Better Buying: Frozen Italian Meals
Italian food once had a reputation for traveling directly from the lips to the hips. It was high in fat -- especially frozen Italian meals. But now, low-fat products outnumber high-fat ones.
When shopping for frozen meals, always check ingredient labels for fat and sodium content.
These additional tips should help you make the best buys:
-
Choose products with 30 percent or less of their calories from fat.
-
Choose meals with 600 mg. of sodium or less.
-
Opt for tomato and marinara sauces, or the broth-based with wine added type of sauce (eg.-marsala is prepared this way); they're usually lower in fat than pesto, carbonara, cheese and Alfredo (cream) sauces.
-
Don't assume a vegetable-based meal is lower in fat than one with meat. The key is the sauce or the breading.
-
Note that serving sizes vary.
-
Breaded foods, like the Parmigiana entrees, absorb more fat so opt for those dishes that are not breaded to save calories and fat.
-
Know the label lingo. "Fritta" (fried) or "crema" (creamed) dishes are higher in fat than the tomato-based dishes. "Primavera" usually refers to dishes prepared with fresh herbs and vegetables but read the label because primaveras can also be made with creamy sauces.
Going by the numbers
This chart compares the calories, fat and sodium per serving serving size in a variety of frozen Italian meals.
Frozen Italian meal: Healthy Choice Beef Macaroni
Fat (gm.): 220
Cals.: 4
% Cals. from fat: 16
Sodium (mg.): 450
Frozen Italian meal: Lean Cuisine Cheese Cannelloni
Fat (gm.): 230
Cals.: 4
% Cals. from fat: 16
Sodium (mg.): 570
Frozen Italian meal: Weight Watcher's Smart Ones Fettuccini Alfredo
Fat (gm.): 230
Cals.: 6
% Cals. from fat: 23
Sodium (mg.): 540
Frozen Italian meal: Weight Watcher's Smart Ones Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Fat (gm.): 240
Cals.: 2
% Cals. from fat: 8
Sodium (mg.): 520
Frozen Italian meal: Michelina's Lean 'N Tasty Chicken Pesto with Penne
Fat (gm.): 250
Cals.: 6
% Cals. from fat: 22
Sodium (mg.): 590
Frozen Italian meal: Michelina's Lean 'N Tasty Chicken Primavera with Spirals
Fat (gm.): 250
Cals.: 7
% Cals. from fat: 25
Sodium (mg.): 840
Frozen Italian meal: The Budget Gourmet Ziti Parmesano
Fat (gm.): 260
Cals.: 7
% Cals. from fat: 24
Sodium (mg.): 550
Frozen Italian meal: The Budget Gourmet Penne Pasta with Chunky Tomato and Italian Sausage
Fat (gm.): 270
Cals.: 5
% Cals. from fat: 17
Sodium (mg.): 410
Frozen Italian meal: Lean Cuisine Spaghetti with Meatballs
Fat (gm.): 280
Cals.: 6
% Cals. from fat: 19
Sodium (mg.): 570
Frozen Italian meal: Weight Watcher's Smart Ones Penne Pasta
Fat (gm.): 280
Cals.: 6
% Cals. from fat: 19
Sodium (mg.): 590
Frozen Italian meal: Lean Cuisine Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta
Fat (gm.): 290
Cals.: 6
% Cals. from fat: 19
Sodium (mg.): 590
Frozen Italian meal: Michelina's Meat Ravioli
Fat (gm.): 290
Cals.: 11
% Cals. from fat: 34
Sodium (mg.): 840
Frozen Italian meal: Healthy Choice Stuffed Pasta Shells
Fat (gm.): 370
Cals.: 6
% Cals. from fat: 15
Sodium (mg.): 570
Frozen Italian meal: Healthy Choice Lasagna Roma
Fat (gm.): 420
Cals.: 9
% Cals. from fat: 19
Sodium (mg.): 580
Frozen Italian meal: Michelina's Cheese Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce
Fat (gm.): 420
Cals.: 23
% Cals. from fat: 49
Sodium (mg.): 840
Frozen Italian meal: Stouffer's Spaghetti with Meatballs
Fat (gm.): 440
Cals.: 15
% Cals. from fat: 31
Sodium (mg.): 830
Frozen Italian meal: Marie Callender's Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Fat (gm.): 630
Cals.: 31
% Cals. from fat: 44
Sodium (mg.): 1,230
Sources: "Environmental Nutrition," product packaging.