Jemma O'Hanlon

Dietitian, Consultant, Keynote Speaker

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Product review: Lite n' Easy

Written by Catherine Saxelby on Wednesday, 20 October 2021.
Tagged: health, healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, nutrition, Product review, review

Product review: Lite n' Easy
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With home delivery on the rise, this post is reviewing none other than that stalwart Lite n’ Easy. We all know their meals are good for weight loss (which we all need after COVID-19!), but did you know they’re also good for general health and wellbeing ? Eating well to nourish yourself – putting your mental health and wellbeing at the forefront – is gaining momentum. Lite n’ Easy meals also ensures you satisfy your need for vitamins, minerals, fibre and phyto-compounds, such as sterols and carotenoids.

clipboardThis post has been sponsored by Lite n' Easy.  

 

I reviewed the 1200 Calorie ‘Week A’ option from their new Spring menu. I received a mix of fresh (chilled) items, which were in green bags (right), and frozen items, which were in blue bags (left).

Once I got used to it, the options were easy to see – my choices were also printed out so I could use a combo of fresh and frozen to make my 7 Breakfasts and 7 Lunches. Delivery LiteNEasy 1

 Taste: 9 out of 10

The Breakfasts and Lunches tasted great – they were the best part of the weekly delivery and my hubs said he wants them for when he goes away without me. Everything was neatly packaged – there was even a how-to cooking card with some of the more ‘complicated’ Breakfasts, such as the Fresh Omelette with Potato, Ham, Onions and Cheese. 

Breakfast Omelette 2

There are fresh and frozen Dinners available on  the menu, but I chose only the frozen for convenience. Each one only took about 7 or 8 minutes to cook. All in all, it was a great-tasting week of meals.

Nutrition:  17 out of 20  

There are 4 Weeks of menus – A, B, C and D – each delivered on a particular week in Spring from August to October. Each Week offers you a choice from the popular menu, as well as an optional and vegetarian choice. You choose one option for each day. For my Week A, for example, I received mostly the Popular choice. My 7 Breakfasts and morning snacks were: 

  1. Egg with sauteed brekkie vegetables in a tomato sauce on wholemeal seed toast, Freshly cut fruit
  2. Apple, cranberry and bran flakes with skim milk* , Vanilla yoghurt , Peach cup
  3. Freshly made omelette with two eggs, potato, ham and shallot mix, and cheese, Mandarin
  4. Eggs Benedict on ciabatta toast, Pear cup
  5. Almond toasted muesli with skim milk*, Rye toast with strawberry jam, Orange
  6. Egg with cherry tomato, avocado and fetta on ciabatta toast, Sweet pineapple bites with passionfruit
  7. Fruit almond crunch with skim milk*, Multigrain toast with apricot jam, Kiwifruit

Breakfast Avo Toast 2

All meals were balanced with plenty of protein, vegetables and legumes (peas, beans). 

Lite n’ Easy offer support with an App, Facebook page and Instagram following, as well as the blog on their website. Their tips include telling you to hang out with positive people who support your goals. 

Plus, they have tips about exercising, what to do if you’re still hungry, eating out, being a mindful eater, eating regularly and drinking quality fluids such as water. 

For optimum weight-loss results, Lite n’ Easy recommends the full 7-day meal plan. This includes all of your breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks (including fresh fruit) for the week. All this takes up room in your fridge and freezer, so be prepared. On the other hand, it saves you having to shop and make up dishes with the leftovers. Of course, you can buy fewer portions, with the 5-, 4- and 3-day meal plans on offer. Or choose just Dinners, or just Breakfasts and Lunches. With more than 100 meals to select from, you’ll find heaps of combinations. 

The 1200 Calorie plan I tried costs $157 for 7 days, which is pretty good. Or you could opt for getting just Breakfasts and Lunches for only $96.

Lucnh Chargrilled Burger

List of ingredients

Here are the ingredients in one of Lite n’ Easy’s lunch meals – Beef and Sweet Potato Hot Pot: 

 Beef 23%, sweet potato 23%, tomato pulp (citric acid), roasted capsicum (water, vinegar, salt, sugar), black beans, onion, cheese, capsicum, red wine, olive oil, garlic, yeast, balsamic vinegar, chilli, corn starch, salt, tomato paste, herbs.

