Lean Cuisine Baked Chicken

June 21, 2006 | Reviewer: Abi

Price: $2.00
Serving: 1 meal, 8.625 oz.
Calories: 240
Fat: 7%, 4.5g
Sodium: 27%, 650mg
Protein: 15g
Carbs: 11%, 34g
Fiber: 20%, 3g
Diet Exchanges: 1 1/2 Very Lean Meat, 2 Starch, 1 Vegetable
WW Points: 5 points

Lean Cuisine says: Tender roasted chicken tenderloins served on a bed of herb seasoned cornbread stuffing with a savory gravy. Accompanied by creamy whipped potatoes with a dash of paprika.

Abi says: Nicole raves about Banquet’s creamy, starchy, buttery mashed potatoes. She uses those words in every single Banquet review that involves spuds. I rarely get meals that involve mashed potatoes. Why? Because I try to eat healthy frozen foods and mashed potatoes necessitate butter. Lots of butter. With salt and pepper and maybe a smidgen of gravy just for some flavor, but not one of those pools of gravy. Ick.

I am generally anti-gravy. As a kid I would sit down with my hot lunch, scrape the gravy off of my potatoes, then wipe off my spork with a napkin and eat all of the plain potatoey goodness. As a gravy hater, I should probably stay away from meals that advertise themselves as containing ’savory gravy’.

Fortunately, these mashed potatoes come plain, with just a sprinkling of paprika. While eating them I thought ‘Wow, these could use a pat of butter’ and then I looked around at my desk as though I was going to magically find some butter just chilling there. Yeah, if butter was made of Post-it notes.

Though the dry mashed potatoes became rocket-debris-safe around the edges the the magic of microwaving, I enjoyed the chicken accompanying them. The chicken tasted like it had been roasted and them microwaved. It was the freezer equivalent of those whole rotisserie chickens from the deli. Yum. The stuffing was not yum. There is only one stuffing that I have enjoyed. It was made by George’s step-mother. It contained seasoned croutons, butter, craisins, butter, sausage, butter, and sauteed celery and onions. That kind of stuffing makes me excited about Thanksgiving. This kind of stuffing was seriously hindered by the chicken blockade created by the two white meat tenderloins. Half the stuffing was a soggy mess and wholly unappealing in texture, though the taste was ok. The other half of the stuffing had returned to survive-a-nuclear-holocaust crouton state and was thoroughly inedible.

Not being satisfied by this meal, I purchased a hot dog with relish and mustard. It was a great hot dog and I had a wonderful time eating it outside on Dupont Circle.

Filed Under 5 WW Points, Chicken, Lean Cuisine Reviews, Three Stars | 5 Comments

Kraft Easy Mac Cups

June 21, 2006 | Reviewer: Guest Reviewers

Kraft Easty Mac Cup

Price: 50 cents
Serving: 1 cup, 2.05 oz.
Calories: 220
Fat: 7%, 4.5g
Sodium: 27%, 660mg
Protein: 14%, 7g
Carbs: 15%, 39g
Fiber: 1g

Kraft says: Kraft Easy Mac Macaroni and Cheese Cups make it easy to enjoy delicious macaroni and cheese anytime. The microwaveable cups cook quickly and are full of creamy, cheesy flavor.

Bill says: I have enjoyed Kraft Mac and Cheese since I was an embryo so I am quite biased. I also have very little frame of reference because it has been awhile since I frequented microwavable meals. This means my rating of 4 stars has very low validity and reliability.

Kraft Easty Mac Cup Top View

When Kraft recently came out with the mini-microwave version, I was quite excited. Tastes just like the real thing and is low maintenance to prepare. I would probably need to eat three of them to actually keep me from gnawing on my fingers within 10 minutes though. Preparing 3 would be high maintenance.

I believe that each one costs about 50 cents. For Kraft, this was brilliant because the full box only costs $1.09. For a little more packaging cost, they probably have a lot more profit margin from these little guys. This is somewhat worrisome for me since Bob Kraft owns the New England Patriots, so I am indirectly helping my rival.

This entry is proof why blogging is dangerous for me and I can never be allowed to have my own as I will spend all day and night working on it.

Filed Under Four Stars, Kraft Reviews, Mac and Cheese, No Freezer Needed, Vegetarian | 8 Comments

Lean Cuisine Alfredo Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

June 19, 2006 | Reviewer: Carolyn

Lean Cuisine Alfredo Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

Price: $2.00 (on sale)
Serving: 1 meal, 10 oz.
Calories: 270
Fat: 9%, 6g
Sodium: 28%, 690mg
Protein: 17g
Carbs: 13%, 38g
Fiber: 12%, 3g
WW Points: 5 Winning Points
Diet Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat, 2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Skim Milk

Lean Cuisine says: Grilled white meat chicken with broccoli and pasta tossed in a creamy Alfredo sauce made with Parmesan and Romano Cheeses.

Carolyn says: This meal was pleasantly tasty. Eating a ‘lean’ alfredo is always a dangerous venture. After cooking it for a long time (5 minutes, then mix, then 3 more minutes), I was ready to try this combo. The chicken and brocolli was cooked very well, and there was enough pasta to give me a filling (relatively speaking) lunch. Sauce was a little watery at first, and then solidified to a more regular alfredo type taste. Not something I will buy tons of times, but it was pretty good.

Filed Under 5 WW Points, Chicken, Lean Cuisine Reviews, Pasta, Three Stars | Leave a Comment

Banquet Boneless Pork Rib

June 16, 2006 | Reviewer: Nicole

Banquet Boneless Pork Rib

Price: $1.00 (sale, of course)
Serving: 1 meal, 10 oz.
Calories: 370
Fat: 28%, 18g
Sodium: 31%, 750mg
Protein: 16g
Carbs: 12%, 37g
Fiber: 24%, 6g

Banquet says: Barbecue Sauce and Rib Shaped Patty with Mashed Potatoes and Corn

Nicole says: As always, Banquet’s mashed potatoes are starchy, buttery, and reasonably smooth and creamy. The corn ended up a bit overcooked, but it was still flavorful, though a bit dry. The boneless pork rib “SHAPED MEAT PATTY” was smothered in plenty of rib sauce. The texture was very strange. Lean, grainy. Like fake meat.

Being an omnivore, I always look at the vegetarian fake meat at the store with disdain. I may have to second guess this, though I’ve yet to decide. What is less appropriate: non-meat shaped into meat, or meat shaped into another style of meat? Please vote in the comments section.

Overall this meal was not bad, though I’d prefer Salisbury Steak any day - the texture is much more natural, at least to me. Nothing in this meal tasted bad. It was a bit small as the $1 sale Banquet meals always are, but aside from the freaky texture, absolutely edible.

P.S. Abi was offered a bite but refused to taste the shaped meat patty out of fear.

Filed Under Banquet Frozen Meal Reviews, Pork, Three Stars | 12 Comments