Price: $2.00 on sale
Serving: 2/3 cup, 3.5oz.
Servings per package 2
Calories per serving: 50
Fat: 5%, 3g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 5%, 115mg
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrates: 2%, 7g
Fiber: 9%, 2g
Sugar: 3g
Weight Watchers Points: 1 Point per serving

Green Giant says: Broccoli Florets, Julienne Carrots and Red & Yellow Sweet Pepper Strips in a Garlic-Herb Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil Seasoning

Abi says: These Green Giant nutriceuticals are the dietary equivalent of the “For Dummies” book line. Instead of “Dungeons and Dragons for Dummies” or “Heartburn and Reflux for Dummies” we’re being marketed to with “Immunity for Dummies” and “Weight Control for Dummies.” Granted, I still buy this stuff but that’s because it is easy and can sit in my freezer for weeks before being cooked. You can’t say the latter about fresh vegetables.

This vegetable combo steams up significantly better than the zucchini-focused Healthy Vision item, keeping the broccoli tender-yet-toothy and the potentially mushy red and yellow peppers to a minimum. The carrots are in cube/matchstick form, making them less stabbable than other carrot incarnations. This lack of fork-friendliness makes me think that these vegetables are better used as an integrated element in a pasta dish (or with some couscous) than as a stand-alone side.

In other Green Giant products the butter flavorings have always been so overpowering that I haven’t been willing to use the vegetables as an ingredient. In the case of the Immunity Boost pack, the “garlic-herb infused extra virgin olive oil” was negligible. This is bad if you want a lot of flavor, but great if you’re looking to combine your vegetables with other ingredients.

If you’re looking for an easy, healthy way to bulk up those Lean Cuisines, I highly recommend picking up a few packages of Green Giant vegetables when they go on sale. Your eyes and mouth will both enjoy this vibrantly hued, subtly-flavored vegetable mix. And you can leave them in your freezer for weeks without worry.

Price: $4.19
Serving: 1 pouch, 3.25oz.
Calories: 70
Fat: 0%, 0g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 0%, 0mg
Protein: 5g
Carbohydrates: 4%, 13g
Fiber: 16%, 4g
Sugar: 4g
Weight Watchers Points: 1 Point

Birds Eye says: The bags inside this package are special. Simply place one in your microwave and watch it inflate as it perfectly steams your vegetables right in the bag! Your vegetables retain their natural goodness, crisp texture and fresh taste. Steaming with Birds Eye has never been easier.

Abi says: I bought these peas because I thought it’d be good to branch out from Green Giant’s vegetable monopoly on Heat Eat Review. Also, I was curious as to whether these peas would be better than the 99¢ bags of peas that I usually use. Would I really notice that steaming was better than boiling or microwaving in a bit of water?

Uh, no. These peas are no better than the cheap ones from the bag. They taste just like every other frozen pea product I’ve ever had in my life. Really, this product is just the 100-Calorie Portion version of vegetables. Except that plain vegetables are low calorie in the first place. Have you ever heard of anyone getting fat off of plain sweet peas? Probably not.

Sure, these peas were fine, but they weren’t worth four times the price of regular peas. Also, they didn’t do anything to speed up my couscous-making process. Usually I throw in the peas just before the water boils, giving them time to heat and steam along with the couscous, a process faster than heating the peas separately in the microwave.

“But Abi,” you’re saying “won’t these peas be great for me as a person who work in an office? I can just steam a few at a time!” and to that I say “Get yourself one of those Green Giant vegetable packages. They contain two servings and involve vegetables that you can actually stab with a fork.”

Price: $3.99
Serving: 1/2 package, 5oz.
Calories: 200
Fat: 27%, 17g
Cholesterol: 14%, 45mg
Sodium: 22%, 540mg
Protein: 5g
Carbohydrates: 2%, 6g
Fiber: 0%, 0g
Sugar: 2g
Weight Watchers Points: 5 Points

Deep Foods says: Paneer prepared in the tandoori style and simmered in an authentic and richly-spiced sauce

Abi says: I’ve never been to India, so I don’t know how authentic from-India food tastes. Sure, I’ve eaten at a lot of Indian restaurants, but I have no idea whether I’m eating real food or the Indian version of Taco Bell.

But I don’t take authenticity too seriously when something is so freaking delicious. This paneer makhani contains only pronounceable ingredients* and is bursting with the rich and subtle flavors that highlight my favorite Indian foods. My mouth is watering just thinking about how much I enjoy this dish now that I’ve taken it out of the running for lunch and made it a part of a simple, delicious dinner.

In the photo you can see a rotisserie chicken, couscous and the paneer. It isn’t a well balanced meal because it is completely lacking vegetables, but I’m not too worried about that because it took all of five minutes to put together this meal.

Yes, five minutes. Thank you Whole Foods chicken.

Each dish of Paneer Makhani contains 2-3 servings, making it a simple way to round out a meal in need of spice. If you’re worried about the extreme amount of fat in each serving, you can definitely use this as a sauce instead of a side and split it four ways. The tomato-based (or should I say cream-based?) sauce is mellowly spicy, making it flavorful without being overwhelming. The sauce and cheese combination is extraordinarily rich, so you’ll want to steer toward plain accompaniments. There are about 12 cubes of cheese per package and while that seems like very little to be sharing with others. Everything in the tray is so delicious that I wish Deep Foods just sold this sauce in little foil pouches I could pull out of the cupboard at any time.

*Ingredients: Tomatoes, Water Onions, Cream, Paneer (milk, part skim milk, vinegar, salt), Canola Oil, Cashews, Spices, Milled Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Garlic, Butter, Oleoresin of Paprika, Turmeric, Fenugreek Leaves