By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Pasta was rated the best of the types of frozen foods, but it
takes salad or fruit to turn it into a balanced meal.

Meals on ice

Low-fat frozen foods promise
convenience, good taste and good
nutrition—but do they deliver?

By Cynthia Oi
Star-Bulletin

IN a perfect world, a meal would be quick, healthy and absolutely delicious.

Welcome to reality where, at best, you may get two out of three.

The need for speed, an aversion to fat and the craving for a tasty meal after a rugged day at work send many of us to the frozen-food compartments at the local supermarket.

There, we confront row upon row of brightly colored packages with photos of chicken, pasta, stroganoff, fettucine or whatever, all of them looking delectable, all of them screaming "Low Fat! Low Fat! Low Fat!"

A check of the tiny print on the back of one package declares "270 calories, 50 from fat, 6 g total fat, 3.5 g saturated fat."

OK, the fat level's acceptable. And with a microwave to speed-heat the meal, we've got our two out of three.

But our quest is three out of three, so with a lot of frozen food experience under our belts -- no pun intended -- we picked out four types of low-fat entrees from five brands to taste test. As much as possible we chose the same kind of entree.

Top choice, pasta category

Here's what we tested: Chicken enchilada suiza, Salisbury steak, pasta and macaroni and cheese.

We thought the enchilada and pasta would hold up well in the freezing and reheating -- and anyway, who doesn't like Mexican and Italian food? The macaroni and cheese was picked because we thought, "how bad can it be?" About the Salisbury steak -- well, we just lost our senses on that one. It may have had something to do with wondering why a hamburger patty had such a high-falutin' name.

We prepared each entree as directed on the package. It wasn't difficult; the most it involved was pulling up a corner of a package (more on this later) or slitting the plastic film over the container and zapping the baby for the required number of minutes.

Four judges, 1-1/2 men (one wussy male dropped out after two entrees) and two women did the tasting. We mostly ignored the side dishes if any came with the entree.

The results: The judges liked the pastas first, the macaroni and cheese second and the enchiladas third. Everyone rejected the Salisbury steak.

Of the pastas, we tested Smart Ones lasagna with meat sauce, which was really curly noodles in sauce, Michelina's spaghetti with tomato and basil sauce, Lean Cuisine penne pasta with tomato basil sauce and Healthy Choice cheese ravioli parmigiana.

We liked the Michelina's spaghetti best because the pasta still had substance and the sauce was flavorful. The penne in the Lean Cuisine held up, too, but some thought the sauce, which had identifiable chunks of tomatoes, was sour-tasting. The cheese in the Healthy Choice ravioli was grainy, but the sauce -- delicate

Top choice, chicken enchilada suiza

and slightly sweet -- made up for that. The pasta in the faux lasagna was mushy, the sauce had no body and the meat was too chewy for being such little bits.

The macaroni and cheese entrees tested were from the same brands as the pastas. In heating two of these products, we wondered why the instructions specified a certain corner to be lifted before zapping.

When we opened the container, we discovered that the cheese and macaroni were separated and that the pasta was near the opening. We figured this must mean something -- what, we didn't know. The non-wussy male theorized that it was because the cheese sauce (he called it cheese juice) was so loose that you'd spill it and burn yourself if the puka was on that side.

Anyway, the mac-cheese that placed first was Lean Cuisine's. Judges thought it had the most cheesy flavor and that the sauce clung to the macaroni better. Smart Ones came next, but Michelina's and Healthy Choice brands suffered from flaccid macaroni and too liquid a sauce.

The chicken enchiladas tested came from Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, Healthy Choice and Weight Watchers. (Michelina's did not make that entree.) The Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice entrees consisted of an enchilada with a Mexican-style rice, while Smart Ones and Weight Watchers had two enchiladas, no rice. All were draped with a sour-cream sauce.

The verdict on this was all over the place. We liked the tortillas in the Smart Ones and Weight Watchers and both had more substantial chicken fillings. In fact, non-wussy male judge said the Smart Ones "tasted like almost normal" food. One female judge liked the bell-pepper flavor in Healthy Choice but complained that there was very little of the flavorful chicken in the enchilada. Another judge liked the Lean Cuisine sauce but thought the tortilla was on the soppy side.

