Analyze This! (Nutrition of a Lean Cuisine meal for a toddler)

Cafe Society
1

So, we went to Costco yesterday and the Sample Ladies, as always, fell over themselves feeding my toddler. She (the toddler) in turn fell in love with Lean Cuisine’s sesame stir fry with chicken (nutritional information and ingredients) She’s at that toddler age when all she wants is carbs, but with this meal she actually ate all the broccoli, carrots, bell peppers and edamame and the chicken as well as the noodles, which shocked the heck outta me.

Looking at the info, it’s a little high on the sodium, but other than that, it seems pretty good and balanced. There are a LOT more veggies in it than I was expecting, and the noodles are even made with whole wheat. The corn syrup and sugar are down there below chili sauce, so there can’t be too much of that.

Anyone see anything I’m missing, or is this actually a pretty good toddler lunch food? (She only ate about half the box, which is the normal amount of food for her at one meal.) It’s sure as heck cheaper than the kid’s oriented frozen meal crap, and a lot easier for me to make while watching other babies than a meal from scratch mid-day. I don’t think it’d be good every single day, but maybe a couple of times a week. I’m going to check out some of their other products and see if she likes them, as well.

2

That’s one of my favorites too!

The only thing I can tell about the Lean Cuisine meals (I eat them quite often) is that they are portion-controlled to keep them under a certain caloric amount. They don’t seem like special diet food or anything, they just keep you from eating a ton at once. The veggies and whole wheat pasta and such are as good for your child this way as any other. They don’t have a lot of fat in them though, good or otherwise, so just make sure your toddler is getting stuff like healthy fats and calcium in other meals and I would say you’re fine. As you said, it is better than some of the crap marketed to kids. Certainly healthier than say, chef boyardee or whatever.

I would have no problem giving this to my kid.

3

I am neither a parent nor a nutritionist, so take this with a grain of salt (HA!)

While pre-made dinners are awesomely easy, usually tasty, somewhat cost-effective and somewhat healthy they DO contain a lot of sodium no matter what you buy.

There’s 680 mg of sodium in a serving of LC. There’s 180mg of sodium in 1 serving of (15) Lays classic potato chips. According to Ask the Dietitian (scroll to last question):

Also, while using the salty taste to “mask” the ickyness of veggies for your girl, you are not really teaching her to like vegetables. You’re more like giving her a taste for salt. She might grow up to only want butter and salt on her veggies, or cheese. Just because one is eating veggies doesn’t mask the fact that one is eating too much fat and salt to cover up the taste of said veggies.

When I was growing up, we were always served frozen veggies with no salt or butter (or cheese). I never grew to like salt (never add it to food now) and don’t expect veggies to taste salty and can enjoy non-altered vegetables. My dad, on the other hand, grew up mainly on canned veggies (tons of salt) and piles on the salt for his fresh veggies and other food. Even tho I’m fat he’s the one with blood pressure problems.

So, this is just my OPINION…there’s a reason I don’t have and won’t have kids :slight_smile: I don’t want to tell you how to raise your kid or what to feed her, trust me. I’m just someone who contemplates nutrition enough to give you my opinion. It’s totally up to you what you end up doing and I’m sure you’ll make the choice that suits you guys just fine.

4

It has a wide variety of vegetables and protein (chicken). I don’t see why not. <-- Hee hee, I made a funny. I don’t know the maximums on a toddler’s sodium intake so I can’t help you there but that would be the only thing I would check into.
It’s like the mental block of me drinking slimfast when I was pregnant. Being associated with “diet food” (associated hell, it just plain IS) means people tend to think you can’t feed it to a child/pregnant woman/whathaveyou. But some of that stuff is chock full of vitamins, minerals, happy fluffy nutritional stuff and it’s good for you.
I don’t know where I land on the question of whether it is better for a child to eat cheese and salt covered broccoli versus no broccoli at all. But if the choice is between the cheese covered broccoli and some other crap he’s gotten a tast for, then he’s getting the broccoli.

