Hostess 100 Calorie Strawberry Cakes

Hostess has a new flavor of 100 calorie snack packs and it is wonderful. The new flavor is Strawberry. That brings to six the number of flavors from Hostess. The other new flavor is the old Hostess standby the Twinkie. The other flavors are chocolate, carrot cake, cinnamon coffee cake and banana muffin.

Each pack contains three small cakes with cream filling and cream cheese icing. I love just about anything cream cheese and these things are great too. The only reason you wouldn't like these would be if you didn't like strawberry cake.

These are one of my favorite 1 Point Snacks.

Healthy Choice Sweet Bourbon Steak

I love just about anything that says it is bourbon flavored. So, when I saw this Healthy Choice meal in the grocery freezer I had to give it a try. Healthy Choice describes it this way: our seasoned beef strips are seasoned with sweet bourbon sauce, crafted with with brown sugar, molasses, and Kentuckey bourbon whiskey. Oh Yeah!! Kentucky bourbon whiskey and brown sugar, yum yum.

Seriously though just how was this meal you may be wondering. It was surprising in two different areas. The first surprise was not a good surprise, the sauce had a wierd twang to it. It did not remind me of bourbon or brown sugar, I have no idea how to describe the taste. The good surprise was that the beef was really tender. Shockingly tender.

The meal comes with a peach crisp, probably my favorite Healthy Choice dessert and a serving of garlic mashed potatoes with a broccoli and carrot medley. I wonder if I got an out of date package. The potatoes in no way resembled garlic mashed potatoes. I swear they were just plain old mashed potatoes. The broccoli and carrot medley was adequate as usual.

I will give this one another try just to see if I did have an old one and the sauce is better and the garlic mashed potatoes have any garlic flavor to them.

Calories 330
Fat 7 Grams
Fiber 5 Grams
Weight Watchers Points 6

Smart Ones Traditional Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Yesterday we tried the Weight Watchers Smart Ones Traditional Lasagna with Meat Sauce. Some of the copy from the box describes it as five layers of decadence with tender lasagna pasta, rich ricotta cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. I would not use the word decadent but it was a satisfying meal.

This might be the best frozen lasagna that I have tried even considering it is produced for those of us trying to loose weight. Sometimes frozen meals that are prepared in the microwave end up with burnt edges, hard pasta, mushy ingredients but this one came out very nice. If you had of taken it out of the tray and placed it on a plate you could have passed it off as if you made it yourself. I have had better home cooked lasagna but I was freezer to comfy chair with my remote in just over ten minutes.

This one gets a big thumbs up from me and I know just what I want to use my Smart Ones coupons on now. Here are the stats for my fellow point watchers, 300 Calories, 6 Grams of Fat, 6 Grams of Fiber and only 6 Points. By the way you can visit the Smart Ones site to get coupons for some great savings coupons.

Healthy Choice Country Breaded Chicken

I tried a new entree from the Healthy Choice family of frozen
meals today. It was the Healthy Choice Country Breaded
Chicken. This meal featured two white meat chicken strips,
mashed potatoes, gravy, mixed veggies and a cherry dessert.
The pertinent nutritional information is 9 grams of fat,
370 calories and 6 grams of fiber.
Weight Watchers points equal 7

I prepared this meal as per the instructions on the box. The vegetable medley was okay.
The chicken actually tasted pretty good it was just a bit soggy from the gravy. They
could have left the gravy out and I would have enjoyed it more. The mashed potatoes
came out as one mass. I tried to use the little dab of gravy to soften them up but it didn't
help much. The cherry dessert with vanilla crisp was missing the crisp. It tasted good but
I missed the crunch.

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... C: wait... SD: wait...

90 Calorie Great Value Blueberry Cereal Bar

I am always on the lookout for new snack ideas and the other day I found a great one in the cereal aisle. I was in my local Walmart buying groceries and doing a lot of label reading when I discovered a box of 90 Calorie Great Value Blueberry Cereal Bars. They were nearly a dollar cheaper than the name brands on the shelf so that immediately caught my eye. I put a box in my cart and continued on my way.

I have to say I was not expecting much as I haven't found very much in the generic diet food section that was very good. These however are an exception. They are delicious. They are really sweet and tasty. I have been using them as a candy bar substitute. Plus, they are only 1 Point Per Bar, yahoo!