We also agreed that the Smart Ones and Weight Watchers tasted a lot alike. On closer inspection of the packages, we discovered that both say "Weight Watchers," one in big name-brand type, the other in smaller type above the Smart Ones label. Both apparently are geared for that weight-loss program.

Now about that Salisbury steak. First, it is named after a 19th-century English physician, Dr. J.H. Salisbury, who recommended his patients eat plenty of beef for all manner of ailments, according to "Food Lover's Companion." What a difference a century makes.

The brands tested were Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Smart Ones and Weight Watchers. Three came with macaroni and cheese, another puzzling situation. We figured it must have something to do with a 1950s mind-set, when Salisbury steak and macaroni and cheese were all-American foods.

The judges were unanimous on all of the brands: yuck. Comments included "rancid," "tastes like liver," "no reason for it," "teeth make a squeaky sound when chewing it." You get the drift. The most positive thing we could say was that the Smart Ones steak had cool-looking grill marks.

The wussy-man judge, having experimented with Salisbury steaks previous to the test, said they can taste OK if you doctor them up with shoyu, ketchup and/or mustard. Which is true for all of the frozen entrees we tested. A sprinkle of low-fat cheese would greatly increase the flavor of the enchiladas, pastas and the mac-cheese.

All in all, we are still in an imperfect world, but with most of these frozen entrees we may be a little closer -- maybe 2-1/2 for three.

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It’s not just a
matter of calories

Size does matter. So Trish Britten says.

The food and nutrition specialist at the University of Hawaii-Manoa said frozen-food entrees are low on calories, partly because the servings are smaller.

"The serving size is less than what may be in regular frozen-food packages," Britten said. "It is less food than what you'd put on to your plate if you made it yourself."

The smaller serving in these entrees is positive, she said, because if there's lots of food available, you're more tempted to load up.

Britten said calories, however, are not the only things to pay attention to if you're buying low-fat entrees. People should take a look at where those calories are coming from.

Entrees with gravies or sauces can be low fat when they are made with vegetable or meat broths rather than drippings, Britten said. And the larger portion of grains to meat in some frozen entrees is also healthier.

When asked about the high sodium levels in the frozen entrees -- some as much as 28 percent of the recommended daily allowance -- Britten said those with health conditions should be aware of that.

Otherwise, "it shouldn't be a concern," Britten said.

The foods need salt because fat, which provides flavor, has been cut.

These entrees are generally healthy as long as they are supplemented with fresh vegetables, such as a salad, or fruit, Britten said.

She emphasized that the amount of food you eat is as important as what you eat.

"If you eat two or three (portions of frozen entrees), you're still not cutting the fat."

