222 replies to this topic

[Leisa]

Hello everyone,
I wanted to start a new thread that we can all contribute to. If you have a substitute for a JC meal post a reply below so that everyone can check it out. Make sure that you check out the calories, calories from fat, fat grams, fiber, ect.
I have done some research on foods here is what I found:
All exchanges are within ~20 calories of JC.
Pancakes & Sausage-
Morningstar meatless breakfast links
Aunt Jemima Low fat pancakes
Cheesy Enchilada-
Lean Cusine Chicken Enchilada Suiza
Soudough Bites-
UTZ Sourdough Fat Free Pretzle Nuggets
Strawberry Bar-
Natures promise granola bars- strawberry
Bannana nut muffin (sub isnt a muffin but a bar)-
Kellogs nut grain muffin bars bannana
Bean with bacon & ham soup-
Campbells Select RTS soup Bean w/Ham, each can has 2 servings
Beef chow mein-
Lean cusine chicken chow mein

[Anonymous]

Great topic!
I have Weight Watchers giant cookies & cream ice cream bars instead of the Chocolate Chip Snack Bar
Weight Watchers giant cookies & cream ice cream bars
140 calories
5g fat
5mg cholesterol
95mg sodium
25g carbohydrates
Jenny Craig Chocolate Chip Snack Bar
140 calories
3.5g fat
0mg cholesterol
110mg sodium
23g carbohydrates

I have Pringles 1/3 less fat sour cream & onion potato chips instead of Cheese Curls
Pringles 1/3 less fat sour cream & onion potato chips - 16 chips (They’re about $1.50 per can and have approximately 5 servings per can. That’s less than I pay for one bag of JC Cheese Curls!)
140 calories
7g fat
0mg cholesterol
140mg sodium
18g carbohydrates
Jenny Craig Cheese Curls
130 calories
6g fat
0mg cholesterol
230mg sodium
17g carbohydrates

[SlenderThoughts]

I have nothing to contribute yet, but just wanted to say I love this thread!!!! The food can get so boring and I loath JC lunches.

[Leisa]

Per a fellow JCer on another board
JC popcorn: Orville Reddenbachers Mini bags 10 fewer calories.

[LAMysteryGrl]

Hey Leisa - great idea for this thread! I know a lot of people have financial restraints that keep them from buying every meal at JC, but they still want to do the program...this should give them some ideas on ways to cut corners, financially. When you are having financial problems, every little bit you can save matters!
I'm not sick of the food yet, but I know there will come a time when I will be looking for a way to shake it up and I will come back to this thread for ideas!

[Divaxena]

I agree! WTG, Leisa, thanks for the fresh ideas....We all need good suggestions once awhile! I also think these ideas are great for traveling, when you can't bring your food from home........
Good job!

[sassy25]

Also 100 Calorie Packs are really good to They are of course 100 CalorieFat 3grams Choles 0 Sodium 140 It equals out to one starch. Also as a fruit if you like juice its tropicana light it says weight watchers on it only 50 cal for small box.

[CookieMonster416]

Are the 100 calorie packs in place of a snack?
When I called the Jenny help line they told me that I could not replace a Lean Cuisine wtih Jenny because it has too much sodium...

[sunnyazmom]

Healthy Choice Chicken Fetuccini Alfredo is comparable:
Jenny Craig Chicken Fettuccine:
Serving Size 7.35 oz. (208g)
Calories 250 Calories from Fat 70
Total Fat 7g
Saturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 65mg
Sodium 500mg
Total Carbohydrate 29g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Protein 18g
Healthy Choice:
serving size 8.5oz
calories 290
total fat 7g
cholesterol 45mg
sat. fat 2.5g
sodium 570mg
carbs 32g
fiber 3g
protein 24g
The HC entree is a bit bigger and therefore more calories, so perhaps if you just take a scoop or two out before you even begin to eat, that would even them up.

[Chopstickgirl]

I eat the Kashi Go Lean instead of the complete Start, and WW Smart ones frozen double chocolate chip muffins instead of JC BN muffin.

[sunnyazmom]

Hey chopstickgirl, where do you get your Smart Ones muffins? I have never seen them in the stores. I even called the WW hotline today to ask which stores I could find them in, and they said the muffins and the english muffin sandwiches are not available in my area. I live in Arizona, and plan on asking my closest grocery store if they will order them for me. Anyway, I was wondering where you got yours so maybe I could ask the same store to order some for me. They sound yummy!

