This is the third (and last) in a series of sponsored posts I’m writing for the folks at Healthy Choice.
I often look back on our pre-technology days and wistfully mutter about the simplicity of life back then. Usually only a minute or so goes by before I give myself a mental slap because truly, technology has indeed made almost everything easier. Take a second to remember how your life was before–ahem, depending on your age–computers, cell phones, MP3 players, DVRs, microwaves, television, automobiles, indoor plumbing…
Wait, too far back? Okay, never mind.
When I found out that my final Healthy Choice post would be about their Baked Entrées–and this is totally true–I thought, “Huh, that seems a little weird to me, that Healthy Choice is going backwards in time with these ‘baked’ meals. People are busy these days and nobody wants their frozen dinner to take that long to cook anymore! I mean, microwaving for the win!!”
Thankfully, I hadn’t thought that through. Of course Healthy Choice wasn’t going backwards.
Luckily for the general public, I don’t work in product development, anywhere.
Healthy Choice Baked Entrées offer fresh, baked-from-the-oven taste straight from the microwave. Smart, right?
The ten varieties combine wholesome, quality ingredients like freshly-made pastas, flavorful sauces, and blended cheeses:
• Four Cheese Ziti Marinara: Freshly-made ziti pasta tossed with classic marinara and topped with a blend of fine Italian cheeses; Parmesan, Romano, Asiago and mozzarella.
• Roasted Chicken and Potatoes: Savory slices of chicken breast with red skin potatoes, crisp carrots, and tender pearl onions in a light chicken and herb sauce.
• Fettuccini Alfredo Bake: A classic combination of freshly-made fettuccini pasta and rich Parmesan Alfredo sauce with crisp broccoli and topped with seasoned bread crumbs.
• Italian Sausage Pasta Bake: Freshly-made whole grain rotini pasta paired with juicy Italian sausage, tossed in a rich garlic marinara together with bubbling mozzarella cheese.
• Lasagna with Meat Sauce: Three rich layers of freshly-made pasta, hearty meat sauce, and ricotta cheese topped with mozzarella for perfection.
• Chicken & Rice Cheddar Bake: Whole grain brown & wild rice pilaf with crisp broccoli and sliced chicken breast in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce.
• Chicken & Spinach Alfredo: Freshly-made whole grain penne pasta tossed with sliced chicken breast, spinach and tomatoes in a creamy Alfredo sauce.
• Chicken Enchilada Bake: A full-flavored chicken enchilada over cilantro rice and topped with corn, black beans and a decadent queso sauce.
• Ravioli Marinara Bake: Rich ricotta and spinach filled al dente ravioli tossed in a tomato basil sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella cheese.
• Slow Roasted Turkey Bake: Slow roasted turkey breast accompanied by potatoes, butternut squash and crisp green beans topped with classical gravy and crispy onions.
Baked Entrées not only deliver on the Healthy Choice nutrition people rely on, but also feature culinary favorites and ingredients that win on taste like no other. So let me tell you a story about that. I have tried three varieties so far: Lasagna with Meat Sauce (Yum), Roasted Chicken and Potatoes (Yum), and the Fettuccine Alfredo Bake.
Fettuccine Alfredo in general happens to be one of my all-time favorite meals ever.
EVER.
Of course, with the average restaurant lunch-sized portion containing EIGHT HUNDRED calories and forty-eight fat grams (thirty of those being saturated fats) (and 800+ mg of sodium, which I have to look at due to my high blood pressure), it’s not on the list of what would be considered good for you. Or me.
That said, moderation is the key so I still enjoy this meal once or twice a year, either at a restaurant or at home if J will make it for us: he rules at making this dish.
THAT said, I feel guilty about every bite, and that’s no way to truly enjoy the experience of eating.
So when I was shopping for my Healthy Choice Baked Entrées for the purpose of this post, I grabbed a Fettuccine Alfredo Bake and had a conversation with the box. (A silent, ESP-like conversation but for real, I did.) I said to the box, “You’d better taste good. And if you do? I will rejoice because that means I can enjoy Fettuccine Alfredo at home, more often, and guilt-free.” (The Healthy Choice version only has 230 calories with six fat grams and 580 mg of sodium.)
Guess what? That box–and its contents–came through. I am a happy camper. In fact, I’m having it for lunch today!
You can check out Healthy Choice Baked Entrées–and the rest of their products, too–in depth on their website. If you’d like to read my posts on Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt and Healthy Choice Cafe’ Steamers, you can find those here and here. And of course, Healthy Choice is on Facebook.
Time for lunch!
Disclosure: I was compensated for this review of Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt by ConAgra. Pictures and product information was provided; opinions are all mine!