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Cynthia Oi, Star-Bulletin

THE NUTRITIONAL BREAKDOWN The cost of the entrees tested averaged about $3.50. Average weight was about 9 oz. The calories ranged from a low of 240 for the Smart Ones lasagna to a high of 330 for the Healthy Choice Salisbury steak, but that's because it was a complete meal. These are calorie counts and nutrition information for the entrees we tested. In each category, entrees are listed in order of testers' preference. Pasta Michelina's spaghetti with tomato and basil sauce (8 oz.): 250 calories, 30 from fat, 3 g total fat (1 g saturated), 5 mg cholesterol, 670 mg sodium (28 percent), 44 g total carbohydrate (3 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugars), 10 g protein. Lean Cuisine penne pasta with tomato basil sauce (10 oz.): 270 calories, 30 from fat, 4 g total fat (1 g saturated, 1 g polyunsaturated, 1.5 g monounsaturated) 0 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium (12 percent), 560 mg potassium, 52 g total carbohydrate (5 g dietary fiber, 10 g sugar), 8 g protein. Healthy Choice cheese ravioli parmigiana (9 oz.): 260 calories, 45 from fat, 5 g total fat (2.5 g saturated, 1 g polyunsaturated, 1.5 g monounsaturated), 20 mg cholesterol, 290 mg sodium (12 percent), 44 g total carbohydrate (6 g dietary fiber, 14 g sugars), 11 g protein. Smart Ones lasagna with meat sauce (9 oz.): 240 calories, 20 from fat, 2 g total fat (0.5 g saturated, 0.5 g polyunsaturated, 0.5 g monounsaturated), 10 mg cholesterol, 520 mg sodium (22 percent), 43 g total carbohydrate (4 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugars), 13 g protein. Macaroni and cheese Lean Cuisine (10 oz.): 290 calories, 60 from fat, 7 g total fat (4 g saturated, 0.5 g polyunsaturated, 1.5 g monounsaturated), 20 mg cholesterol, 590 mg sodium (24 percent of the recommended daily allowance), 200 mg potassium, 43 g total carbohydrate (4 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugars,) 13 g protein. Smart Ones (9 oz): 290 calories, 60 from fat, 7 g total fat (3 g saturated, 1.5 g polyunsaturated, 1.5 g monounsaturated), 10 mg cholesterol, 630 mg sodium (26 percent), 45 g carbohydrate (2 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars), 12 g protein. Michelina's Lean 'N Tasty (8 oz.): 270 calories, 50 from fat, 6 g total fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 580 mg sodium (24 percent), 42 g total carbohydrate (2 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugars), 12 g protein. Healthy choice (9 oz.): 320 calories, 60 from fat, 7 g total fat (2.5 g saturated, 2 g polyunsaturated, 2.5 g monounsaturated), 25 mg cholesterol, 580 mg sodium (24 percent), 50 g total carbohydrate (4 g dietary fiber, 13 g sugars), 15 g protein. Chicken enchilada suiza Smart Ones with sour cream sauce and cheese over two enchilada (9 oz.): 270 calories, 80 from fat, 9 g total fat (3.5 g saturated, 2 g polyunsaturated, 3 g monounsaturated), 50 mg cholesterol, 660 mg sodium (28 percent), 33 g total carbohydrate (2 g dietary fiber, 8 g sugars), 15 g protein. Weight Watchers with sour cream sauce and cheese over two enchilada (9 oz.): 270 calories, 80 from fat, 9 g total fat (4.5 g saturated, 2.5 g polyunsaturated, 2.5 g monounsaturated), 40 mg cholesterol, 590 mg sodium (25 percent), 33 g carbohydrate (4 g dietary fiber, 8 sugars), 14 g protein. Healthy Choice with sour cream sauce and Mexican-style rice (10 oz.): 280 calories, 60 from fat, 6 g total fat (3 g saturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated, 2.5 g monounsaturated), 40 mg cholesterol, 440 mg sodium (19 percent), 43 g total carbohydrate (5 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugars), 14 g protein. Lean Cuisine with sour cream sauce and Mexican-style rice (9 oz.): 280 calories, 40 from fat, 5 g total fat (1.5 g saturated, 1 g polyunsaturated, 1.5 g monounsaturated), 25 mg cholesterol, 520 mg sodium (21 percent), 340 mg potassium, 48 g total carbohydrate (3 g dietary fiber, 7 g sugars), 11 g protein. Salisbury steak Healthy Choice traditional Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy, potatoes, vegetables, apple raisin crisp (11.5 oz): 330 calories, 60 from fat, 7 g total fat (3 g saturated, 1 g polyunsaturated, 3 g monounsaturated), 50 mg cholesterol, 470 mg sodium (20 percent), 48 g total carbohydrate (6 g dietary fiber, 24 g sugars), 18 g protein. Smart Ones with gravy and macaroni and cheese (8.5 oz.): 250 calories, 80 from fat, 9 g total fat (4 g saturated, 1 g polyunsaturated, 3 g monounsaturated), 40 mg cholesterol, 620 mg sodium (26 percent), 24 g total carbohydrate (3 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugars), 18 g protein. Weight Watchers grilled Salisbury steak with gravy and macaroni and cheese (8.5 oz.): 260 calories, 90 from fat, 10 g total fat (5 g saturated, 1 g polyunsaturated, 4 g monounsaturated), 40 mg cholesterol, 620 mg sodium (26 percent), 24 g total carbohydrate (3 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugars), 19 g protein. Lean Cuisine with macaroni and cheese (9.5 oz.): 280 calories, 70 from fat, 8 g total fat (4 g saturated, 0.5 g polyunsaturated, 2.5 g monounsaturated), 60 mg cholesterol, 590 mg sodium (26 percent), 600 mg potassium, 29 g total carbohydrate (4 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars), 24 g protein.