November 2007
Quick Look
Frozen paninis worth a try
CR's Take
All the products tested were decent. The Healthy Choice paninis are priced at $3.09 and the Lean Cuisine products are $3.19. All of the varieties are nutritionally sound choices for a lunch entree. If you feel that the prices are fair and the flavors sound appealing, they are worth a try.
After informal blind taste tests among six food and sensory staffers, we report here on two products from each brand: Healthy Choice’s Philly Cheese Steak and Chicken Basil, and Lean Cuisine’s Philly-Style Steak & Cheese and Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom.
WORTH A TRY: Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine frozen paninis.
Neither of the Lean Cuisine products had grill marks, but both had lots of meat and individually identifiable vegetable flavors. But they also had soggy bread and overcooked, hard edges.
All the products tested had one common drawback that was more prominent in the Lean Cuisine paninis: The bread quickly lost its crispiness and toughened while sitting on the plate. So if you want to enjoy it at its best, you had better eat fast.
Nutritionally (see chart), the products are fairly similar, but the Healthy Choice paninis have less total fat, saturated fat, and sodium and more protein.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
| Product | Calories | Total fat (g) | