Lean Cuisine Nutritional information: What's Inside Those Boxes?
Why brother with Lean Cuisine Nutritional Information?
Do you ever wonder about Lean Cuisine nutritional information? Before you go out to a store to buy something because it’s supposed to be healthy, it makes sense to check online whether you should buy the item. Not knowing the nutritional information of any food item can jeopardize your health. Below are Lean Cuisine nutritional information of 10 select products from each of Lean Cuisine’s eight unique recipe collections.
- The Denver Style Breakfast Panini
The Denver Style Breakfast Panini has 280 calories, 8g of fat, 38g of carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 14g protein, and 500mg of sodium. This item has far fewer calories and sodium than something like a an Egg McMuffin from McDonalds. However, it has scrambled egg whites, ham, and cheese. This is more food for fewer calories, a common theme with Lean Cuisine.
- The Pepperoni French Bread Pizza
The Pepperoni French Bread Pizza has 310 calories, 7g of fat, 45g of carbohydrates, 4g of fiber, 16g of protein, and 690mg of sodium. The average pizzeria pizza has more calories than this menu item. The sodium content is slightly higher than many of Lean Cuisine’s other food items, but typical of pizza because of the sodium in the cheese and sauce.
- The Jumbo Rigatoni with Meatballs
The Jumbo Rigatoni with Meatballs has 400 calories, 9g of fat, 56g of carbohydrates, 7g of fiber, 23g of protein, and 830mg of sodium. This food item is one of the most sodium-rich items on Lean Cuisine’s menu. However, compared to Beef Ravioli in Tomato and Meat Sauce by Chef Boyardee, this Lean Cuisine item has 25% less sodium.
- The Chicken Portabello
The Chicken Portabello has 390 calories, 8g of fat, 48g of carbohydrates, 2g of fiber, 32g of protein, and 560mg of sodium. This menu item is very protein rich for the amount of calories it offers. Although it may seem like it has many carbohydrates, like many Lean Cuisine items, it is balanced by protein. This is good, since it can slow the absorption of carbohydrates in your stomach, keeping your blood sugar from spiking.
- The Four Cheese Pizza
The Four Cheese Pizza has 360 calories, 6g of fat, 51g of carbohydrates, 3g of fiber, 20g of protein, and 650mg of sodium. This pizza has slightly more calories and carbohydrates than the Pepperoni French Bread Pizza. The difference in sodium content between the two foods is negligible.
- The Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp Scampi has 250 calories, 7g of fat, 32g of carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 15g protein, and 690mg sodium. Red Lobster’s Shrimp Scampi has the same amount of sodium, but with less calories than Lean Cuisine’s Shrimp Scampi. Red Lobster’s Shrimp Scampi has 31g less carbohydrates than Lean Cuisine’s Shrimp Scampi.
- The Chicken Mediterranean
Chicken Mediterranean has 240 calories, 4g of fat, 32g of carbohydrates, 6g of fiber, 19g of protein, and 590mg of sodium. This food item is low in calories and high in fiber. It’s a good choice for anyone who needs more fiber in their diet. Don’t get all your fiber from Lean Cuisine meals as the sodium will catch up to you.
- The Beef and Broccoli
The Beef and Broccoli has 260 calories, 5g of fat, 39g of carbohydrates, 2g of fiber, 14g of protein, and 580mg of sodium. Thanks to normal portion sizes, this menu item offers a healthier alternative to the Beef and Broccoli you would get at a typical Chinese food store. Panda Express’s Beef and Broccoli has 150g more sodium but 110 less calories.
- The Baked Chicken
The Baked Chicken has 250 calories, 8g of fat, 29g of carbohydrates, 2g of fiber, 15g of protein, and 600mg of sodium. This is not a very low carbohydrate option for chicken. The sodium content is better than only a few of KFC’s chicken, most of which are grilled.
- The Chicken Alfredo
The Chicken Alfredo has 280 calories, 7g of fat, 33g of carbohydrates, 4g of fiber, 20g of protein, and 680mg of sodium. Like many of Lean Cuisine’s menu items, this item is low in calories. However, the sodium to calorie ratio is poor; it packs in a lot of sodium for something with such little calories. Clearly, one cannot eat Lean Cuisine repeatedly throughout the day. Nonetheless, this food item, like many on Lean Cuisine’s menu, have far fewer calories, fat, and sodium than many canned goods you would find in the supermarket.
Final Words…
These are only some of the items found on Lean Cuisine’s entire menu. The Lean Cuisine nutritional information provided here shows a lot about the quality of the food that this company is selling. None of the listed items have more than 400 calories. All listed items have less than 10g of fat. Many of Lean Cuisine’s food items contain less than 1/3 of a days’ worth of sodium, far better than a lot of the canned foods you purchase in stores.
There are modest amounts of carbohydrates mixed with ample amounts of protein, which can help keep one’s blood sugar stable. All the listed meals have at least a few grams of fiber. Based on the nutritional information shown here, it would seem that Lean Cuisine has relatively healthy and balanced meals to offer. Are you interested in eating healthy? Here’s an interesting article by another Bright Hub member.
References
https://www.kfc.com/nutrition/pdf/kfc_nutrition.pdf
https://www.pandaexpress.com/menu/nutrition.aspx
https://www.redlobster.com/health/nutrition/Nutrition_Facts.pdf
https://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutritionfacts.pdf
https://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-lean%20cuisine000000000000000000000.html