are
>talking in terms of simply what foods can help you shed 20 lbs
>rather than when you are talking about someone who wants to
>eliminate all sugars, chemicals, additives..all that from
>their diet.
>
I was strictly speaking of clean in terms of getting all sugars, chemicals and additives out of the diet, not the lose 20 lbs diet.
Try From The First Bite by K Shepherd, now that's a clean food plan she offers up in her book
Edith
I live in No. California, and can find these at Safeway, Raley's, and Albertson's (not that I've looked everywhere). They're usually in a separate "health food" area though. Sometimes in a separate area of the main freezer, sometimes in a small freezer in the health food isle. Gotta look around. I've also seen 4-packs of Amy's lasagna and enchiladas at Costco occasionally.
FWIW, my choice of what qualifies as "clean" in a packaged food basically comes down to if all the ingredients are things I would cook with at home. Amy's ingredient lists are a lot easier on the eyes than Lean Cuisine types. And I consider organic a bonus, not a requirement. (Most of the ingredients are organic.)
Bev
FWIW, my choice of what qualifies as "clean" in a packaged food basically comes down to if all the ingredients are things I would cook with at home. Amy's ingredient lists are a lot easier on the eyes than Lean Cuisine types. And I consider organic a bonus, not a requirement. (Most of the ingredients are organic.)
Bev
RE: Oatmeal & Kashi Go Lean Cereal=
I understand that flax seed is good for you (omegas), so I sprinkle a spoonful on my oatmeal along with a handful of raisins. I add milk and microwave it 2 min. while I pack my lunch.
When I don't want hot cereal, I often eat Kashi Go Lean cereal. It's high in fiber (& maybe protein, too?), with 6 or 8 g per cup. I have no idea if it's considered "clean" or not--sorry!
I understand that flax seed is good for you (omegas), so I sprinkle a spoonful on my oatmeal along with a handful of raisins. I add milk and microwave it 2 min. while I pack my lunch.
When I don't want hot cereal, I often eat Kashi Go Lean cereal. It's high in fiber (& maybe protein, too?), with 6 or 8 g per cup. I have no idea if it's considered "clean" or not--sorry!
RE: peanut butter=
Have you ever tried Smucker's peanut butter? It doesn't have any hydrogenated oils or anything other than peanuts in it. Usually there's oil on top when I buy a jar, and I pour most of it out before I eat any. (But I don't pour it all out, or it gets dry & hard to spread by the time I reach the bottom of the jar.)
Friends have told me that the freshly-made-to-order peanut butter from health food stores is even better.
juliee
Have you ever tried Smucker's peanut butter? It doesn't have any hydrogenated oils or anything other than peanuts in it. Usually there's oil on top when I buy a jar, and I pour most of it out before I eat any. (But I don't pour it all out, or it gets dry & hard to spread by the time I reach the bottom of the jar.)
Friends have told me that the freshly-made-to-order peanut butter from health food stores is even better.
juliee
