Editor's Note: My beautiful wife, 'The Lazy Girl’, invited me to post here every now and again. We thought it would be fun to have a Lazy Guy’s point of view.
Just some quick background on me... I too have struggled with my weight. But seeing how well my wife was doing, I jumped on the bandwagon earlier this year. I started to use the MyFitnessPal Android and iPad app in January. By tracking everything I consumed, I quickly discovered that I was eating a lot of useless crap. Now, my wife and I cook together (good foods) and I run at least three times a week. I have lost 30 lbs and I am down at least two pant sizes. I love to eat, so this has been a little hard, but it has worked. What more can you ask for?
Thanks to my lovely wife’s help, I take my lunch to work now. It was all a part of my commitment to stop eating fast food (except for ‘special occasions’). So I decided to change things up a little, breaking from my usual ham & Turkey sandwich of bread flats, and look into some of the low calorie frozen meals. As I try new foods, I plan on reviewing them for you. Please keep in mind that I am approaching this from a guy’s point of view.
Today’s review is for the Lean Cuisine ‘Simple Favorites’ Chicken Fried Rice.
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| My photo of my lunch It never looks like it does on the box, does it? |
Just the facts:
Calories: 260
Fat: 5g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 12g
Sodium: 530mg
Carbohydrates: 41g
Diet Exchange: 1 Lean Meat,2 1/2 Starch,1 Vegetable
Weight Watchers® PointsPlus™: 7
Keep reading... there's more!
Preparation (4 out of 5)
Preparing this meal is pretty straight forward. You microwave it for 2 minutes, then remove the plastic film and microwave for another minute. I actually had to zap it a little longer to get it hot, but not by much.
I mixed it all into a little bowl that I keep at work. I highly recommend this as stirring it in the flat plastic container will just lead to a mess. Once mixed, it really firms up nicely. Too often these types of microwavable meals are runny. The key is to let it set for about a minute after you cook it.
Taste (3 out of 5)
Although I would say it tastes good, it is a little bland. If you enjoy intense flavors, then this is not for you. It does satisfy as far as the portion size is concerned, but it did not wow me. I would not be excited for lunch time with this meal, but on the other hand it does have a nice flavor, albeit muted.
Bottom Line
For the price and the low amount of calories, you really can’t go wrong. If I were a fan of hot sauce, then I might recommend using some to help add a little kick to the meal to strengthen the taste. But would I eat it again? Absolutely. It is a quick and easy meal that is kept frozen before it is prepared. The packaging is compact so you could store it at work or at home ahead of time.
I would say these make a decent lunch for men. This portion would be way too small for dinner. To round this lunch out, I also enjoyed some pineapple and cantaloupe along with it. My lunch’s total calorie count: 336 calories. For a bit of perspective, I used to eat Wendy’s a lot. My average lunch at Wendy's: 1560 (HOLY CRAP!).
The point is, it is not about tiny salads and eating like a rabbit. It is about moderation in what you eat and trying to find large portioned, low calorie options. My usual ham and turkey sandwiches with low calorie potato chips (and fruit) rival any fast food that I ever got in terms of feeling full. It all about simple, small changes. What I think has helped me to start heading in the right direction is to change my habits, not some fly-by-night diet or ‘plan’. I needed something that I can always do, not just during a ‘diet’ [steps down off of soap box].
Lazy Guy’s Tip:
Stop drinking Soda. Try it for one month. By eliminating soda alone you will see some pounds drop. And, I'm serious about this, Diet soda is NOT a good replacement. Those drinks make chemistry sets look like water. I drink a lot of Crystal Light. They have a great variety of flavors and so low in calories. Give it a try.
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