 Plus, each meal includes a standard Nutrition Information Panel, listing the kilojoules (calories), protein, fat, carbohydrate, sugars, fibre and sodium, both per 100 grams and per serve (220 grams). Not forgetting the Best Before date and microwave instructions (heat for 4 minutes).

Key nutrients…

This is the only food delivery company that offers meals in line with Australian Dietary guidelines. You’ll get your 5 vegetables and 2 fruits a day.

Lunch

Who should try this product? If you have coeliac disease or food allergies, Lite n’ Easy is not suitable. But Lite n’ Easy does offer a range of dinners made without added gluten, and a range without added dairy (milk), for people seeking to avoid these ingredients.

Convenience: 9 out of 10

These meals are so convenient and there’s no wastage – which regularly occurs when buying ingredients. Would I get sick of them? No. There is enough variety to ensure you don’t get bored, plus each Week rotates through one of four options.

Sustainability: 9 out of 10

Everything is recyclable, from the outer polystyrene Esky to the plastic shopping and day bags (which get returned to Lite n'Easy), which is good to see. You can also recycle your dinner trays and plastic containers, which hold the individual Lunches or Breakfasts – just remove any of the film lids first. Dinner Beef Coconut Curry unopened

Dinner Beef Coconut Curry heated

Overall score:  44 out of 50 or 4.5 apples Apples 4 smll

You'll find more details on their website

The final word

I’d get these easy meals delivered again. They are best for busy people who want healthy convenience, or for those who need to lose weight, but want to do so in a way that’s sustainable and nutritious long term. Yes, you could cheat and eat more, but why would you? With their motto of Healthy Convenience & Easy Weight Loss, it really is a breeze.

   * You need to supply your own cup of skim milk each day (or 1.75 litres a week).

Reviews

  • Product snapshot: Tomato pasta sauces

    Product snapshot: Tomato pasta sauces

    18 September 2023 by, Catherine Saxelby

    What’s in your favourite tomato pasta sauce, and how much of it? Here are the most popular sauces reviewed for your reading pleasure.

    I’ve rated nine of the most popular tomato pasta sauces in terms of their nutrition, ingredient lists and jar size. You’ll find many of these in your local supermarket. The sauces are ranked:

    • from Italian (Italy grows the reddest full-flavoured tomatoes) to Australian
    • per 100 grams, which is equivalent to 3½ ounces (the standard for comparing food products)
    • by serving size (varies between brands but is generally 100–175 g in size)
    • by ingredient list, jar size and where made (with each product’s website as the source)

    The bottom line

    When you’re next out shopping, run your eyes down the per 100 g column and look for products containing less than 400 mg sodium AND less than 5 g fat (which equals 5% fat). Most of the brands are below these levels. I like Barilla, Sacla, Leggo’s, La Gina and Mutti – but that’s just me!

    Read more
  • Product Review: Low-sugar alcoholic ginger beer

    Product review: Low-sugar alcoholic ginger beer

    1 March 2023 by, Catherine Saxelby

    Want something to drink before dinner? Something that’s LOWER in alcohol than wine? To match his beer? Then look no further than Bundaberg’s low-sugar alcoholic ginger beer.

    You can drink Bundaberg low-sugar ginger beer straight from the can, or pour it into a long glass over ice with a slice of lime.

     

  • Product snapshot: Khorasan Macaroni

    Product snapshot: Berkelo’s Khorasan Macaroni

    14 September 2022 by, Catherine Saxelby

    I’m loving this macaroni from Berkelo. I was sent a sample for Whole Grain Week 2022 by the Grains Legume Nutrition Council. I cooked it up and found that it was just divine! Read on for more …

  • Product Review: super-high-oleic-safflower-oil

    Product review: Super high-oleic safflower oil

    11 May 2022 by, Catherine Saxelby

    “What does super high-oleic mean?” I hear you ask.  Also, “I haven’t heard of safflower for ages. What’s the deal?” Read on and all will be explained.

  • Product Review: Healthy Life Food Tracker

    Product review: Healthy Life Food Tracker

    6 April 2022 by, Catherine Saxelby

    When I was first asked to write this review, I thought, Not another tracker.

    After all, there have been several in recent years, such as My Fitness Pal and Everyday Diet Diary. But this one is different. It works by using your Everyday Rewards card AND your shop at Woolworths.

