Lean Cuisine
Encyclopedia
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
. The brand began as low fat, low calorie versions of Stouffer's
Stouffer's
Stouffer's is a brand of frozen prepared foods available in the United States and Canada. Stouffer's is known for such popular fare as meatloaf, salisbury steak, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and ravioli. It also produces a line of reduced-fat products under the banner Lean...
products. Today Lean Cuisine includes traditional dinners, ethnic dishes, pizzas, whole grain Spa Cuisine entreés, and panini
Panino
Panini are small, filled, bread rolls, which are sometimes toasted. They are Italian in origin, but now found in other countries.In Italy, panino is the word for a sandwich made with a bread roll. Sandwiches there are customarily made from a roll or loaf of bread, typically a ciabatta or a rosetta...
. The headquarters of Lean Cuisine in the United States is located in Solon, Ohio
Solon, Ohio
Solon is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and is an affluent suburb of Cleveland in the Northeast Ohio Region, the 14th largest Combined Statistical Area in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 23,348...
, a suburb of Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.
Overview and history
Lean Cuisine was created in 1981 to provide a healthier alternative to Stouffer's frozen meals. It began with ten items and has expanded to include 100+ different meals. The brand name "Lean Cuisine" is considered by the FDA as a nutrient content claim, so all Lean Cuisine items are required to meet the "lean" criteria of less than 10 g fat, 4.5 g or less saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol. Lean Cuisine items are also calorie-controlled, with most items in the 200-300 calorie range, with a minimum of 140 calories and a maximum of 400 calories. A major competitor of Lean Cuisine is Healthy ChoiceHealthy Choice
Healthy Choice is the name of a brand of refrigerated and frozen foods owned by ConAgra Foods, Inc. According to ConAgra's official corporate history, it came into being after then-ConAgra CEO Charles "Mike" Harper suffered a heart attack in 1985...
, manufactured by ConAgra Foods
ConAgra Foods
ConAgra Foods, Inc. is an American packaged foods company. ConAgra's products are available in supermarkets, as well as restaurants and food service establishments. Its headquarters are located in Omaha, Nebraska...
. It is required to meet "healthy" criteria by the FDA, since it includes "healthy" in its brand name. This includes a requirement to be below 480 mg of sodium in addition to fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol targets.
Other competitors include Smart Ones, made by H. J. Heinz Company
H. J. Heinz Company
The H. J. Heinz Company , commonly known as Heinz and famous for its "57 Varieties" slogan and its ketchup, is an American food company with world headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Perhaps best known for its ketchup, the H.J...
, and South Beach Diet, made by Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
. There are also a number of store brand competitors, such as Safeway's Eating Right brand.
Lean Cuisine grew significantly during the 1980s and 1990s on the strength of low-fat, low-calorie dieting, becoming one of Nestle's largest U.S. brands. Sales suffered during 2003–2004, as did other diet food brands with the increased popularity of low-carbohydrate diet
Low-carbohydrate diet
Low-carbohydrate diets or low-carb diets are dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption usually for weight control or for the treatment of obesity. Foods high in digestible carbohydrates are limited or replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of proteins and fats...
plans. Lean Cuisine reacted by launching a line of reduced-carb entrees in 2004, and has seen stronger growth as low carb dieting has become less prevalent.
Lean Cuisine sponsors the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation and America on the Move.
Varieties
EWLINE
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Timeline
- 1981 – Brand launched with 10 items and launch communication focuses on "Good tasting entrees at less than 300 calories."
- 1983 – Tagline adopted "You'll love the way it looks on you" and strong demand leads to product shortages and apologies in print ads to consumers
- 1984 – Lean Cuisine 14-day diet plan, free booklet called "On Your Way to Being Lean" and another tagline "It's not just the calories that count, it's the taste"
- 1985 – Product line expanded to 18 items and tagline was "You'll love the taste. And you'll love the way it looks on you"
- 1986 – With competition entering category, tagline was "Only Lean Cuisine tastes like Lean Cuisine"
- 1987 – Product line expanded to 25 items, including shrimp, lamb, and veal items, Tagline "More Satisfaction", and directly targeted Weight WatchersWeight WatchersWeight Watchers is an international company that offers various dieting products and services to assist weight loss and maintenance. Founded in 1963 by Brooklyn homemaker Jean Nidetch, it operates in about 30 countries around the world, generally under names that are local translations of “Weight...
dieters by publishing Weight Watchers exchanges for all items - 1991 – Launched 11 new items, focused on low fat message, like "98% fat free!"
- 1992 – Launched 8 new items, including Honey Mustard Chicken, which contained a jar of Grey PouponGrey PouponGrey Poupon is a brand of Dijon mustard in the U.S.The brand of Dijon-style mustard was originally owned and marketed in the U.S. by the Heublein Company and now owned and manufactured by Kraft Foods. Like other Dijon mustards, Grey Poupon contains a small amount of white wine. It is made with...
- 1993 – Launched 8 more new items, including pot pies and enchilada
- 1995 – Launched Lunch Express- lower price option, eat from the box and tagline "Time to treat yourself right" and "It's not just Lean, it's Cuisine"
- 1996 – Launched Cafe Classics- more restaurant-inspired meals and look
- 1997 – Launched American Favorites- more homestyle classic American dishes
- 1998 – Launched 4 new Cafe Classics items
- 1999 – Launched Skillet Sensations- bag "kit" meals that cook in a pan
- 2000 – First mention of tagline "Do something good for yourself" in communications
- 2001 – Launch of Zesty Selections items- more spicy, flavorful dishes
- 2002 – Launch of Bowls and Dinnertime Selects
- 2003 – Launch of Asian product lines and pizzas
- 2004 – Launch of Low carb entrees, deep dish pizzas, and tagline "It's not just Lean, it's Cuisine" gone, replaced with "Do Something Good for Yourself"
- 2005 – Launch of Spa Cuisine- whole grain entreés and Dinnertime Selects with dessert
- 2006 – Preservatives eliminated from most (80+) items, launch of Panini sandwiches and Brick Oven style pizzas
- 2007 – Launch of five Spa Cuisine items with twice the vegetables and two additional panini sandwiches
- 2008 – Launch of four Flatbread melts
- 2010 – "The Book of Truth" campaign debuts
External links
- Lean Cuisine official website
- Lean Cuisine items graded
- Lean Cuisine nutritional pros and cons discussion
- http://www2.oprah.com/health/bob/bestlife/bestlife_20070917_350_102.jhtmlLean Cuisine kitchen featured on The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
] - Lean Cuisine Dinner Recall