5

And here you see why my niece who is not yet two was allowed to eat her portion of leg of lamb with ketchup over Christmas. She’ll eat just about anything if you give her ketchup, and it beats fixing two meals, one for the grown-ups and one for the kids. (Not that other alterations weren’t made for the benefit of the kids, and not that she’ll get a lot more leg of lamb while living with her mother(who doesn’t like lamb). And she will eat most foods without resorting to ketchup. But she “returned” the chopped up lamb bits uneaten before the ketchup came out, and ate them contentedly afterwards).

6

[QUOTE=WhyNot]
So, we went to Costco yesterday and the Sample Ladies, as always, fell over themselves feeding my toddler. She (the toddler) in turn fell in love with Lean Cuisine’s sesame stir fry with chicken (nutritional information and ingredients) She’s at that toddler age when all she wants is carbs, but with this meal she actually ate all the broccoli, carrots, bell peppers and edamame and the chicken as well as the noodles,
[/QUOTE]

as well as. . .

modified tapioca starch, chicken flavor, carrageenan, whey protein concentrate brown sugar, modified cornstarch, acetic acid, corn syrup, soybean oil, brown sugar syrup, natural flavors, sesame oil, canola oil, citric acid, caramel color, spice.

Yeah, get 'em hooked on syrup while they’re still toddlers-- it’s the foundation of a lfe of healthy eating.

Why don’t you purchase chicken, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers and edamame and cook it yourself so you know what you’re putting in your child’s mouth.

7

[QUOTE=Trunk]
as well as. . .

modified tapioca starch, chicken flavor, carrageenan, whey protein concentrate brown sugar, modified cornstarch, acetic acid, corn syrup, soybean oil, brown sugar syrup, natural flavors, sesame oil, canola oil, citric acid, caramel color, spice.
[/QUOTE]

Right, part of the reason I’m asking the question is that we don’t eat a lot of packaged food. I’m a bit of a granola cruncher whole foodsey gal, so this is new territory for me. OTOH, there’s no need to be a luddite if there’s nothing actually bad here. So tell me more about what these are and why they might be bad.
These taken all together basically make up the yummy sauce that got her to eat the veg, right?

Modified tapioca starch: thickener. I have no idea what “modified” means.
Chicken flavor: ??? My guess is “salt” or MSG, but there’s nothing inherintly wrong with either of those
Whey protein: No idea. Isn’t it the base of diet shake drinks?
brown sugar: Well, I have that in my pantry. I don’t use it a lot, but I’m not scared of it.
modified cornstarch: another thickener, and the one I use most often in gravies and stews
acetic acid: vinegar, yes?
corn syrup: yep, not too fond of this. Quantity makes the poison, of course.
soybean oil: best bug repellent ever! Seriously, I use it in cooking myself.
brown sugar syrup: how is this different from molasses?
natural flavors: usually, but not always, means MSG, right?
sesame oil: I use it in stir-frys myself
canola oil: again, I use it in cooking
citric acid: Vitamin C, right?
caramel color: coloring, not sure of the source or health implications
spice: “the spice must flow.” Nice and vague here, but not really sinister.

So I’m not seeing much I wouldn’t use myself if I were to make her my own sesame chicken with veg and noodles. I certainly don’t want to raise her to accept only plain, unseasoned foods.

[QUOTE=ZipperJJ]
I am neither a parent nor a nutritionist, so take this with a grain of salt (HA!)

While pre-made dinners are awesomely easy, usually tasty, somewhat cost-effective and somewhat healthy they DO contain a lot of sodium no matter what you buy.

There’s 680 mg of sodium in a serving of LC.
[/QUOTE]

Yes, the sodium content was the one thing which raised my eyebrows. OTOH, there is no specific RDA for kids, and so much of what else she eats is very low sodium (mozzarella cheese, apples, avocados, egg noodles, yogurt, whole grain oat cereal, whole grain bread, even wheat thins, surprisingly enough) that I think she’s still far under the RDA. Plus, of course, she only ate about 1/2, so she got 340 mg, not the full 680.