So far I have been to two of the three Walmarts near me and blueberry is the only flavor I have found. I did find a strawberry flavor on the Walmart website so hopefully they will make their way to my local stores. The pertinent nutritional information breaks down this way, 90 Calories 1.5 Fat Grams and 3 Grams of fiber for a total of 1 Weight Watchers Points.

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... C: wait... SD: wait...

Nabisco 100 Calorie Honey Maid Cheesecake Delight Bars

The selection for the 100 Calorie Pack snack food grows every time I make a trip to the grocery store. I am not complaining though as many of the varieties are very good. A few days ago I saw a new snack sitting on the shelf at Wally World. The packaging contained one of those magical words that makes me want to eat it all, Cheesecake.

This wonderful little snack from Nabisco is called the Honey Maid Delight Bars Cheesecake flavor. It is very tasty. There is a slight twang to it from the cheesecake but it is a flavor that I actually like. The first one that my wife tried she didn't like it, but now she is almost as big a fan of these little goodies as I am.

Here are the essential stats for those of you counting points.

Serving Size= 1 Bar

Calories= 100

Fat Grams= 3

Fiber= 3

Weight Watchers Points= 2

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Chicken Margherita

This was the first one of the new Cafe Steamers from Healthy Choice that I have tried. I have liked most of the Margherita frozen dinners that are available
so I thought I would try this number for lunch one day.

First impressions - great packaging, the steaming tray is pretty
cool, it looks like real chicken breast strips, the tomatos are soggy

Overall this is a keeper. It had great flavor, the noodles were
tender but not squishy and the chicken was good. If the tomatos had not
been soggy it would have been a really great meal. I still recommend
it and I will be trying some of the other flavors too.

It turned some heads in the lunch room when I removed the steamer tray and poured the contents into the sauce. Some frozen dinners that have similar sauces will have some of the sauce scorch and stick to the packaging. That was not the case here.

Weight Watchers Points = 6 calories 300 grams fat 8 grams fiber 5

Orville Redenbacher's Smart Cakes

It always helps me to get back in the groove when I find good snack food that fits into my diet. This weekend I got reacquainted with my old friend the rice or corn cakes. These puffy, crunchy little snacks are very versatile. There are numerous flavors and brands to choose from so check out a few and find your favorite.

One of my favorites is the Orville Redenbacher's Smart Cake in the Caramel flavor. Each cake is only forty-five calories and if you are on Weight Watchers each cake is only a point.

Serving Size 1 Cake
Calories 45
Fat Grams 0
Fiber 0
Weight Watchers Points 1

As I mentioned above these cakes are very versatile. You can either toast them or heat them in the microwave. The toaster or oven is best as they seem to be lighter and crunchier. You can top them with many different things to add flavor and pizazz to your snack.

My favorite topping is a tablespoon of peanut butter with some banana slices on top. I have also had them with marshmallows on top. Sometimes I even eat them right out of the bag.

So the next time you are looking for a snack give the old rice or corn cake another look.

Lean Cuisine Cheese Lasagna Florentine Bake

This frozen entree from Lean Cuisine’s One Dish offerings contains three cheeses, Mozzarella, Riccotta and Romano. I prepared the dish by the directions on the package setting the timer for five minutes and thirty seconds. It came out just right.

But the real question is how did it taste? I would have to say it was pretty good. The pasta was tender but not soggy and the Marinara sauce was was tasty. The three cheeses combined to give the impression of a real cheesy lasagna, even though it wasn’t. I would not hesitate to grab this one again from my grocer’s freezer.



The Specs

270 Calories 7 Grams of Fat 4 Grams of Fiber

Weight Watchers Points 5

Lean Cuisine Grilled Chicken Caesar

I think we may have a new favorite to add to the menu. I tried the Grilled Chicken Caesar bowl from the Café Classics Bowl entrees and it was outstanding. I am pretty picky when it comes to anything called Caesar; I normally either love it or hate it.

This meal contains grilled white meat chicken in a parmesan-Caesar sauce with broccoli and garlic flavored radiatore pasta. Everything about the meal was a hit. I need to find those little pasta shells at my grocery, I liked how they held the sauce. The chicken tasted like it was actually grilled and the Caesar sauce was top notch. It was like getting something to go from an actual Italian restaurant.

