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
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