That 1/4 teaspoon of salt thing sorta freaks me out, honestly. I’m certain if I made this on my own, it’d end up with more than that to taste good, between salt and soy sauce. This sorts blows my next idea, which was to try to copycat it to get something she likes and then freeze it in individual portions. :frowning:

I’ve never had to watch sodium intake myself, as I have low blood pressure, even while being overweight. What’s the straight dope on sodium? Is it proven to have an effect with an understood mechanism, or is it “associated” with cardiovascular problems in some abstract but possibly only correlative way?

8

Gah! I feel so rude. Thank you, other guys, as well for your thoughts. I didn’t mean to dismiss your contributions, and they were very reassuring. I just don’t have all my thoughts together this morning.

Eureka, interesting question, and one I shall have to ponder before I know exactly what I think on that matter. Part of me says “anything non-toxic if it gets the kid to eat lamb” and the other argues “but why should she eat lamb? She can have a perfectly balanced diet without it.”

“Perfectly balanced” for toddlers can look awfully screwy to adults, but I hear they pretty much keep themselves fueled with what they need when you offer them unadorned, healthy whole food choices. Maybe she doesn’t NEED vegetables right now, so tricking her body into craving them by covering them in sugar and salt isn’t the best thing to do. Maybe she just needs carbs and protein. I don’t know.

9

Well, I just snipped the stuff from that list that wasn’t explicitly, easily identifiable as “food”.

I don’t have kids, but I have a thing against pre-made food. I don’t eat it, and I sure as hell wouldn’t serve it to a kid. I don’t know where it came from, how they preserve it, what gas they’re packing it in. I don’t know what kinds of things they’re doing to those oils. I don’t take “natural” as synonymous “won’t harm you”. And I just can’t understand why more people don’t cook with and for their kids.

I don’t believe that just because the FDA says something is ok that that means it’s all right for long term consumption.

But, I’m not talking scientifically here. Most modern people would take my theories about food as tin-foil-hatty, but I just don’t think that the FDA has the knowledge to tell me that if a person starts eating “Yellow Number 5” (or whatever) at the age of 2 that it’s not going to harm them by the time they’re 50.

10

[QUOTE=Trunk]

Why don’t you purchase chicken, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers and edamame and cook it yourself so you know what you’re putting in your child’s mouth.
[/QUOTE]

Because in the 30 mins. I get home at 6:00 and the kids really start getting antsy and hungry and irritable at 6:30 I don’t really have time to make a meal from scratch every day with a two year old needing attention and a five year old ready to tell me all about every single thing he did that day?

I know what I’m putting in my child’s mouth. Sometimes it’s processed. Sometimes it’s crock pot food. Sometimes it’s hamburgers with french fries and ketchup. They’re both healthy and they’re not ‘addicted’ to syrup.

11

[QUOTE=WhyNot]

Eureka, interesting question, and one I shall have to ponder before I know exactly what I think on that matter. Part of me says “anything non-toxic if it gets the kid to eat lamb” and the other argues “but why should she eat lamb? She can have a perfectly balanced diet without it.”

[/QUOTE]

To which my answer is, there is no one right answer to the question of ketchup on lamb. If bringing out the ketchup bottle once a week (for meals where the adults would not eat ketchup) makes Mommy worry less about the kid’s protein consumption and lets everyone eat more or less the same food, I think it’s harmless. If the ketchup bottle is on the table for every meal (or even one meal a day every day), wait a minute–that kid ought to be learning to try a variety of flavors, not just ketchup (and ice creamy–the dessert of choice for all members of my nieces’ family).

(And you are right, the niece in question would probably not have been lacking in protein for the day or the week without the lamb (even without offering her a substitute at that meal), because she does in general get a balanced diet.)

