Food Review: Lean Cuisine Grilled Chicken Primavera

Box Description: Asparagus & cherry tomatoes with grilled white meat chicken & whole grain vermicelli in a creamy garlic sauce.

Nutritional Info: 220 calories, 5 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber, 18 grams of protein

Points: 4 (listed on box)

Thoughts: I freely admit, this is a meal I return to time and time again. Why? Tastes great and low in points. It's a very pretty meal, with the red and green and white blended so well together. I especially love the asparagus and tomatoes, two items that I don't feel are found in microwaveable meals enough (aside from tomato sauces, of course). I'm not sure that I knew that the sauce was a "garlic sauce" until typing up the box description - so don't worry about excessive garlic taste or smell. I think I thought it was some sort of creamy, cheesy sauce. Either way, it's pretty delicious. And of course, as with most pasta-based meals, this one is satisfying and filling. And, as it's only 4 points, you have a number of options of what to pair with this meal to keep you going throughout the afternoon.

Rating: 4.5 stars. Add more veggies, and it would be the perfect meal.

Food Review: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Picante Chicken & Pasta

Box description: Tender white meat chicken tossed with bow tie pasta, yellow pepper strips, and black beans in a spicy ancho chili sauce

Nutritional Info: 260 calories, 4 grams of fat, 4 grams of fiber, 23 grams of protein

Points: 5 (listed on box)

Thoughts: Spicy! I love spicy foods, and this meal definitely has a kick that leaves your mouth pleasantly burning after only a few bites. Seemed like they were a bit stingy with the chicken on this meal, but I suppose the addition of the beans makes up for it. The sauce has a slight sweet flavor to it, but really, it's overwhelmed by the spicy. The pasta texture is surprisingly good - not too soft, not too chewy. I finished this meal very satisfied. Probably a meal I'll pick up again. A warning to those of you who don't like spicy foods - this meal definitely leaves your mouth tingling afterwards.

Rating: 3 stars

Food Review - Lean Cuisine Sesame Stir Fry with Chicken

Box description: Edamame & broccoli with white meat chicken & whole wheat vermicelli in a sesame sauce

Nutritional Info: 300 calories, 6 grams fat, 5 grams fiber, 20 grams protein

Points: 6 (listed on box)

Thoughts: This is one of my all time favorite Lean Cuisine meals, so I'm biased. To start, this meal contains a good amount of vegetables, probably enough to constitute a full serving, perhaps more. The chicken is properly cooked and cut into small enough pieces to make you feel like you're really getting a lot. The sauce is slightly sweet, but not too sweet, and balances out the flavor of the vegetables. The meal is colorful and very filling, and because of the noodles and all the different vegetables, feels like it takes a while to eat, which for me, makes it that much more satisfying.

Rating: 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Food Review - Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chicken Carbonara

Box description: Roasted white meat chicken in a creamy parmesan cheese sauce with lean turkey bacon, basil and garlic over a bed of linguini

Nutritional Info: 250 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber, 20 grams of protein

Points: 5 (listed on box)

Thoughts: The scent was delicious. I think it was probably the turkey bacon. The smell alone gave me high hopes for this dish. Upon first glance, however, I noticed that the "creamy" sauce was actually pretty watery. It thickened a bit as it cooled, but remained fairly watery.

Not nearly enough veggies in this dish. Probably fewer than 20 peas.

Taste? Honestly, a little bland. I think it's due to the consistency of the sauce - the sauce has a great flavor, but it doesn't stick to the noodles. The chicken was surprisingly good though - not too chewy, good flavor and texture.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars. It's not bad, but it wouldn't be my top choice meal.