I highly recommend going out and getting this one today.

The Specs

230 Calories 6 Grams of Fat 3 Grams of Fiber

Weight Watchers Points 5

Lean Cuisine Spaghetti with Meatballs

Today’s selection is Spaghetti with Meatballs from Lean Cuisine. Spaghetti is normally a safe choice in frozen entrées. This meal tasted fine but the spaghetti came out in one clump all together. The box recommended a five to six minute cooking time. I chose five minutes. I wonder if I had cut it down to just over four minutes would the spaghetti have come out better?

I might try this one again just to see if a reduced cooking time helps. Otherwise, I will stick with the either the Healthy Choice Spaghetti or the Smart Ones Spaghetti.

The Specs

260 Calories 5 Grams of Fat 5 Grams of Fiber

Weight Watchers Points 5

Healthy Choice Grilled Chicken Monterey

Today’s lunch selection is from Healthy Choice and is from their Complete Selections line of frozen entrees. My local grocer had these on sale the other day so I thought I would try it out.

The Specs

300 Calories 7 Grams of Fat 5 Grams of Fiber

Weight Watchers Points 6

I was pretty excited to get a meal that had a dessert in it and a creamy sauce that was only six points. This meal came with a small piece of grilled chicken in a creamy Monterey sauce, rice pilaf, broccoli florets and a side of peach crisp. If you take each component separately then this meal was not great except for the dessert. But together it was a pretty good meal that I wouldn’t mind having again.

The chicken patty was not tough but the texture was a little off. Soft but good is the best way to describe the rice pilaf and the broccoli was tender as it should be. The peach crisp was the star of the entrée though. It is made of two things I really like, peaches and oats.

My advice for cooking this meal is to follow the directions on the package except for one. I have found on all of these Healthy Choice meals that have a peach or apple crips dessert do not remove the cover from the dessert. Just cut a slit in the center of the dessert. I used to peel back the cover as per the box directions but you end up with your dessert boiling onto your turntable.

This one makes it to my lunch menu.

Lean Cuisine Alfredo Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli

Todays lunch selection turned out very tasty. It is another One Dish Favorites from Lean Cuisine. I would highly recommend this one to anyone that likes Alfredo and Broccoli. This one makes it into my favorites section.

I will reduce the cooking time just a bit next time as one corner of the pan was a tad overcooked. The diced chicken had a great flavor and the Alfredo sauce was creamy and good. The broccoli came out just right. The pasta for the most parts was tender except for the little section that overheated.

The Specs

270 Calories 6 Grams of Fat 3 Grams of Fiber

Weight Watchers Points 5

Lean Cuisine Roasted Potatoes, Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Well, now that I am back on the diet train I have been taking my lunch to work. I wasn’t sure what I had available to take this morning but my lovely wife has been grocery shopping and right there in our freezer were some new items to try out.

Today’s selection is from Lean Cuisine and is from their One Dish Favorites line. I put it in my sack along with a banana and 100 calorie Planters Peanut butter Cookie Crisps. This meal had a nice aroma as it cooked in the microwave. I prepared it per the instructions on the box and it came out just right. The question is how did it taste?

First off I was a little concerned about the cheddar cheese sauce as it reminded me of concession stand nachos. But it tasted fine, just be prepared for the cheese to change texture pretty quick as it cools. The broccoli and potatoes were really good. Both were not too tender and not too crispy. This meal was very hearty and filling. I think this is another meal we can add to the ole’ lunchbox.

The Specs

Calories 220 5 Grams of Fat 5 Grams of Fiber

Weight Watchers Points 4

Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chicken Oriental

The Specs 230 Calories 2.5 Grams of Fat 2 Grams Fiber

Points 4

Smart Ones describes this meal as a juicy white meat chicken in a savory Oriental sauce with vegetables and rice. That describes it pretty well. I prepared this meal exactly per the instructions on the box. It came out just right as the rice was not in one big clump and the sauce had not begun to burn and stick to the container. This meal was good and I would not hesitate to select it again.

I like the big slices of carrots that were mixed in. The chicken had the taste and texture of actual chicken breast chunks. As I mentioned before the rice was not clumpy. Sometimes the rice just makes one big ball in frozen meals. Also, this meal gets a gold star from me because it is only 4 points and is hearty.

