While most frozen food entrees that involve steaming, like the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers line, come with a bowl to help steam the dish in the microwave, the new Lean Cuisine Market Creations Chicken Alfredo is prepared differently.
Instead, they decided to chuck the bowl and, apparently, go the microwaveable frozen food feed bag steamer route, which you just throw into the microwave for five minutes. I guess a feed bag makes sense since we’re all just horses trotting through the great plains of life and need sustenance as we mosey along. Although I do wish Lean Cuisine included a strap so that I could attach the bag to my face.
Of course, I could be “domesticated” or “follow instructions” and pour the contents of the bag onto a plate and use a fork to eat it. But it’s just easier to place my mouth at the opening and let the Lean Cuisine goodness slide towards my face, like I’m trying to get the last potato chip crumbs. Sure, the hot white meat chicken, penne pasta, broccoli, yellow carrots, orange carrots and Alfredo sauce in the bag burned my face, but to me the first-degree burns were worth it because I didn’t have to wash dishes.
Yes, I am one lazy mofo.
But I won’t have to worry about those burns anymore because the Lean Cuisine Market Creations Chicken Alfredo is something I would not eat again.
While there were ample amounts of chicken and vegetables; the noodles came out just right; the vegetables didn’t turn out soggy; and it, surprisingly, looks really good in the photo above, especially the vegetables, its flavor wasn’t equally as appealing. Its biggest downfall was the chicken, which seemed like it was marinated in Mexican spices, making it taste like someone snuck in some Taco Bell into my Lean Cuisine.
The sauce could’ve been the lifesaver here and masked the flavor of the chicken, but since it’s a Lean Cuisine meal the sauce can’t be rich or too flavorful, unless it wants to be called Tubby Cuisine or Hungry-Man. But even if the Alfredo sauce is kind of bland, having a good amount of it in the bag might’ve helped, but there’s barely enough to coat everything.
I guess you could say they’re being “lean” with the Alfredo sauce. Or you could also say they’re being “lazy” with the Alfredo sauce, just as lazy as me.
(Nutrition Facts – 1 package – 280 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of monounsaturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 680 milligrams of sodium, 970 milligrams of potassium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, 20 grams of protein, 70% vitamin A, 20% calcium, 30% vitamin C and 10% iron.)
Item: Lean Cuisine Market Creations Chicken Alfredo
Price: $4.99
Size: 10.5 ounces
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 3 out of 10
Pros: Looks good, especially the vegetables. Lots of chicken, vegetables and penne pasta. No preservatives. Filling. Low in saturated fat. Contains poly- and monounsaturated fats. Can eat it straight from the bag, if you’re lazy or don’t follow instructions.
Cons: Chicken tasted weird, like it was marinated in Mexican spices. Barely enough Alfredo sauce to coat ingredients. Burns from eating it straight out of the bag. Being a lazy mofo. No strap included to attach bag to my face.
I dislike the fact that it’s in a bag because this wouldn’t stack up nicely with the other cardboard boxes in my freezer.
I think the majority of Lean Cusine products taste like crap. I use to normally add my own spices to choke the stuff down as a last resort meal. However, I am done with “quick” meals like the steam bags you reviewed and TV dinners. I would rather just cook a lot once a week and have better quality food for the rest of the week that is already preportion for my eating pleasure.
I’ve always wondered how healthy Lean Cuisine actually is. It seems to me it’s something designed to make you think you’re eating really healthy, when in actuality it’s just another frozen dinner.
I haven’t tried this one inparticular, alfredo and lean cuisine don’t seemto mesh well, however the Mushroom torteloni wasn’t bad. Lots of veggies a good amount of sauce pretty filling. I do however not like the no dish thing. When they first formulated them I knew having them without the trays was a big downside.
I’m a lazy mofo, too (would I be a lazy mafa because I’m a girl?) and I hate doing dishes…but I’m not so lazy that I don’t dump my food on a paper plate and eat with a plastic spoon. That’s a plausible alternative to first degree burns.
I bought this yesterday at Target it was on sale for $3.80. To me it tasted really good. I had no complaint with the taste and texture. It is good, I just hate that I will have to go was my bowl now and that kinda sucks because we do not have a kitchen here at work but besides that it taste way better then some other alfredo meals out there
You’re looking pretty buffed there, Marvo. Lean Cuisine must be doing something right, or you are. Keep up the good work!
5 bucks?? Does it feed 2 people? Do they make 2-person feedbags?
Wait, this gets the same number of stars as the La Choy Beef / Veggies mix?
http://www.theimpulsivebuy.com/wordpress/2008/08/01/la-choy-beef-chow-mein/
Based on your description, this stuff actually was something approaching edible. That puts it one star above the La Choy in my humble opinion.
I just made the mistake of buying FOUR of those La Choy things. I managed to eat three of them and on the third one I finally had to accept the simple fact it tastes horrible no matter how you cook it. Then I decided to search online as I figured somoene else must be complaining about the horribleness of the canned La Choy.
Why do companies manufacture things that are SO horrible? You’re right, the canned ready made meals in asian supermarkets taste much better and they cost about the same. Why is it that La Choy can’t make something that doesn’t taste so horrible? Perhaps poor Americans really do simply want food that bland.
Hahahahahaha, that pick truly made me laugh!! Lazy mofo indeed
@Natalie: I found that to be a problem too. I can’t stack pints of ice cream on them either.
@amanda: Oh, if only you had a product review blog that focuses on eating crap. I believe for every year this blog exists, my life shortens by one year.
@Chuck: I think one of the things about Lean Cuisine that makes it healthy is portion control. If you eat just Lean Cuisines, I believe one will lose weight. Hmm…I wonder if I should try it.
@Kris: I’m torn on whether or not I prefer the dish. I think this is more eco-friendly since I’m not sure if the dishes used are recyclable.
@Clevegal42: I wish the bag came with an easy-to-pour spout.
@HBIC: Thanks for your opinion.
@ripp: Oh, I wish that was my body. Then maybe I can touch my toes.
@Review Spew: Sadly, I just feeds one and it’s the price we pay for living on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
@NorskeDiv: I think the inconvenience of not having a dish to steam it in, the chicken having a weird Mexican taste, the lack of sauce and lack of strap to attach it to my face makes it worthy of a 3 rating.
@TonyJaguar: Yes, I am.