Lunches are a difficult meal around my house. I don’t want to expend the energy needed to cook a hot, nutritious meal. I often find myself poking through the cabinets or fridge trying to find something quick. Half a piece of cheese and a cup of yogurt? Sure. An energy bar? Okay. That’s the easy way but not the healthy way. Worse, I was snacking throughout the day because those small bites of food didn’t fill me up.
I was offered a chance to sample a few of the new Lean Cuisine Chef’s Picks. My first thought was Wonderful! A quick, easy and healthy lunch! My second thought was What if they don’t taste good? Let’s face it, sometimes healthy food can be….less than tempting. What’s different about the Chef’s Picks collection? The Cuisine Culinary Roundtable — Michelle Bernstein, Brad Farmerie, Paul Kahan, Anita Lo, Lior Lev Sercarz & Lucien Vendome — are embracing the bolder colors and tastes of the season to create recipes with exciting flavors. These are choices I would expect to see in a favorite restaurant, like Ranchero Braised Beef; Mushroom Mezzaluna Ravioli; or Chicken Makhani. With seventeen entrees in this collection it’s easy to find a meal for any palette.
What first caught my eye when I examined the box was the nutrition information displayed prominently on the front of the package. The fat, calories and fiber content, along with a tag letting me the entrée had no preservatives, was in plain sight for anyone to see.
My store didn’t have all seventeen varieties but they had enough to make the selection difficult. Finally I decided to try Steak Tips Portabello, Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce and Lemon Chicken. The meals couldn’t have been easier to prepare. I zapped them for four and a half minutes in my microwave and they were ready to eat. I had the Steak Tips Portabello and my son had the Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce. Both the steak and chicken were fork tender. My son commented on the crispness of the vegetables in his entrée while my Steak Tips Portabello included a side of crispy, well drained broccoli, which is a must for me when I eat broccoli.
The one downside with these meals is the portions are on the small side. For anyone who has a hearty appetite (like teenage boys) or is extremely hungry, I would suggest adding a side salad to round out the meal. Would I buy them again? Yes, I would. I am willing to try some new flavors but I was impressed with the taste and texture of the Steak Tips Portabello. I’ll be adding a few of these to my freezer for quick, healthy and tasty lunches.
I have partnered with Lean Cuisine through DailyBuzz Food to help promote their new line of Chef’s Pick products. I have been compensated for my time commitment to work with this product. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments. Thank you Lean Cuisine!
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Those look good! I want to try the lemon chicken!
I like how there’s so much veggies in each dish!
I’ve been eating Lean Cuisine for years. I don’t like to cook, so this is such an easy, yet healthy alternative.
We love Lean Cusine as a quick lunch or even dinner idea; yummy.. thanks for sharing
Lean Cuisine sure seems like they have come a long way in flavor!
Have you tried Lean Cuisine salad additions? They are an awesome way to spruce up a large salad to go with your entree. Yummy!
I am impressed with the choice of 17 different combinations of the Lean Cuisine Culinary Collection. I would love to see what my local grocer has to offer and try some for myself.
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That bowtie pasta dish looks pretty good. I love the Lean Cuisine Garlic chicken spring rolls. They are amazing!
The lemon chicken looks delicious! I also absolutely love the Chinese dishes they have. Love lean cuisine!
I’m a Lean Cuisine girl through and through, but I always buy the vegetarian ones and usually pasta/Italian types.
Lean Cuisine is always coming up with great tasting meals! These look delicious.
Lemon chicken sounds heavenly! I like finding quick meals to eat that taste good.
Mid-day meals are so easy to skip but so important. Making sure I eat lunch at a regular time has been an important step for me in getting healthy and reducing my weight. You make a great point about rounding out a smaller portion with a salad – that way you fill up without overdoing it, and you get all your veggies in too!
Those look better than any frozen dinner I’ve tried! Yum
I have always loved Lean Cuisine. I haven’t bought any lately but seeing those pictures of the new meals I think it is time to go to the store and stock up. P.S. I am now starving LOL!
MMM those look good! I love quick and easy lunches. Which means I am usually stuck with PB&J. These look so much better!
I would like to try these.