My Experience with Project Lean Nation

Over the last couple of months, Lynn and I have been experimenting with Project Lean Nation (PLN), and it’s quickly become a convenient and effective part of our fitness and nutrition routine.

For a little background, Project Lean Nation is headquartered in Rochester, New York, where they prepare meals made from whole food ingredients—no preservatives, no junk. Right after cooking, the meals are flash-frozen and vacuum-sealed into plastic trays with a clear film cover. From there, they’re shipped out to local franchises like the one near us. It’s not your typical meal delivery service—there’s a strong emphasis on nutrition, portion control, and protein content.

We started using PLN as part of a shift in my training goals. As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, I’ve been working with Turbo Metabolic Training, focusing more on strength and muscle gain. My goal is to increase lean muscle mass while maintaining the cardiovascular endurance I’ve built as a long-distance runner. Turbo’s trainer Jason, and Moe—the local PLN franchise owner—both recommended I aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. For me, that’s about 170 grams per day.

Before this shift, I was averaging around 90–100 grams a day. With the PLN meals (and a bit of planning in MyFitnessPal which has the PLN meals pre-loaded), I’ve been consistently hitting my protein targets, and I’m already seeing results. After three body composition scans on PLN’s InBody scale (more on that in a bit), I’ve gained 2.5 pounds of muscle. I’m almost at my lean mass goal!

High-Protein, Whole Food Meals

PLN offers a variety of meals in packs of 12 or 18, with the ability to choose “lifestyle” or “athlete” portions. Lynn opts for the lifestyle size, while I go for the athlete size—same meal, just 50% more calories and protein. It works well for our respective needs. I just wish we could mix and match both sizes within one order, but we’re considering opening a second account to get around that limitation.

They rotate their menu regularly, and while I lean heavily toward the chicken dishes, here are some standout meals I’ve enjoyed:

– Buffalo Cheesy Mac
– Chicken Alfredo
– Sweet Chili Chicken
– Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
– Greek Chicken Power Bowl
– Lemon Herb Chicken with Quinoa and Broccoli

Despite names that sound indulgent, most meals are low in saturated fat and packed with clean, whole ingredients. The flash freezing process preserves freshness without the need for additives, which is something I really appreciate.

We typically eat PLN meals about three times a week—especially when time is tight or we want to avoid takeout. The meals come in plastic trays with a sealed film top, which are great for storage and freezing, but not safe for oven or microwave use. When it’s time to eat, we thaw them overnight, then transfer them into ceramic dishes to heat. I actually found a set of ceramic dishes on Amazon that are the perfect size for PLN portions. Their instructions recommend 12–15 minutes at 350°F, but we’ve found 20 minutes works better for our preference. You can also use an air fryer (Moe swears by it), but so far our oven has worked just fine.

The InBody Scale: Data-Driven Progress

One unique feature of our local PLN is the InBody body composition scale. It’s not just your average smart scale—this thing is a $7,000 precision machine. Unlike standard bathroom scales that measure from foot to foot, the InBody uses hand and foot sensors to assess body composition across your entire body.

As an engineer, I appreciate the accuracy. It gives a full printout showing lean mass in each arm, leg, and your trunk, along with fat percentage, skeletal muscle mass, and more. After three scans, I’ve seen real progress—not just in numbers but in how I feel during workouts at Turbo. My trunk, which started under-muscled at 94% of ideal, is now at 105%, thanks to all the core work I’ve been doing. Data and results—love it.

Smoothies, Apps, and Ordering

Each Saturday, after our long run with the Prosper Running Club and coffee at 1418 Coffeehouse (converted from an old post office—very cool spot), we swing by PLN to pick up our meals and grab a smoothie. My go-to is the Gladiator, packed with vanilla whey, oats, almond milk, banana, cocoa, and peanut butter. Lynn usually opts for Greens With Envy or a classic Strawberry Banana.

Ordering is handled through their app, where you can choose meals weekly or bi-weekly. You’ve got until Wednesday to finalize your selections, and if you forget, they’ll auto-fill a default box for you. If you need to skip a week, just be sure to update the app in time, or you might get hit with a $20 restocking fee (guilty… but Moe was kind enough to credit me back).

Project Lean Nation: Pros and Cons

Pros:

– Whole foods, no preservatives 
– Protein-packed meals 
– Great for muscle building or weight loss goals 
– Easy app and scheduling system 
– High-end InBody scale for progress tracking 
– Delicious smoothies 
– Convenient and time-saving
– Meal nutritional value are available on MyFitnessPal

Cons:

– Can’t mix athlete and lifestyle meals in one box 
– Slightly more expensive than home-cooked meals 
– Plastic packaging (still looking into recycling options) 
– Need to remember to update weekly meal selections manually

Final Thoughts

PLN has become a valuable part of our health and fitness lifestyle. Whether you’re looking to lose weight or build muscle like I am, it’s a great way to make sure your nutrition is dialed in. With meals packing 50–75 grams of protein, they’ve made hitting my daily protein goal achievable without a ton of meal prep.

I’ll continue to update as my strength training and running evolve. Half marathon coming up next weekend—stay tuned for that race report. And as always…

Keep moving.