Date: November 24, 2010
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Chicken Red Pepper Alfredo Cafe Steamer
Rating: A
I would throw some more broccoli in this one if I were at home and had broccoli to add. More vegis. That's what this thing needed to bulk it up. As far as flavor, no added salt here! It was yummy and kinda spicy in a red-pepper sort of way. Chicken was good and not too songe-like. Pasta was a nice amount and not all clumped together. All in all, a good one to pick. I'd get it again. With a side of broccoli.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Sweet & Sour Chicken
Date: November 23, 2010
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Sweet & Sour Chicken
Rating: B-
This was a "Complete Meal" which means it came with dessert. This was really the only good part of the whole meal. First of all, remember how I blogged last week about frozen chicken you microwave and it's always mushy? Well, in the meal I had last week, that was okay and didn't take away from the meal at all. Boy it sure did in this one. Eww. Plus, I added a packet of salt again . . . not a good habit to start with these things I'm guessing. . . but it was so completely tasteless that I just HAD to in order to choke the thing down. Now the peach cobbler was good. Yumm. And the brocoli it came with was really good. . . I would've been fine with double the brocoli and half the rice. But then vegetables are more costly than grains aren't they. . .
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Sweet & Sour Chicken
Rating: B-
This was a "Complete Meal" which means it came with dessert. This was really the only good part of the whole meal. First of all, remember how I blogged last week about frozen chicken you microwave and it's always mushy? Well, in the meal I had last week, that was okay and didn't take away from the meal at all. Boy it sure did in this one. Eww. Plus, I added a packet of salt again . . . not a good habit to start with these things I'm guessing. . . but it was so completely tasteless that I just HAD to in order to choke the thing down. Now the peach cobbler was good. Yumm. And the brocoli it came with was really good. . . I would've been fine with double the brocoli and half the rice. But then vegetables are more costly than grains aren't they. . .
Healthy Choice Chicken & Rice Soup
Date: November 22, 2010
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Chicken & Rice Soup
Rating: C
So I broke away from my "frozen dinner" routine to have some soup because I wasn't feeling all that good at work on Monday. Let's just say that healthy soup is usually pretty tasteless so I wasn't expecting anything more. This was unusually tasteless so I added some salt (which of course you're not really supposed to do) and even then it was still pretty bland. It filled me up but then my stomach was irritated for the rest of the day afterward and I'm not sure if that was just me or if it was the soup. Either way, I like Progresso's line of healthy soups better anyway.
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Chicken & Rice Soup
Rating: C
So I broke away from my "frozen dinner" routine to have some soup because I wasn't feeling all that good at work on Monday. Let's just say that healthy soup is usually pretty tasteless so I wasn't expecting anything more. This was unusually tasteless so I added some salt (which of course you're not really supposed to do) and even then it was still pretty bland. It filled me up but then my stomach was irritated for the rest of the day afterward and I'm not sure if that was just me or if it was the soup. Either way, I like Progresso's line of healthy soups better anyway.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Country Breaded Chicken
Date: November 18
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Country Breaded Chicken
Rating: A++
Yay! Chicken and gravy and mashed potatos and vegetables and Dessert (!!) for only 340 calories! No way. It was so good. And it was a chilly day this day (Thursday) and I was looking for something to feel good and warm in my tummy and this was it. Even the dessert was good and hot and sweet. The chicken was soggy but then what microwaved chicken isn't? For what it is, this is a fabulous dinner.
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Country Breaded Chicken
Rating: A++
Yay! Chicken and gravy and mashed potatos and vegetables and Dessert (!!) for only 340 calories! No way. It was so good. And it was a chilly day this day (Thursday) and I was looking for something to feel good and warm in my tummy and this was it. Even the dessert was good and hot and sweet. The chicken was soggy but then what microwaved chicken isn't? For what it is, this is a fabulous dinner.
Chicken Margherita
Date: 11-16
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Chicken Margherita
Rating: A
The description reads: Angel hair pasta is the beautiful base for grilled chicken tenderloins, roasted garlic, and tomatoes in a balsamic vinaigrette sauce. Prepared with absolutely no preservatives.
Yep. Pretty tasty. And filling. Yes. Infinately more enjoyable than Tuesday's meal of non-pesto-ness. This was warm and filling and tasty. Yes. Get this one. I liked.
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Chicken Margherita
Rating: A
The description reads: Angel hair pasta is the beautiful base for grilled chicken tenderloins, roasted garlic, and tomatoes in a balsamic vinaigrette sauce. Prepared with absolutely no preservatives.