[buddums66]

ya ty for the help ladies and gentlemen , ya my finances this week is really low , and thanks for the ideas , i'm on my 4th week now , and i'm not working right now till sept8th , i'm a school bus driver. i hope my consultant understands its just for 1 wk. anyone have suggestions ?

[Chopstickgirl]

We shop @ superwalmart, that's where i got mine...they are kinda randomly placed, in the freezer section with the lean cuisine frozen entrees, the healthy choice/smart ones so on and so forth. they are delish. good luck!

[live-n-learn]

SOME Lean Cuisine is really high in sodium. But not all. Check it out, and you'll find some decent ones. Although overall JC foods are the most consistent in being low (or reasonable) sodium levels.
South Beach Diet packaged foods are VERY high in sodium, so avoid those. Even national health groups (like the Am. Heart Assoc.) have complained about their foods.
Several of the Weight Watchers packaged foods have a reasonable sodium level.
I haven't found anything that compares with JC turkey chili or any of their soups for sodium content, though. Soups are usually over 1000 mg. sodium/serving. JC does MUCH better than that, and still tastes good!
JC consultants would be crazy to tell you to buy other foods. They not only get a small commission from what we buy from them, but JC would be ticked off at them if they helped us plan other foods to buy. But they realize that people need other food sources and certainly expect it.
If I only ate JC, I'd go crazy. I was mixing in other foods within 2 weeks after starting JC. But I'll probably be buying some JC foods for years to come because it provides me with another source for healthy good-tasting foods.

[sunnyazmom]

Thanks, Chopstickgirl: I checked out the Super Walmart by my house and they had a HUGE selection of the Smart Ones, including the choc. muffins and the breakfast sandwich. I had a muffin for breakfast this morning with coffee....oh, so good! They don't have as much protein as JCs, but that was the only major difference that I saw. Anyway, thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

[Chopstickgirl]

You are welcome, glad you could find them and enjoy them, I like smart ones stuff!! and super walmart is the best!

[buddums66]

hey thanks all , will be back on track with jc food , i still feel the same and my hubby found out that michelinas lean is the same as jc and thats what i am using and i bought my snacks and praline bars for the week and then next week i will be eating jc food again i have my chin up now!

[caligirlchef]

Amy's Organic Vegetable pot pie, instead of a JC lunch.
I am SO SICK of the JC lunches already on my 2nd week back. So I'm going to see if I can substitute with some of these organic ones. The calories, and fat, and such are really comparable, AND the sodium is LESS than JC
Cali

[sunnyazmom]

Hey Califchefgirl, I went to buy some of the Amy's Veggie Pot Pies, but yikes! They are pretty high in calorie and fat, compared to JC. I didn't buy any because the calories and fat scared me off, but then I was wondering if you eat just half of one at at time? That would be just about right. Let me know...maybe I'll give it another look.

[caligirlchef]

Hmmm, that is what I get for listening to my boyfriend. And I left that pot pie at work too so I can't even look at it, but I did go to the Amy's website and saw that the pot pies were like 15g of fat, not cool.
I do want to buy some Amy's foods, I do see that the Asian Noodle Stir Fry is 240 calories, and 4.5 G of fat. That's not too bad, even 4g of FIBER. Sodium at 680. This one is safe.
The Roasted Vegetable Pocket has 230 Calories, 8g of Fat (only 1.5 are saturated!), 480 sodium, good stuff.
Tofu Scramble Pocket Sandwhich is a good one too, 180 calories, and 6g of fat! 520 Sodium......11g of protien 99% organic
Spinach Pizza in a Pocket Sandwhich is 280 calories, 9g fat, 460mg sodium, and 13g of protein This is another good one!!
My all-time favorite Tomato soup is Amy's Tomato Bisque. It's 120 Calories, and 3.5G of fat and it is amazing. That is for 1/2 the can. I can have the whole can for 2x that much I'd say. I'm going to use this for a lunch as well, eventhough the protien is kinda low.
For more information on Amy's Organic line of foods go to:
http://www.amyskitchen.com/special_diets/weightloss.php
Check it out :P
Cali