Stouffer's answers sandwich cravings with flatbread melts
Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Flatbread Melts. Chicken Philly, Chophouse Steak, Pesto Chicken, and Chicken Ranch Club. $3.49 per 6.5-ounce to 6.75-ounce box containing one frozen sandwich.
Bonnie: Stouffer's is reacting to the rise in Americans' sandwich consumption by adding to its frozen sandwich line - first with paninis, and now with these new flatbread sandwiches.
It's much easier to wrap your mind around the idea of people wanting more portable meal options than to wrap these new flatbreads around their fillings following the box instructions. These are way too doughy for that. I ended up using the flatbread as a serving plate for the toppings, which were a bit too saucy for my liking.
Nutritionally, though, these are good, just like all Lean Cuisine items, as each has no more than 330 calories and 9 grams of fat.
If you want to try these, hurry up: I don't think they'll be around too long.
Carolyn: The folks at Stouffer's are comparing these new Lean Cuisine Flatbread Melts to sandwich wraps. But these resemble wraps only in their folded-over appearance.
Most lunch wraps are made with thin flatbreads, such as pita bread or a tortilla. The ones Stouffer's uses are much thicker and are also spongy - like a thicker and tastier Wonder bread or a non-sour Ethiopian injera. The bread dominates the fillings, which is exactly the opposite of most wraps. They're also stuffed with traditional hot sandwich ingredients instead of the deli meats, fresh produce and gourmet spreads that traditionally are featured.
But who cares about wrap tradition? I like these and how they fill you up. Although, as a Philadelphia resident, I can say that the Chophouse Steak tastes a lot more like a Philadelphia cheesesteak than the Chicken Philly. The ordinary Joes who would normally eat Philly cheesesteaks should not be scared away from the Chophouse Steak by its box-advertised blue cheese crumbles. (You can hardly taste them for all the Chophouse Steak's mozzarella and Cheddar.)
The Chophouse Steak's rich ranch sauce also is used in the Chicken Ranch Club and is what made these my two favorites. People looking for a lighter sandwich should try the Chicken Philly or Pesto Chicken.
Dannon Light & Fit 0 Percent Plus. Vanilla, Strawberry, Cherry, Peach, Blueberry, and Strawberry Banana. $2.59 per package of four 4-ounce cups, or $4.69 for an eight-pack.
Bonnie: The latest addition to Dannon's Light & Fit yogurt franchise contains no fat and 50 percent more fruit than regular Dannon Light & Fit Nonfat yogurt. Oddly,regularLight & Fit contains similar calories and nutrients (although there's 10 percent more calcium and vitamin D in a 6-ounce cup). Light & Fit Plus is only a 4-ounce cup.
I don't like the taste of any artificially sweetened food - the horrific aftertaste gets to me each time. If that doesn't bother you, and you're looking for a nonfat yogurt and need to get more fruit in your diet, you might try these.
Carolyn: The press release announcing the launch of this Dannon Light & Fit 0 Percent Plus subline talks about some dieting and nutrient misconceptions unearthed in a recent survey. For instance, the misguided idea held by one-third of 1,000 randomly selected women that losing a few pounds is worth giving up sex for a month. (Their mothers need to tell them that they'll actually gain weight - and possibly their partner's wrath - by giving up that calorie-burning physical activity.)
Then there's the other finding that 81 percent of women consider portion size the most important strategy in losing weight. That's the flawed thinking that Dannon is exploiting with these miniature Light & Fits. Portion size is important when the smaller portion has fewer calories. That's not the case here.
These 4-ounce, artificially sweetened Dannon Light & Fit 0 Percent Plus yogurts have the same calories and fat as Dannon's regular, artificially sweetened 6-ounce Light & Fit, which, because it has 2 more ounces of yogurt, also will fill you up more and, therefore, prolong the moment when you'll want to reach for that chocolate bar.
Plus does have noticeably more fruit, however.
Jell-O Instant Pudding & Pie Filling. Chocolate Caramel Chip, Vanilla Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Fudge With Chocolate Mint Chip. $1.19 per 3.91-ounce to 4.44-ounce box yielding four half-cup servings.
Bonnie: Some new products I just don't get. That includes these new Jell-O puddings with flavored chips. Those chips make these puddings even more artificial, as well as adding 20 calories and up to 1.5 grams of total fat (which includes 1 gram of saturated fat).
If you want to add chips to your pudding, I'd suggest some better-tasting, more natural ones, such as Nestle's Real Chocolate Chips.
Carolyn: I get it, Bonnie. Jell-O has added candy to its instant pudding for the same reason that ice cream and cookie makers do - to up their products' appeal and indulgence.
The problem here is not with the quality of the candy but of the pudding, particularly the vanilla pudding, which tastes fake. The Chocolate Fudge Pudding With Chocolate Mint Chip is only OK. But the Chocolate Caramel Chip pudding is wonderful, especially the caramel-flavored chips - and this is coming from someone who usually is lukewarm on the combination of milk chocolate and caramel.
Bonnie Tandy Leblang is a registered dietitian and professional speaker. Carolyn Wyman is a junk-food fanatic and author of "Better Than Homemade: Amazing Foods That Changed the Way We Eat" (Quirk). Each week they critique three new food items. For previous columns, visit www.supermarketsampler.com, and for more food info and chances to win free products, visit www.biteofthebest.com.
Universal Press Syndicate