Saturday, May 27, 2006

Frozen Entree Taste Test

I noticed a few weeks ago that I had gotten myself into a rut, and that the only diet frozen entrees I ever bought were either Italian food, mac 'n cheese, paninis, or pizzas. Even this Upstate New York girl gets tired of tomato sauce every once in a while. So I've been making a point to try new varieties, and it's been kinda fun!

Lean Cuisine Baked Chicken
This is a tasty little meal. If you close your eyes, it almost smells and tastes homemade. There are two little baked chicken tenders in gravy with some cornbread "stuffing" - that comes in that ever-popular soggy crouton form - and little pieces of carrots and celery. There's a side of yummy mashed potatoes. It's only 5 WW points overall. This one gets 2 thumbs up for heartiness, being filling, and actually tasting good.

Lean Cuisine Steak Tips Portobello
This one sounds fancy, but the name is a little more sophisticated than the meal. It includes a few pieces of steak and some chopped mushrooms in a tangy gravy with hints of Burgundy wine. The mushrooms were kind of rubbery, and the sauce tasted just a little off to me. Maybe too tart? There is a side of teeny-tiny broccoli florets with no detectable sauce on them, so they really just end up steamed and very plain tasting. They got kind of soggy. It's only 4 points, and it's very low-carb. I only give it one thumb up, though. It's nice to add a little variety, but it's not in the running to be my favorite.

Smart Ones Beef Pot Roast
This is one of their higher-protein / low-carb entrees. Guess what? It's freakin' DELICIOUS! Even though it looks a little suspect when you cook it, as the gravy has a slight gray tinge to it, this is divine. The pieces of beef are big and chunky, and they melt in your mouth. There's no starch in this one - it's just beef, gravy, and veggies. So it adds up to a whopping 3 points total. A customer review on the web site offered the good idea of adding in some plain egg noodles if you have the points to spare, but it doesn't even really need it. This one reminded me just how much I used to love my dad's pot roast. Maybe I'll have him make it when I go visit this winter??? This entree gets 2 enthusiastic thumbs up.

4 comments:

Asian Mistress said...

There is a good Healthy Choice frozen turkey dinner...it's like grilled turkey in this sweet sauce with sweet and white roasted potatoes, and green beans w/ cranberries. It's pretty good I like it.

Mamma Bear said...

I get in a rut with the frozen meals too being a vegetarian and all. Then I start eating salads all the time, then I overdose and have to go back to the frozen meals. Congrats on the 10 pounds so far...keep up the good work!

Stef said...

AM: Thanks, I'll have to try that. I love turkey with cranberries. There's a Lean Cuisine I want to try, too, with pork in a cherry sauce. Sounds intriguing.

Robin: Congrats on being a good vegetarian! I was terrible at it and eventually quit. I'll do a whole post about that sometime soon. But thanks for stopping by, and feel free to share any advice on how to get more fruits and veggies into the routine! :-)

Anonymous said...

u no wot? dont put urself under 2 much pressure 2 eat healthy! i live in australia, and down under, i hear alot about fat americans! expecially with super size me. i honestly dont beleive it- but dont let me tell u! ur the american! but dont get urself 2 thin... its not that much of a good look!! trust me, as a 13 yr old girl, i see alot of tv! (ur very pretty, by the way!)