Smart Ones Vs. Lean Cuisines: Which Healthy Meal Option is Better?

Smart Ones and Lean Cuisines are just two of the products trying to attract consumers with the health benefits they offer. Each product boasts different nutritional values and product variety that benefits their consumers.

Having tried both of these meals, I had to wonder: Which one is the cream of the crop? In order to make this decision, I will show you the kinds of meals available, the nutritional value of each, as well as overall advantages and disadvantages. After that, we will have a winner.

Smart Ones

Smart Ones meals are made by Weight Watchers, and thus, one of the first things you will notice on the box is the point value of each meal. A meal will range from 3-8 points; they are assigned on the basis of calorie, fat, and fiber counts in every product. They come in six varieties: bistro selections, classic favorites, pizza, "smartwich" desserts, and breakfasts.

Here are some of the Smart Ones meals you can choose from:

Pasta Primavera

Teryiaki Chicken and Vegetables

Salisbury Steak

Pepperoni Pizza Hand Held Meal

Four Cheese Pizza

English Muffin Sandwich

When I eat Smart Ones, I am not eating them for the points value. However, I find these meals to be tasty and always come out hot enough in the microwave. The bad thing is that you must mix some of the ingredients properly, such as the pasta and sauce, or they come out watery. It is only a small meal in a microwaveable pan, so it is definitely not enough to last you the whole day; especially if you don't like the taste of your meal.

Nutritional Information for Smart Ones:

Please visit http://www.eatyourbest.com as Smart Ones only lists nutritional information for individual products rather than a sampling of overall statistics.

Lean Cuisines

Lean Cuisines are constantly updating their product line, and have recently unveiled a new meal selection: fresh grilled paninis. There are also seven other varieties:

One Dish Favorites

Café Classics

Comfort Classics

Spa Cuisine Classics

Casual Eating

Dinnertime Selects

Skillets

Some of the meals available for each variety:

Chicken Fettucini

Teryiaki Steak

Glazed Turkey Tenderloins

Lemongrass Chicken

French Bread Pizza (cheese and pepperoni)

Skillets Chicken Alfredo

Jumbo Rigatoni with Meatballs

Like Smart Ones, you can use the Lean Cuisines to satisfy your Weight Watchers points count. These also come in small dishes and are easily hot enough after five minutes in the microwave. I find that Lean Cuisines fill you up longer and taste better than the Smart Ones normally do.

Nutritional Facts for Lean Cuisines:

Over 90 brands feature no preservatives

Zero trans fats

No artificial flavoring

Offer 14-29% of the perecent daily value of sodium

So, after consideration, I'm going to have to give the award to Lean Cuisines. It seems easier to eat these because unlike Smart Ones, I feel like I don't have to constantly worry about counting points. They also make their product believable by including testimonials from satisfied customers on every box. For me, it helps to have these because I want to know how many people have enjoyed them just as much as me; sometimes the company's word isn't enough.

Although your opinion may differ, I encourage you to try Lean Cuisines if you haven't already. With slightly larger portions and no need for a crash diet to go along with, you should be able to find a meal that will make you happy and full at the same time.