Yep. Pretty tasty. And filling. Yes. Infinately more enjoyable than Tuesday's meal of non-pesto-ness. This was warm and filling and tasty. Yes. Get this one. I liked.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Chicken Pesto Classico
Date: 11-16-10
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Chicken Pesto Classico
Rating: B+
This is one of their Cafe Steamers and I must say, I was fairly impressed. I was impressed by the texture of their rotini pasta (not too soggy) and the taste of their chicken. The pesto was less pesto-y than I would've liked and which I know this is a health food dish and thus low-sodium, I do admit to tossing a pinch of salt on top and that hightened the flavor wonderfully. For a vegis and chicken and pasta dish, this one was quite tasty and very filling. I worked late tonight and this for dinner kept me going till I got home at 10. Way to go.
-b
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Chicken Pesto Classico
Rating: B+
This is one of their Cafe Steamers and I must say, I was fairly impressed. I was impressed by the texture of their rotini pasta (not too soggy) and the taste of their chicken. The pesto was less pesto-y than I would've liked and which I know this is a health food dish and thus low-sodium, I do admit to tossing a pinch of salt on top and that hightened the flavor wonderfully. For a vegis and chicken and pasta dish, this one was quite tasty and very filling. I worked late tonight and this for dinner kept me going till I got home at 10. Way to go.
-b
Monday, November 15, 2010
Portabella Spinach Parmesan
Date: 11-15-10
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Portabella Spinach Parmesan
Rating: D
Back to the 'bucks today and so on with the lunches! Today I dinned on Portabella Spinach Parmesan from Healthy Choice. Perhaps I'm not a frozen spinach fan. Or a frozen mushroom fan. Or a fan of whatever cheese is on top of this thing (because I know parmesan and this did not taste like parmesan). But I did not care for this meal at all. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a perfect waste of my $1.79 from Target. I had to eat a low-sugar honey graham granola bar just to get the taste out of my mouth. Unless you crave frozen spinach over frozen mushrooms and penne pasta, then definitely skip this one. At least I did get 15% of my vitamin A.
-b
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Portabella Spinach Parmesan
Rating: D
Back to the 'bucks today and so on with the lunches! Today I dinned on Portabella Spinach Parmesan from Healthy Choice. Perhaps I'm not a frozen spinach fan. Or a frozen mushroom fan. Or a fan of whatever cheese is on top of this thing (because I know parmesan and this did not taste like parmesan). But I did not care for this meal at all. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a perfect waste of my $1.79 from Target. I had to eat a low-sugar honey graham granola bar just to get the taste out of my mouth. Unless you crave frozen spinach over frozen mushrooms and penne pasta, then definitely skip this one. At least I did get 15% of my vitamin A.
-b
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Tortellini Primavera Parmesan
Date: 11-13-10
Brand: Healthy Choice
Entree: Tortellini Primavera Parmesan
Grade: B+
The description reads four-cheese filled whole grain tortellini, red peppers, zucchini and carrots in a marinara sauce, topped with parmesan cheese. I didn't really see any Parmesan cheese topping. In fact, I was thinking of putting parmesan cheese on top of my entree because it sounded good. . . but then I don't have any parmesan. And then I read it's supposed to have it anyway. Oh well. Save the calories I guess.
So the tortellinis were actually really good. Nice and cheesy. The even the zucchini was really good and I have a hard time with the texture of softer vegetables in frozen dishes. Nice. The only thing that didn't really get this one an "A" was that it didn't really fill me up. The box says it was 9 grams of protein but I went ahead and ate some left over rotisserie chicken I had to finish off my meal. Perhaps if I had a nice, big salad with this entree, I would've been sufficiently filled. Good thought for next time.
What am I doing with all these vegetarian dishes anyway? Sure, I don't really have to have meat in my diet to make me feel satisfied, but still. I'll branch out on Monday, I promise. To you non vegetarians out there, you could probably add some simple diced ham to this dish and it would be quite filling.
Tomorrow's Sunday and therefore, I'll be away from the house all day and not at work so I won't be eating Healthy Choice. I'll see you all again on Monday.
-b
Brand: Healthy Choice
Entree: Tortellini Primavera Parmesan
Grade: B+
The description reads four-cheese filled whole grain tortellini, red peppers, zucchini and carrots in a marinara sauce, topped with parmesan cheese. I didn't really see any Parmesan cheese topping. In fact, I was thinking of putting parmesan cheese on top of my entree because it sounded good. . . but then I don't have any parmesan. And then I read it's supposed to have it anyway. Oh well. Save the calories I guess.
