Eating In: Café Steamers - "Grilled Basil Chicken"

Today I continue the process of clearing out my stockpile of frozen lunches by diving into one of the Mediterranean Inspired dishes from Healthy Choice's line of Café Steamers: Grilled Basil Chicken.

Primary Ingredients: Grilled Chicken, Whole Grain Pasta, Red Peppers, Green Zucchini, Spinach, Basil Tomato Sauce
Calories: 270
Fat: 6 g
Fiber: 7 g
Protein: 20 g
Sodium: 600 mg
Carbs: 34 g

Let's not mince words, this dish was disappointing. So disappointing in fact, that I seriously debated just throwing it away halfway through.

Basil, unless used in excess, can provide a subtle yet delicious flavor to many sauces and foods. Given the relatively high sodium count, one would expect that the dish would be relatively salty. Color me surprised when, upon eating my first bite, the only word that came to mind was "bland". Really, that one word describes the whole dish.

It was not until the pasta and sauce had cooled to an annoyingly lukewarm temperature that I was able to taste anything that came close to how the whole dish should have tasted from the start. Due to the cooling, I could only guess that the sauce had attached to the rest of the food in large enough "globs" (a disgustingly accurate word, sadly) that some semblance of a real basil sauce had formed. The issue here is that a good sauce can portray its flavor without having to be highly concentrated in a single forkful.

The protein, often my favorite part of any dish, only contributed to my disappointment. The "grilled chicken" must have been left on the grill a little too long, because every bite was dry and chewy. Not quite "well-done steak/leather" chewy, but far too close for my taste.

The vegetables, like in almost every other Café Steamers' dish, were par for the course in their quality. Rather than praise however, that is just a neutral comment amidst a sea of letdowns.

Is the Grilled Basil Chicken terrible? No. But it's definitely not good. If nothing else, I would consider it edible. If you have absolutely no other choice and are dying of starvation.

I can't and wouldn't ever recommend anyone try this dish. Some of you may try it anyway, thinking "oh it an't be that bad", and that's your prerogative. As for me, I'll never touch this dish again.

*** Overall Score: 1.5 / 5

For additional information from Healthy Choice on this product: Click Here

Eating In: Asian Inspired Café Steamers - Part 3/3

Welcome to the much-delayed final chapter of the Asian Inspired Café Steamers: Sweet & Spicy Orange Zest Chicken.

Primary Ingredients: Chicken, White Rice, Sugar Snap Peas, Red Peppers, Scallions
Calories: 300
Fat: 4 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 17 g
Sodium: 380 mg
Carbs: 49 g

The sauce, while not particularly spicy, was deliciously sweet with a hint of tangyness from the orange zest flavor. The chicken was of decent quality, par for the course wih Healthy Choice Steamers. The sugar snap peas, despite being a bit soggy (some more than others), maintained a crunchiness that helped to break the fairly monotonous texture of the meal.

Overall, the meal was satisfying and delicious. If I have any qualms with the "Sweet & Spicy" chicken, it's that the spice level is incredibly weak. To advertise a product with the word "spicy" in the name, only to have a mild heat at best, is very misleading in my opinion.

*** Overall Score: 4 / 5

For additional information from Healthy Choice on this product: Click Here

Eating In: Asian Inspired Café Steamers - Part 2/3

Welcome to part 2 of the Asian Inspired Café Steamers edition of Eating In. Today's review is a personal favorite: General Tso's Spicy Chicken!

Primary Ingredients: Chicken, White Rice, Carrots, Scallions, Red Pepper, Soybeans (Peas?)
Calories: 300
Fat: 3 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 15 g
Sodium: 500 mg
Carbs: 53 g

"Chicken Tenderloins with Rice and Vegetables in Authentic Spicy Brown Sauce"


Whenever I order Chinese takeout or go to a Chinese restaurant, the first thing I look for on the menu is their General Tso's. If they don't have that specifically, then I search out the closest alternative in the area of spicy chicken. Bearing the General Tso's name, this dish has a lot to live up to for me.

Luckily, unlike the Sweet Sesame Chicken, this meal did not disappoint.

For a boxed meal, I was pleasantly surprised at the heat put forth by the brown sauce. If you aren't a fan of spice, I recommend avoiding this meal. I would have preferred more spice personally, but I'm the kind of guy that goes into an Indian restaurant and orders a dish at "Indian Hot", as they call it. The sauce has excellent flavor that makes up for the fact that the chicken has not been deep fried like its very unhealthy namesake, and complements the other ingredients well.

