Salisbury Steak- Weight Watchers

The title is pretty self-explanatory, but this offering also contains a full serving of asparagus. Asparagus is a strange vegetable- it really has to be perfectly cooked or it's just nasty. But I was really surprised that, for me anyway, it came out just right (finally a new microwave- which took 3 1/2 minutes). It could partly be because they were in gravy. But the chopped spears were fairly crisp.

The Salisbury Steak had a nice flavor, as did the gravy. But man, it's another WW dish that's super high in sodium- in fact the highest so far at 820mg=34% of your RDA! And, it's only 200 calories, so you'll probably want to have a nice salad with this. It's also a little higher in fat, with 8 grams, but this is probably from the beef, and has 4 WW points.

Smart Ones (Weight Watchers) Pepper Steak

I have to say that I was a little disappointed in this offering from Weight Watchers. I expected better pieces of meat (one was not acceptable for eating because too much grizzle *shudder*) and a little more flavor. But it has a good amount of vegetables (red and green bell peppers, onions and carrots= 30% of your vitamin c needs for the day). It's okay. I'd probably eat it again on sale, but I didn't love it.

Calorie Count- 250
Points: 5
sodium:710 mg!!!! another yikes! 30% of your RDA
fat 4.5g

Weight Watchers (Smart Ones) Chicken Carbonara

I had no idea that Weight Watchers had their own brand of diet convenience meals until the hubby brought this home the other day. It's pretty good. It's got a 5 point value, 250 calories and 4.5 grams of fat but holy smokes- it's high in sodium, 660 mg (28% of RDV).

It's description: "all white meat, smoky turkey bacon, tender mushrooms and peas, and a basil garlic sauce over ribbons of linguini". I don't think that Lean Cuisine's (LC) version has turkey bacon, nor does it have peas (but it does have some red pepper). There aren't a ton of peas. In comparison LC's got 20 more calories, but a little less sodium (620 mg). Of the two, I'd recommend LC's version- however, if the WW version were cheaper one week, I'd buy it in its place.

We Want to Hear From YOU!

If you've tried some of the convenience meals we've reviewed here- leave a comment! Agree or disagree (but also why you do, so that others will understand your reasons). An informed consumer is a happy one!

Garlic Beef and Broccoli- Lean Cuisine

Garlic Beef and Broccoli from Lean Cuisinse features "beef steak with broccoli, water chestnuts & yellow carrots in an asian style garlic sauce". It's a smaller meal, only 170 calories and 6 grams of fat, but it has a really nice flavor. The sauce is on the mild side, but the beef has a ton of flavor, which makes up for the sauces shortcomings. For those counting carbs, it has only 11 net carbs (the total amount of carbs minus the fiber). I'd recommend eating it over a 1/2 of brown rice and a nice side salad.

Childhood Obesity Epidemic

Normally I just do reviews, but this story has really struck a nerve with me. I'm a mom to two boys, and we do the best we can to make sure that they learn good eating habits, so that they can grow up healthy. According to a report on the Today Show, there will be dramatic health consequences for our children because of the alarming rate at which their waist lines are expanding. By mid-century, deaths from obesity will outnumber those from ALL cancers combined. Our children will be at risk from heart disease at younger ages. And this is because they're learning from us that it's ok to eat whatever and however much we want.

What can we do as parents? Learn to eat the right foods, and teach your kids to do the same. Stop eating out so much, and if you do, make healthier choices when going to the fast food restaurants. Don't give them fries- get them apples and mandarin oranges. If you get them fountain drinks- opt for juice and water it down. There are so many ways to lower the calories now. And let them see you do the same. Opt for diet soda, get fruit with your burger. Check out the nutrition facts on these restaurants (usually it'll be on their websites) and decide ahead of time what you're going to get (learn in general what your best choices are, so that you are always prepared when you go). A lot of the food these places offer are deceptively high in calories.

I'll admit, it's not easy. I've been there. I let my weight balloon up because as a kid, I'd always been able to eat whatever I wanted and wouldn't gain a pound. But after 18 and after having two children over the past 7 years, I can't do that anymore. I've mentioned before about using ediets.com to lose the weight. But best of all, it made me learn what servings really look like and how many calories are in what I'm eating. Knowledge is power, and in this case, knowledge can save yours and your childrens lives.

Weight Watchers Strawberry Shortcake

While this dessert is a little high in calories (170), it's REALLY good. Especially if you leave the strawberries slightly frozen. It's got a little layer of yellow cake on the bottom, which held up really nicely after being microwaved to defrost. I definitely recommend these if you can spare a few calories.