So the tortellinis were actually really good. Nice and cheesy. The even the zucchini was really good and I have a hard time with the texture of softer vegetables in frozen dishes. Nice. The only thing that didn't really get this one an "A" was that it didn't really fill me up. The box says it was 9 grams of protein but I went ahead and ate some left over rotisserie chicken I had to finish off my meal. Perhaps if I had a nice, big salad with this entree, I would've been sufficiently filled. Good thought for next time.
What am I doing with all these vegetarian dishes anyway? Sure, I don't really have to have meat in my diet to make me feel satisfied, but still. I'll branch out on Monday, I promise. To you non vegetarians out there, you could probably add some simple diced ham to this dish and it would be quite filling.
Tomorrow's Sunday and therefore, I'll be away from the house all day and not at work so I won't be eating Healthy Choice. I'll see you all again on Monday.
-b
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Days One & Two (combined)
So here it goes. I work at a Starbucks. Inside of a Target. Yes, I know, how very corporate of me. Well, after three months of eating fabulously delish (yet mildly pricey) deli fabrications for lunch every day, I have decided to embark upon a journey. This journey will take me though the frozen food section. I have decided to attempt to consume every single frozen-heath food option out there in my Super Target. And I have also decided to blog about my adventure a la Julia & Julia. Because seriously, who hasn't stood in the frozen food isle and stared at the wall of frozen diet entrees out there and been completely overwhelmed. Surely, this is not a new idea. But I have yet to find a blog that covers every meal by every company (at least that Target carries) and has an honest option on healthiness, taste, and fullness. Because some of those things are disgusting and/or keep a person full for about 45 minutes. . . So. Here we go. I'm going to start with Healthy Choice because it was the first brand I came to and I'm going to try to work my way though all the Healthy Choice meals offered before moving onto the next brand.
Because my thought to do this began yesterday and I'm blogging today, I'll cover two different dishes today:
Beginning Date: 11-10-10
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Pumpkin Squash Ravioli
Rating: B-
The ravioli was stuffed with pumpkin filling and that was quite good. Of course I love everything pumpkin (except for pumpkin lattes, sorry, Stbux) so that was a treat. It was everything else that brought this entree from a solid A++ to a B-. I also love squash. Yum. This squash was not so good. Mushy. Pretty tasteless. Same with the asparagus and the "butter sage" sauce wasn't all that great either. The best part of this meal besides the pumpkin was the apple bits included. How very fall-ish. Too bad there weren't more of them. I ate this meal and really didn't feel very satisfied so I also ate a banana. This kept me good till around 5:30.
Date: 11-11-10
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Asian Pot stickers
Rating: A
Yum. I was pretty dang impressed. Again, this is a vegetarian meal but it really kept me full for quite a while. The pot stickers are filled with cabbage and tofu and they're in this really sweet Asian sauce that was quite good. There was ample amount of whole grain rice and I enjoyed this combo. I would certainly get this meal again although it was higher in calories than a lot of the other meals (380).
So there you go. Two options for those of you out there like me who are looking for healthier options this holiday season and beyond that aren't terrible to eat. Hope you enjoy!
-b
Because my thought to do this began yesterday and I'm blogging today, I'll cover two different dishes today:
Beginning Date: 11-10-10
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Pumpkin Squash Ravioli
Rating: B-
The ravioli was stuffed with pumpkin filling and that was quite good. Of course I love everything pumpkin (except for pumpkin lattes, sorry, Stbux) so that was a treat. It was everything else that brought this entree from a solid A++ to a B-. I also love squash. Yum. This squash was not so good. Mushy. Pretty tasteless. Same with the asparagus and the "butter sage" sauce wasn't all that great either. The best part of this meal besides the pumpkin was the apple bits included. How very fall-ish. Too bad there weren't more of them. I ate this meal and really didn't feel very satisfied so I also ate a banana. This kept me good till around 5:30.
Date: 11-11-10
Brand: Healthy Choice
Item: Asian Pot stickers
Rating: A
Yum. I was pretty dang impressed. Again, this is a vegetarian meal but it really kept me full for quite a while. The pot stickers are filled with cabbage and tofu and they're in this really sweet Asian sauce that was quite good. There was ample amount of whole grain rice and I enjoyed this combo. I would certainly get this meal again although it was higher in calories than a lot of the other meals (380).
So there you go. Two options for those of you out there like me who are looking for healthier options this holiday season and beyond that aren't terrible to eat. Hope you enjoy!
-b
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