Empowering Weight Loss

Since its inception in 1981, Lean Cuisine has set its sights on providing nutritious and delicious meals intended to assist consumers with their weight management journeys. We always thought our portion-controlled, pre-packaged foods could be an essential component of a weight management plan, and, to add some scientific rigor to our brand, we sponsored a clinical trial to verify it.

Subjects consumed two of either our regular or higher protein Lean Cuisine meals daily for 12 weeks, and their weight loss was compared to subjects who consumed a standard self-selected diet. All 180 subjects were obese or overweight, a study population that historically has been the target consumer for the Lean Cuisine brand. And all subjects were instructed to consume a reduced-energy diet—i.e., 1200-3000 calories/day, representing a 500-1500 calorie deficit based on estimated energy expenditure—and received dietary and behavioral weight loss counseling, which included sample meal plans, a physical activity goal of at least one hour of moderate intensity, and weekly in-person, telephone, or email contacts over the course of the study.

The participants who followed the portion-controlled plan that included Lean Cuisine meals experienced greater weight loss (8.6% v. 6.0%) and fat loss (5.7% v. 4.4%) than those on the self-selected diet, with comparable meal satisfaction. This suggests that using pre-packaged meals in combination with behavioral weight loss counseling can be an effective strategy for achieving weight loss goals. While this was a relatively short-term study, other studies have shown that participants who experienced significant weight loss during the study were more likely to continue losing weight in the long term. Thus, these results are relevant to longer term weight management success. As always, it's essential to consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian before making any significant changes to your diet or weight loss plan.