And so I guess my answer to your original question is, keep offering your kid fruits and vegetables with limited additives. But it’s ok to offer her fruits and veggies that are doctored a little some of the time as well. Lean Cuisine shouldn’t be a major part of her diet, but I don’t think once or twice a week will kill her, addict her to preservatives, or otherwise make her think that processed food is the only way to eat veggies.

12

Go with the Greeks…everything in moderation. It won’t hurt her if it’s occasional, so why not, er-Whynot?

:wink:

13

Please tell me I’m not the only parent of small children who saw this and thought enviously: “Dang, she got her kid to eat real food!”.

I say if you can get your toddler to eat meat and vegetables in a form as comparatively non-heinous as Lean Cuisines, then you are doing well.

14

Once or twice a week? I say go for it.

As long as they eat reasonably healthy the majority of the time I don’t think feeding them other stuff will hurt them too much.

I’m the same way with my son. I try to cook well rounded meals, but if he eats the odd McDonald’s or chips I don’t sweat it too much. He’s healthy and happy and I know I eat a lot healthier than I used to as a result of trying to cook healthy for him and I think that’s the best anyone can do.

I really don’t see a problem with feeding them to your daughter from time to time, as long as it isn’t every day for lunch.

Heck, I’d think it’s a sight better than something like Chef Boyardee or Spaghetti-o’s…

15

[QUOTE=Trunk]
Well, I just snipped the stuff from that list that wasn’t explicitly, easily identifiable as “food”.

I don’t have kids, but I have a thing against pre-made food. I don’t eat it, and I sure as hell wouldn’t serve it to a kid. I don’t know where it came from, how they preserve it, what gas they’re packing it in. I don’t know what kinds of things they’re doing to those oils. I don’t take “natural” as synonymous “won’t harm you”. And I just can’t understand why more people don’t cook with and for their kids.

I don’t believe that just because the FDA says something is ok that that means it’s all right for long term consumption.

But, I’m not talking scientifically here. Most modern people would take my theories about food as tin-foil-hatty, but I just don’t think that the FDA has the knowledge to tell me that if a person starts eating “Yellow Number 5” (or whatever) at the age of 2 that it’s not going to harm them by the time they’re 50.
[/QUOTE]

I cook a lot and my 2 year old likes to help. That said, I also use pre-processed meals sometimes because they are quick and convenient. If you read labels you can pick some pretty good ones, even ones that are better for you than some homemade meals. Just because you cook for your kids doesn’t mean they will eat well, or that the meals you are cooking are healthy. I know families who eat homemade meals all the time, but the meals are full of fat, salt, butter and sugar. All those things are natural and easily identifiable as food but not exactly healthy.

I don’t choose foods with corn syrup as one of the first few ingredients, but I am not scared of it either. We eat whole grain breads and pastas, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, etc. Having a processed meal a few times a week is a way to get a quick meal in, not dooming your child to a life of obesity. Especially a meal like this that has whole grain pasta and lots of veggies.

Parents of young children have to make choices, and making all natural organic meals from scratch every time is not always a real option. We have other things to do too. I am very aware of the obesity problem and other issues with feeding children in this country and make decisions about what I would like my child to eat, but I also have to think about what I actually have time to make, and what my child will actually eat. It is one piece of the puzzle.

16

[QUOTE=Trunk]

I don’t believe that just because the FDA says something is ok that that means it’s all right for long term consumption.

[/QUOTE]

I understand your reticence to trust a big government agency, but do you have any facts to back up your distrust? I mean this sincerely, not snarky. Is there any evidence the FDA consistantly not embracing the most current health knowledge regarding nutrition and food safety?

True, but then if you don’t have the knowledge, why should anyone trust your opinion? The FDA at least has doctors and nutritionists on the payroll. They are not perfect, but the amount of study and publishing on the subject has come a long way. A “feeling” that some food is bad or good is no better than voodoo.

17

[QUOTE=BMalion]
I understand your reticence to trust a big government agency, but do you have any facts to back up your distrust? I mean this sincerely, not snarky. Is there any evidence the FDA consistantly not embracing the most current health knowledge regarding nutrition and food safety?