  • Product review: Lite n' Easy

    Product review: Lite n' Easy

    20 October 2021 by, Catherine Saxelby

    With home delivery on the rise, this post is reviewing none other than that stalwart Lite n’ Easy. We all know their meals are good for weight loss (which we all need after COVID-19!), but did you know they’re also good for general health and wellbeing ? Eating well to nourish yourself – putting your mental health and wellbeing at the forefront – is gaining momentum. Lite n’ Easy meals also ensures you satisfy your need for vitamins, minerals, fibre and phyto-compounds, such as sterols and carotenoids.

    clipboardThis post has been sponsored by Lite n' Easy.  

     

  • Product review:  Birds Eye Plant Based range

    Product review: Birds Eye Plant Based range

    15 September 2021 by, Catherine Saxelby

    When you think of Birds Eye, their frozen peas and fish fingers probably come to mind. But I bet you’d never think of plant-based products!

    clipboardThis post has been sponsored by Birds Eye. 

Healthy Weight Loss

  • Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction

    Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction

    3 May 2023 by, Catherine Saxelby

    As you probably know already, intermittent fasting (IF) has gained favour as an alternative regimen to daily caloric restriction (DCR). Fasting is shown to extend the lifespan of rats, and has been associated with metabolic benefits in humans, yet the results so far have been inconsistent. So, which regimen is best for healthy weight loss?

    Read more
  • The lifestyle diet craze

    The lifestyle diet craze

    15 March 2023 by, Catherine Saxelby

    What sort of a diet should you follow to lose that excess weight? These days, it’s pretty confusing with high-protein Keto advocates clashing with plant-protein followers … as well as intermittent fasters, juice-only dieters, no-carb dieters and no-animal (aka plant-based) dieters. Plus all the ads for anti-hunger supplements, meal-replacement shakes and home-delivered meals, more of which somehow appear every day. So, what sort of diet should YOU follow to lose that excess?

  • Protein shakes for weight loss

    Protein shakes for weight loss

    9 November 2022 by, Catherine Saxelby

    These days, protein shakes aren’t bought by just body builders – they’re so popular that you can readily buy a 400 g tub at your local supermarket or service station. And with tempting claims such as ‘Facilitates muscle toning’, ‘Contains transformation-making protein’ and ‘Tastes incredible, mixes easily’, why wouldn’t you grab one? But protein shakes aren’t the magic answer to all your weight-loss woes. Let’s take a look at what you get for your money.

    Guest post by dietitian Zoe Wilson APD

  • What is your relationship with food and eating?

    How to beat those cravings

    20 January 2021 by, Catherine Saxelby

    Many of us have cravings from time to time and for different reasons. One thing is certain, they can sabotage all your best efforts at a healthy diet and/or weight loss. The good news? You CAN beat them. I’ll tell you how.

  • What is your relationship with food and eating?

    How to lose weight WITHOUT going on a diet

    14 October 2020 by, Catherine Saxelby

    The word 'diet' is a turn-off for most people. It sounds hard, unpleasant and unpalatable. Losing weight doesn’t have to be hard AND it doesn’t have mean sticking to a 'diet'. You can forget Paleo, Keto, Vegan and Raw, Gluten-free and Intermittent Fasting. To lose weight, you don’t have to follow any specific diet. What you need is simple, healthy, nutritious food and a few tips and tricks.

  • What IS a healthy balanced diet for weight loss?

    What IS a healthy balanced diet for weight loss?

    16 September 2020 by, Catherine Saxelby

    Healthy weight loss happens when you lose weight slowly and steadily (around 1 kg or 2 pounds weight loss a week). Your goal is to lose weight while still getting your essential nutrients but from smaller portions. You certainly don’t want to be tired with no energy! That’s why you need regular healthy meals and snacks on hand to ensure your vitamins, minerals, omega-3s and fibre needs can be easily met. There is a new range of healthy weight loss meals available and it’s one that I’d like to recommend. With these ready meals, you’ll say goodbye to meal planning, shopping, meal preparation and cooking.

    This post is sponsored by Chefgood 

  • Kitchen make-over for the New Year

    Kitchen make-over for the New Year

    8 January 2020 by, Catherine Saxelby

     “This year, I'm going to lose weight!”, or “This year I’m opting for a healthier lifestyle!” Is your 2020 New Year's resolution something like one of these? If so, how is it going to happen?