Smart Ones Chicken Santa Fe

January 29, 2007 | Reviewer: Abi

Price: $2.00
Serving: 1 meal, 9 oz.
Calories: 140
Fat: 3%, 2.5g
Cholesterol: 10%, 30mg
Sodium: 33%, 800mg
Protein: 20g
Carbs: 4%, 11g
Fiber: 15%, 4g
WW Points: 2 Points

Smart Ones says: Taste sun-drenched Southwest spiciness in every bit of white meat chicken with zucchini, tomatoes, onions, black beans and bell peppers.

Abi says: I feel so dumb for buying this.

Sure, it contains 8-10 cubic inches of nicely seasoned chicken. But it also manages to supply 33% of my sodium for the day in one tiny 140 calorie serving. It also looks completely different from the picture on the box. Oh, not in a “Where are the grill marks?” way. It is more of a “Where the heck are the beans?” issue. Also, I accidentally purchased two of this meal. I am going to go back to Safeway next week and see if I can exchange the second one for something better. Yes, that’s how little I liked this meal…I am going to return it.

When I think of Santa Fe, New Mexico (I’m assuming that is the Santa Fe of which they speak on the box), I don’t think of zucchini. I think of fabulous Tex-Mex, fine wine, gaudy turqoise jewelry, and my mom’s friend Dr. Reba Eagles. She actually lives in Albuquerque, but I think that there are few enough people in New Mexico that we can easily generalize about their general tastes, likes, and dislikes. It is a beautiful state, by the way. Somewhat depressing to drive through Southern New Mexico during the winter…but they have some of the loveliest Springs in the world. Also, the landscape is so impressive and rough that you feel like a miniature being no bigger than a bug. There aren’t enough places like that in the United States. At least, not near Washington, DC.

People in Santa Fe should be suing Smart Ones for releasing such a horridly salty and unsatisfying product into the marketplace and with their city’s name. Yeah, it contains an impressive amount of chicken, but that does not make up for the fact that I grimaced after nearly every bite. What it the “Sun-drenched Southwest Spiciness”? No, it was the absolutely insane saltiness of the meal. Maybe I would like it if I were a deer. Also, where are the freaking black beans? I counted four in my meal. FOUR BLACK BEANS. Not acceptable. They could more accurately name this meal ‘Watery Santa Fe-Style Zucchini with some Chicken Chunks’.

If you’re on a diet and thinking about eating this meal, please skip it. Not lunch, just this meal. I know that it is just two Weight Watchers Points, but quite frankly you are going to be so sick of the salt taste in your mouth that 30 minutes after consuming Smart Ones Chicken Santa Fe you’ll be in line at Starbucks ordering a Frapuccino to get the horrid saltiness out of your mouth.

That’s what I would like to do. Except that is it exceptionally cold outside (current temperature + windchill = zero degrees) and I am a) too much of a wimp to walk to Starbucks, and b) too much of an Earth-lover to drive a car the five blocks to Starbucks. So, no Frap for me.

If you’ve already got some veggies and cheese in the fridge, think about eating a 2 Point Amy’s Tamale Pie bowl instead. It has beans, is significantly more satisfying than the Smart Ones meal, is cholesterol free, and contains actual flavor rather than salt.

comments

14 Responses to “Smart Ones Chicken Santa Fe”

Ace N. on January 29th, 2007

What’s more disconcerting than the sodium level is the tagline. “Truth About Carbs” sounds more like a sensationalist 20/20 special than a frozen dinner.
Marvo on January 30th, 2007

Maybe the Santa Fe they’re referring to is the one in Missouri…or Florida…or Tennessee.
MaryAnne on January 30th, 2007

I like this meal. I used to mix in more chicken or zucchini or bean. Or I’d put it over faux-noodles or spaghetti squash. It served as a very easy topper. As a meal? Eh. It’s ok. And yes, it’s very salty and I can’t figure out why. Mine wasn’t ever watery- I let it sit a little longer than the reccommended time. I like that there is no rice in it.
kelly on January 31st, 2007

I also liked this one, but i wasn’t really expecting beans. None of them ever look or sound like the title or picture on the box. Im also quite fond of the smart ones mac and cheese.
Andrew on January 31st, 2007

To me, this is a perfect illustration of the not-quite-uniform uniformity of frozen meals. This is actually one of the best Smart Ones varieties I’ve had (though I tend to loathe the whole line), and when I get it, it’s generally much more beany and much less watery than the dish you described. It’s still quite salty for a “diet” dish, though.

Also worth noting is that Smart Ones has a non-meat Santa Fe meal with just rice, beans, veggies and, evidently, cheese. I’ve picked that one up on accident when I meant to get the chicken one before and I was utterly disappointed; it was watery and completely lacking in flavor. Couldn’t even finish it, it was a little like eating barf. Not that I’ve done that, but I have an active imagination.
Scipio on January 31st, 2007

I like this meal. I mix it with the Santa Fe Beans and Rice and it is MARVELOUS! I mean I was not getting full on the meals until I started combining them.
Abi Jones on February 7th, 2007

The truth about carbs is that they make you happy for short periods of time. Also, that they seem to inhabit many delicious things. I think that Scipio has the right idea about mixing this meal with yet another meal, but I don’t think that my coworkers would be down with me heating two meals in a row during lunch.
Glenda - Texas on February 10th, 2007

I have to say I was suprised to see so many negative comments about the SmartOnes dinners. I just finished a Chicken Santa Fe and it is one of my very favorites.

Sometimes I use a little corn starch to thicken the juice and use it to fill a fat free flour tortillia and maybe add a tablespoon of sour cream on the top.

I’ve lost 138 pounds of my original 270 and I’m not sure it would have been as easy for me as it was if I hadn’t had these delicious dinners and I’m sure I would never have lost more than half of me.

Glenda - Texas
Beverly on April 27th, 2007

I tried this and I thought that it was excellent. In spite of the sodium level, this is a delicious low calorie meal. By eating Smart Ones for lunch and dinner, I’ve lost an impressive 20 pounds.

Like Glenda (right above me), I , too, was surprised to hear so many negative comments about this meal. But like the saying goes: “You can’t please everybody.” But for those of us who you can please, Smart Ones–keep it coming!
Beverly on April 27th, 2007

If Abi was expecting more bean, she should have been expecting far more calories too.
mariah on May 26th, 2007

It’s terrible as an entree by itself, but it makes a very tasty southwest chicken salad. i add a small amount of pre-cooked black beans to the mix during the final minute of heating, dump it over (an enormous amount of) chopped romaine, and then add a generous helping of raw onions, diced tomatos and, if ive got extra calories i can use, a little grated cheese.

It really improves all those fresh greens one should be eating.
Alison on June 23rd, 2007

I love this smart ones! At only 2 points it’s easy to add a tortilla and a little cheese or it makes a great satisfying salad. Though by itself it isn’t really a “full meal” but what do you expect out of 2 points?? It was a little watery, but flavorful so on a salad it is the dressing.
Alison on June 23rd, 2007

Oh ya - I like salt so it wasn’t too salty for me. It was nice not to add salt.
Deron Dantzler on December 20th, 2007

I just tried the Smart Ones Chicken Santa Fe and will definitely be buying it again. I like flavorful foods, and when it comes to TV dinners that have low carbohydrate content, I haven’t found many with robust flavor. Chicken Santa Fe seems to have hit the spot.