The chicken was of good quality, as only one piece had that annoying "dry" texture; and the rice accompanied the rest of the dish excellently. Unlike the sesame chicken, where a different kind of rice would have improved the overall taste, the brown sauce was strong enough that it allowed the rice to act as a proper bedding that helped balance the flavor. The vegetables added a nice element of crunch to the dish, though very little in regard to the overall taste. They added some very subtle flavors, but nothing outstanding that really enhanced the sauce itself.

Though it may be somewhat off topic, I question the soybeans listed in the ingredients. Not the quality of them, but whether or not they are actually soybeans. Given the texture and taste of the "beans" individually, I would go so far as to say that these are actually peas. Even after searching online to compare the two, I have yet to find a soybean that looks as much like a pea as these do. But I digress...

The only real complaint I have about the dish is that it may be too salty. The jump in sodium between the Sweet Sesame Chicken (330 mg) and General Tso's (500 mg) is quite drastic, and is evident in every bite. At times it is difficult to distinguish whether I am tasting the heat of the sauce or the saltiness, though in the end I'm sure that the added sodium works to enhance the spiciness overall.

Despite its higher sodium however, it is still much lower than say, a Lean Cuisine sandwich such as the Chicken Club Panini. You get an entire dish of the General Tso's with 500 mg of sodium, while a single serving of the Chicken Club Panini consists of 675 mg of sodium. That is a 7% difference in the % Daily Value!

I had high expectations of the General Tso's Spicy Chicken from Healthy Choice, and it lived up to those with very few exceptions. The meal was delicious and definitely satisfied my spicy side.

Needless to say, the General Tso's Café Steamer will continue to be a staple in my frozen-lunch repotoire for a long time to come.

In Short: "YUM!"

*** Overall Score: 4.5 / 5

Be sure to check back next time for part 3! What promises to be "the best of both worlds", the Sweet & Spicy Orange Zest Chicken!

For additional information from Healthy Choice on this product: Click Here

Eating In: Asian Inspired Café Steamers - Part 1/3

Welcome to another edition of Eating In with Another Picky Eater! Today's review is the first in a 3-part series of the Asian Inspired Café Steamers selections from Healthy Choice.

Chinese food is admittedly one of my guilty pleasures, as I find the food absolutely delicious despite falling into a level of unhealthiness that could send a person with high blood pressure into fits. The chance to enjoy some of my favorite meals from the buffet, recreated as a healthy dish for lunch, is exciting though worrisome at the same time. While a dish may be healthy (or at least healthier) in comparison to its inspiration, healthy does not necessarily mean yummy. Of course, as the old saying goes: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." So let's get started.

First up is the Sweet Sesame Chicken!

Primary Ingredients: Chicken, White Rice, Snow Pea Pods, Carrots, Mushrooms
Calories: 340
Fat: 5 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 17 g
Sodium: 330 mg
Carbs: 55 g

"Chicken Tenderloins with Rice and Vegetables in Sweet & Spicy Sesame Sauce"

First and foremost, this dish definitely lives up to its "sweet" name. I would best describe it as somewhat of a dull sweetness that relies almost entirely on honey, countered by a spicy heat that is minuscule at best. The sweet (and spicy according to the box but not my taste buds) sauce, while refreshing for the first few bites, quickly becomes boring and somewhat bland.

As opposed to extra spice (which isn't what one looks for in their sesame chicken), I feel that additional salt was needed to improve the dish somewhat. With a sodium count of 330 mg (surprisingly low for a Chinese meal), the sesame chicken excels from a health mindset. But the lack of sodium and boring sauce are hindrances on a dish that had the potential to be a sweet, delicious surprise in contrast to the super-salty sesame chicken found at many Chinese restaurants.

Adding to the "meh" factor of this dish is the white rice. For me, rice is used to mix up with a delicious sauce and allow you to eat it with a fork while also providing texture to each bite. The problem here is that the white rice contributes no flavor whatsoever and leaves the sauce just as "meh" as ever. A serving of brown rice would have added some subtle flavor that would have helped redeem the dish somewhat.

The vegetables were good overall, tasting fresh (as much as frozen vegetables can) and adding some much needed texture. The mushrooms were a personal favorite, as it is rare to have them in a microwaveable meal and not be disgustingly slimy. There is a downside however, the snow pea pods. Not only did they lack any particular taste, but they were very soggy and limp. Not quite to the point of being mushy, but disturbingly close.