Healthy Choice Four Cheese Manicotti

I thought I would try something different, something that I don’t even eat when I am not dieting. I don’t think I have ever tried Cheese Manicotti so I thought I would give it a try.

The Specs 270 Calories 4.5 Fat Grams 5 Grams of Fiber

Points 5

As I packed my lunch this morning I was having second thoughts about my selection. This one has a long cooking time which I should have cut by thirty to forty-five seconds. This meal has a thick Marinara sauce that was very tangy. The Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan and Romano cheese filled pasta (enchiladas since I am from Texas) were very good. Although the pasta was a bit tough it was still very satisfying. The side of broccoli was okay, I have had better in other meals.

On the whole I would definitely try this one again. I might even have to try this dish at a fine Italian restaurant sometime. See, when you try something new you often times find a new food you like.

Quaker Granola Bites 90 Calorie Packs

I found a new snack this weekend while shopping with my wife. We were browsing the aisles at Target and ran across the Quaker Granola Bites 90 Calorie Packs. We picked the Peanut Butter flavor and tossed it in the buggy. Quaker also makes a chocolate flavor.

The Specs 90 Calories 3.5 Grams of Fat 2 Grams of Fiber

Points 2

I really like most things granola so I figured I would like these as well. The bites are shaped in little balls and upon popping the first one in my mouth it tasted just like Cap’n Crunch Peanut Butter Cereal. That’s a good thing because who doesn’t like the Captain? Anyway, the little bites have a granola outer shell with a cereal type puff center. I will definitely pick these up and throw them in the snack basket. Right now they are doing promotional boxes that give you one extra snack pack per box.

Enjoy.

Weight Watchers Smart Ones Lasagna Bolognese

Todays selection comes from the Smart Ones line of frozen entrées and is called Lasagna Bolognese. Described as curly, bite-sized lasagna ribbons in a rich Bolognese-meat sauce with Mozzarella this meal was good but not great. I will say it was rather meaty which was nice. The noodles were tender and the sauce was average. I cooked this one exactly according to the instructions on the box and it was right on.

I wouldn’t hesitate to try this one again but I think the Three Cheese Ziti Marinara is a better choice.

The Specs 270 Calories 5 Grams of Fat 3 Grams of Fiber

Points 5

Say Hello to an Old Friend

I am kind of misleading you with the title a bit but I am feeling a little mischievous as I write this post. This past week I had the pleasure of enjoying something I have not had in a long time. Especially since I have been dieting because I really liked lathering this friend up with butter and sugar. Okay get your mind out of the gutter. The friend I am speaking of is the often forgotten Acorn Squash.

Yep its just a squash, but this is a blog about food after all. I could make a meal on just these squash baked up with lots of butter and some sugar sprinkled on top. I had thought about trying to prepare them in a low fat version but just hadn’t done it until now. They are so simple to make and very good indeed. You just slice them in half, clean out the cores and put them on a baking sheet. They need to bake for about an hour at around 350 degrees. When they are done just take them out and squeeze a little Smart Squeeze or your favorite nonfat margarine substitute on them and then sprinkle with Splenda.

They were fabulous if I do say so myself. If you are tired of just the same old vegetable choices say hello to a friend of mine, the Acorn Squash.

Lean Cuisine Three Bean Chili

The Specs 270 Calories 7 Grams of Fat 8 Grams of Fiber

Points 5

Described as a three bean chili with rice, peppers, fire roasted tomatoes and
corn this entrée from Lean Cuisine is the next contestant in What’ For Lunch!

When I think of cooking a frozen entree in a microwave, I am expecting a very quick meal. This one took all of six minutes. That is not a long time but based on the size of the meal it surprised me that it actually took six minutes to cook and I probably could have left it going for another 35-45 seconds without over cooking.

Enough of that, the meal was very good. However, I did not look much like the picture on the box. That is quite often the case on many meals but this one didn’t come close. First of all I think they forgot to put the rice in my particular box. Strangely rice was listed first in the ingredients. Also, the chili was soupy which is fine it just didn’t look like it would be based on the photo from the box. Aside from those two things the meal was very good. I would rather have Wendy’s chili but this is a good one if you are eating in.