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Fresh Inspirations to Combat Brown Bag Boredom

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What if I told you that I have the perfect way to shake up your lunchtime routine? One that will combat brown bag boredom, relieve you of soggy, uninspiring leftovers, and free you from your sandwich rut? And, what if my solution was convenient, affordable, delicious and healthy, too?

Okay, I’ll share my little secret. It’s Lean Cuisine Fresh Inspirations.

The thing is, before trying Fresh Inspirations, I thought I had frozen entrees down pat: protein, carbs, sauce, repeat. And for the most part, they can be pretty tasty… but what if you don’t like mixing your protein and carbs? Or, if you’re more of a “drizzler” when it comes to sauces and condiments? The average frozen entree gives you little freedom to customize your meal.

Until now. Lean Cuisine Fresh Inspirations offer healthy, delicious meals that YOU make your own. First, the new and unique “Simmer & Steam” tray design cooks each ingredient the way it is meant to be cooked. Hence, the tender beef, chicken or shrimp is simmered in their own delicious sauce, and vegetables are steamed to perfection to lock in their taste and texture.

Then, you create your own personalized meal, just the way you like it. Want your protein on the side? Sauce drizzled on top? Or maybe you like to simply toss everything together. You can prepare each dish in the way that inspires you. And because it’s from Lean Cuisine, you know that it’s a tasty, calorie conscious, good-for-you hot meal. Can you think of a better way to beat the brown bag blues?

Lean Cuisine Fresh Inspirations are available in six (6) varieties:

Thai Chicken: Juicy chicken simmered in an authentic Thai sauce with sweet baby corn and market vegetables on a bed of 100 per cent whole grain brown rice for a fibre boost

Chicken Teriyaki: Tender chicken in a sweet Teriyaki sauce, snap peas and a vegetable medley served on brown rice provides two whole servings of vegetables in a tasty low fat dish

Chili Lime Beef: Tender beef in a zesty Asian-inspired sauce, edamame, red peppers and broccoli served on a bed of white rice loaded with fibre, iron, and two servings of vegetables

Roast Garlic Chicken: Low fat, low calorie and delicious! Enjoy succulent chicken simmered in a creamy garlic sauce served with red potatoes, broccoli and zucchini

Shrimp Alfredo: An elegant mix of shrimp, creamy Alfredo sauce, fusilli pasta, broccoli, yellow carrots and red peppers that’s low in fat and provides you with two full serving of vegetables

Mediterranean Chicken: Enjoy a fibre filled meal with delicious broccoli, carrots and red bell peppers, served with savoury chicken and penne pasta in a tomato sauce.

I had the opportunity to try all the varieties above, and to tell the truth – it’s hard to pick a favourite! Chili Lime Beef is a hit with my husband, and I’m partial to Shrimp Alfredo. Steaming directions are as easy as 1-2-3: simply heat, stir, heat once more and serve. Here’s the Fresh Inspirations Mediterranean Chicken after the first 3 minutes of heating:

As you can see, the tender cuts of chicken stay moist and delicious while they steam in tomato sauce, and a healthy-sized portion of penne and veggies keep their colour and texture. When heating was complete, I spooned the chicken over my pasta and vegetables – I guess you can call me a “drizzler”!

Of course, my husband is a “mixer” – he likes to toss everything together in an effort to cover every morsel with sauce. So he enjoyed his Fresh Inspirations Roast Garlic Chicken the more traditional way – with everything blended together. I had a bite… mmm… garlic. It is very hard to believe that this creamy, flavourful meal is low in fat and calories. Bonus: because the vegetables are steamed independently of the sauce, the potatoes keep their texture and the zucchini keeps its crunch. Now that’s fresh!

Lean Cuisine Fresh Inspirations retail for approximately $3.99 and can be found in the frozen entree section of your local supermarket. The portions are plentiful while the meal is low in fat and calories. And, the flavour is EPIC.

**EDIT** Thank you to all the readers who signed up for the Lean Cuisine Fresh Inspirations Rate and Review Program! The first 20 applicants will receive 6 Free Product Coupons to try them all.  

Click here to visit Lean Cuisine Canada.

This Rate and Review Program is sponsored by Lean Cuisine. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elizabeth

    Would love to try the new Lean Cuisine Fresh Inspirations, curious if they taste as good as they look!

  2. Kelly Bouma

    I would like to see if these meals do taste as good as they look, because they look great.

  3. Wendi Maroon

    Wow, these look yummy! Being single it’s often hard to cook a healthy meal for dinner, so something this easy and delicious-looking would make a good addition to my freezer.

    • Lena

      We normally call frozen entrees our “emergency food” – you’re right Wendi, great to have in the freezer!

  10. nicolthepickle

    I tried the Mediterranean Chicken last week, and I didn’t like the flavour at all. All the previous Lean Cuisine’s that I’ve tried were good (All 3 of them), but this was off for me. And I’ll eat anything.

    • Lena

      Oh no! I actually quite like the tangy-ness, but I guess different strokes for different folks!

  11. Eleanor

    As a mature woman single woman living on my own.. I have to resort to the single serving entree, but, I just can’t find the taste appealing. When you “nuke” it …its always has that ” chipped beef on toast” appearance. All the flavours and textures just blend into a bland taste. I know you have lots of techs working on the appearance, taste and quality of these meals, but, I only eat it when there is nothing left in the fridge.

    • Lena

      Eleanor, I definitely think you should try Fresh Inspirations. Because the tastes and textures are stored separately, you never have to worry about them blending together. I think you’ll love it!

  13. Victoria Ess

    Oh, I love these! I’m not big on frozen dinners, and have them once every few months maybe, but when I do, I try to go for the healthiest option possible.

  14. Vanda

    I would like to sample but also check the sodium level. I have to check my foods for sodium levels.

    • Lena

      Hi Vanda, I think the sodium content is comparable to most frozen entrees, so you’ll definitely need to see if these make sense for your diet.

  16. Teresa M.

    Save-On-Foods is across the street from our flat so picking up a few of these each week is really easy for me. I have been using Lean Cuisine for years and I love the new choices, especially the Med Chicken…so good!! Thank you for this review, Lena…because I am going to go for a walk this morning and on my way back, I will stop off and pick up a few more!!

  19. Lee Pearson

    Although I have seen these in the grocery store, I haven’t tried them yet. I think the first one I will try is the Chili Lime Beef. They all look wonderfully appetizing though. I will definitely pick one up the next time I’m in the store.

      • NT

        Ya, isn’t that always the way? Its bad enough that I’m still awake, but then to read my fav blog and get hit with the midnight munchies – ugh!

        • Lena

          :) You’ll need to have some in the freezer as emergency snacking food! I was eating chips and guacamole at 1:00am, ugh!

  22. Charlene

    I eat a lot of frozen meals so when something new and healthier comes out I try it. Haven’t seen Fresh Inspirations yet but when I do I know I’ll try it. The pictures make it look really good.

    • Lena

      They’re popping up in grocery stores everywhere Charlene, hope you’ll have a chance to try one soon!

  25. amy lovell

    these are soo Tasty! Unfortunatly none of the stores close to me carry it, so I have to make a special trip to metro to pick them up!

    • Lena

      Oh no! I’ve seen them at Loblaws and Walmart, hopefully you’ll see them at your local supermarket too!