For the most part, I cook our dinners from scratch. But for those times when things don’t go as planned and I’m in a bind, I like to have a frozen dinner or two around. Usually, I choose something from Kashi, so I was glad to see some of my faves on the new ratings from Consumer Reports (CR). CR panelists taste-tested their way through 24 microwaveable diet meals – 22 frozen and two shelf-stable – from top brands like Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, and Weight Watchers.
The results? CR recommends these eight frozen diet dinners – they scored “very good” for taste and each one has 600 milligrams or less of sodium:
Kashi Chicken Florentine – 290 calories, 9 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 440 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Roasted Beef Merlot – 230 calories, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 600 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Steak Tips Portabello – 160 calories, 7 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 450 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
Lean Cuisine One Dish Favorites Santa Fe-Style Rice & Beans – 300 calories, 5 g fat, 24.5 g saturated fat, 590 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
Kashi Black Bean Mango – 340 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 430 mg sodium, 7 g fiber
Kashi Garden Vegetable Pasta – 300 calories, 7 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 600 mg sodium, 9 g fiber
Healthy Choice All Natural Entrees Portabella Spinach Parmesan – 270 calories, 7 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 600 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Shrimp Alfredo – 260 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 590 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
I always like to augment my frozen dinners with lots of veggies because there usually aren’t enough in those meals! I add frozen broccoli or a veggie mix to make them more filling. Have you tried any of the dinners that made the list? What are your favorites?
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I really don’t eat frozen dinners but I really love your idea of adding in more veggies. I should do that with soups.
Joanna – I don’t eat them often at all – maybe one a month. The Kashi ones are pretty much all I buy because they are loaded with protein and fiber and taste great!
I don’t generally get the frozen dinners, only because they don’t leave out the stuff I don’t like. Mushrooms and spinach, for instance.
But that Black Bean and Mango thing sounds intriguing .I may have to give it a whirl.
Cammy – What??? You don’t like mushrooms and spinach???
I eat the lean cuisine and smart ones a lot for lunch (they make it easy to pack in the morning)….. I haven’t tried the Kashi, but will try some. I love that they have so much fiber.
Valerie – The Kashi ones are great, in my opinion. They’re lower in sodium than many, too.