[/QUOTE]

You’re looking at it wrong.

Let’s say some company (Archer Daniels Midland) has developed some new corn byproduct, or some genetically engineered food product, that they want to add to our TV dinners to preserve, sweeten, color, whatever. . .

They need to get the product approved by the FDA. After extensive testing, the FDA approves it. Well, the FDA might be right about safety (and they probably are), and they might be wrong (they probably aren’t).

But, if I don’t eat that product at all, I’m not taking on that small risk that they’re wrong. I know that that FDA approved “New Corn Byproduct” isn’t in my tomato.

And

  1. They have been wrong before

  2. Even if they haven’t, I don’t think they necessarily understand the long term implications (and I’m talking 40-60 years) of eating particular chemicals.

This isn’t like the government testing the air, or a seatbelt, or even testing a medication. It’s testing for products that do not have to be consumed.

18

Let’s put it another way. . .guess who HASN’T been eating “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” for the last 15 years.

19

[QUOTE=Trunk]
I don’t have kids, but I have a thing against pre-made food. I don’t eat it, and I sure as hell wouldn’t serve it to a kid.
[/quote]

OK, then. We pretty much agree in the theory. I dislike prepackaged foods in general, which is why I’m surprised that this one in particular seems both healthy and yummy.

Oh, then you’re not talking to me, then, because I cook all the time with and without my kids. I’m not sure how we went from “Is this OK to give her once or twice a week?” to “I never cook for my kids and feed them from a salt lick out back.” Like ShelliBean, I don’t have only one source of food for my kids. We’re *generally *good eaters so that once in a while we can indulge in Big Macs without suffering many ill effects. I don’t think this is as far to the “indulge” side of the spectrum as a Big Mac, but I agree it’s not going to become the default meal.

[QUOTE=Eureka]

And so I guess my answer to your original question is, keep offering your kid fruits and vegetables with limited additives. But it’s ok to offer her fruits and veggies that are doctored a little some of the time as well.
[/QUOTE]

Good point. At least this way she’s getting used to the texture of “funny” foods like edamame and broccoli. Enjoying their plain taste will come with time, I’m sure.

[QUOTE=An Arky]
Please tell me I’m not the only parent of small children who saw this and thought enviously: “Dang, she got her kid to eat real food!”.
[/QUOTE]

She doesn’t have much choice. She eats what we eat, or she goes hungry until her next meal. Generally that means she picks out what she likes. Last night we had hummus, guacamole and tuna salad (all homemade, the tuna salad was made with leftover grilled tuna steaks, not canned fish) with whole wheat pita. She ate a lot of hummus, a bit of tuna salad and a lot of pita. She tried the guacamole and spit it back out, and that was the end of that. The rest of us also had salads, she was served a token few pieces of lettuce with some lemon juice, but again tried one piece and spit it out and I don’t make a big deal about it. Been the same for every salad in the last year or so. But I still offer, and someday maybe she’ll eat it. She keeps trying it because she knows she has the “spit out” option. I provide the choices, she makes 'em, which is why I think that generally I should only offer her stuff I’m okay with her eating. If her options are crap, her diet will be crap.

20

I live in Italy and work in a school. When I first arrived here I was amazed at how the children would ask for more vegetables at lunchtime. Coming from the UK where fish fingers and chips were a lunchtime special, it was wonderful to see 3,4 and 5 year olds requesting an extra helping of spinach.

I think this is because the children eat what their parents do at every meal. Obviously there are those who don’t but they really are the exception. Ready-made meals are not big here and fast-food places are regarded as a treat. Families often eat out and restaurants do not offer a seperate menu for children but they do offer half portions of what is available to adults.

In reply to the OP, I don’t see how the occasional ready-made meal can cause harm. The rest of the time she eats what you eat, based on what I have seen here for the last 10 years, I’d say you can’t go wrong there!