Finally, the chicken. The protein. The main attraction of any meat eater's breakfast/lunch/dinner. Well, to continue the pattern..."meh". The tenderloin pieces have some [very] light seasoning aside from the sauce, and are of average quality at best. They were very dry as well, which could mean that I cooked it too long in the microwave. If that is true however, then this particular dish heats up faster than any other Café Steamers dish I've ever had.

Was this a delicious lunch? No.

Was this a bad lunch? No.

The Café Steamers Sweet Sesame Chicken falls into a very gray area for me. It's not bad by any means, a decently sized meal that doesn't offend the senses with any mystery smells or gross textures (though the pea pods did come close). Yet at the same time, I have no desire to eat this meal ever again. If Healthy Choice ever changes the recipe a little, like using whole grain brown rice instead of white or even adding a small amount of sodium/salt to counter the dull sweetness of the sauce, I may consider trying this again.

In Short: "Meh"

*** Overall Score: 2.5 / 5

Check back next week for part 2! General Tso's Spicy Chicken!

For additional information from Healthy Choice: Click Here

Eating In - Lean Cuisine: "Salmon with Basil"

After a lengthy hiatus, welcome back to "Another Picky Eater"! In addition to upcoming restaurant reviews, I will also be reviewing meals you can buy at a store and recipes that my wife and I cook. These will be part of the "Eating In" editions of this blog. Up first... "Salmon with Basil" from Lean Cuisine.

Primary Ingredients: Salmon, Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta, Spinach, Carrots, Yellow Carrots, Basil Cream Sauce
Calories: 210
Fat: 6 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 15 g
Sodium: 590 mg
Carbs: 25 g


Over the years (especially as a college student) I have experienced my fair share of microwaveable meals that have – to put it lightly – not been the tastiest thing I’ve ever eaten. Thankfully many companies have updated their existing recipes and created new meals that actually taste good, believe it or not. Of particular note is Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine brand, which has expanded its affordable (and generally tasty) line of products in recent years.

I recently tried the Salmon with Basil, a part of their Spa Cuisine line, which seems to have a focus on whole grain pastas, high fiber (5-6 grams per serving), no preservatives, and a good amount of vegetables included. The no preservatives aspect holds true as far as artificial/chemical preservatives for this meal, but I have read reviews online of other Spa Cuisine meals that are questionable in this regard. As far as vegetables go, between the carrots, yellow carrots, and spinach you get 2 servings of vegetables from this meal, which is fairly impressive.

In regards to the meal itself, I have to say it was a bit of a mixed bag. The orzo pasta (which looks like large pieces of rice), spinach, and carrots were all quite good. There was a fair amount of garlic, though I would have preferred more for additional flavor, and the cheeses used weren’t so overpowering that I couldn’t taste the intricacies of the different vegetables and the pasta.

What felt out of place, strangely enough, was the salmon. In comparison to everything else, the salmon was rather bland and dry. You can only expect so much from a microwaveable meal, but several the pieces looked and tasted overcooked, which severely dulled the delicious natural salmon flavor. I feel that an alternative protein like cuts of chicken breast or halibut would have been more appropriate and appealing in regards to overall taste. Then again, I don’t think there are any microwaveable meals out there with halibut...but there should be!

Overall, this is a decent meal that is worth a try. It takes approximately 5 minutes to prepare, with none of those annoying cold/still-frozen spots (in a halfway decent microwave). The serving size is fairly generous in comparison to some “healthy” meals that reduce portion size to make it “healthier for you”. Due to the cheeses and pasta used, this is in no way dairy or gluten-free friendly, but that is to be expected with nearly any non-specialty microwaveable meal. The primary downfall is the overall taste of the meal. While nothing outstanding, I enjoyed all of the pasta and vegetables, but was quite disappointed in the protein’s quality. A little lemon juice and even a [very] small amount of pepper would have been of benefit to the salmon, but as the standalone protein of the meal it fell short of my expectations.

*** OVERALL SCORE: 3.5 / 5

For additional information from Lean Cuisine: Click Here

I'm always looking to improve my blogs, so if you have any input please leave a comment below and let me know what you think; what else you would like to see reviewed; what can be done to improve the blogs as a whole. Thank you!