Price: 3 for $9.00 (sale)
Serving: 1 package, 12 oz.
Calories: 380
Fat: 10%, 7g
Sodium: 37%, 890mg
Protein: 18g
WW Points: 7 Winning Points

Lean Cuisine says: Roasted Chicken Tenderloins in a balsamic glaze with an orzo pasta and vegetable medley with apple crisp dessert

Carolyn says: Despite its mediocre appearance, this meal was actually very satisfying. I bought the meal because it looked substantially larger than the usually small Lean Cuisine portions, and it came with a dessert. Also it was on sale at Safeway, which didn’t hurt.

The main course was good, the chicken was flavorful and moist. Personally, I would have chosen different veggies for the meal, but the green beans were crisp, not mushy. This meal contained 7-8 good-sized chunks of meet, and a healthy amount of veggies and orzo. The desert was actually really good, called Apple Crisp, the word ‘crisp’ is misleading, as it was mostly soggy, but the taste was fine.

Overall I am happy with Lean Cuisine’s new large sizes (a.k.a. Dinnertime Selects), and I may start purchasing this brand more often. I bought several other varieties as well, which you will see reviews of in the near future.

Conversation at Abi’s house:

“Hey, let’s have that fish for dinner.”
“Wait, we have chicken strips!”
“Those aren’t chicken strips. That’s a frozen meal.”
“No, these are chicken strips.”
“Let me see the box.”
“Oh, they are just chicken strips.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying.”
“I feel ripped off.”
“But this is a whole box of chicken strips!”
“I was looking forward to the waffle-cut fries.”

Please note the size of the tenders in the picture. Banquet chicken breast tenders are actually about the size of my thumb. They are small and made of processed and reformed chicken meat. Yes, it is white meat. No, they are not good for you. And no, this is not a lunch.

That said, this deceptive meat deserves four stars. Not four stars on the chicken continuum, but four stars as a frozen item.

Price: $3.29 ($2.79 on sale)
Serving: 1/2 Tray, 5 oz.
Calories: 160
Fat: 11%, 7g
Sodium: 10%, 250mg

Green Guru says: Chickpeas sauteed with onions, tomatoes, peppers & exotic spices.

Kate says: Delicious. It is just spicy enough to cause the lightest perspiration under my eyes. The chickpeas are firm and the sauce is flavorful. Green Guru’s Channa Masala would be good on rice, but it also holds up alone.

Price: $3.79/box
Serving: 4 pieces, 3 oz.
Calories: 170
Fat: 7%, 4.5g
Sodium: 24%, 580mg

Morningstar says: Delicious, classic, corn dog taste in a two-bite size

Abi says: Mini corn dogs do not a meal make. It would be very easy to eat many mini corn dogs in a single sitting. Today, I showed perseverance and consumed a single serving of Morningstar Mini Corn Dogs. I expect to receive my award at a ceremony held later today on the lawn of the FDA building.

Actually, I don’t know if the FDA even has a lawn, but the USDA is right on the mall, so that could work well as a ceremony site subsititute. Illusions of grandeur aside, the toaster oven instructions for Morningstar mini-corndogs could cause consternation among your coworkers. Cooking them according to the directions on the package would mean using the toaster oven for almost 15 minutes. Instead of hogging the toaster oven only, heat them in the microwave for 35 seconds, then put them in the toaster oven. That way you are guaranteed fully cooked and crispy bites of goodness.
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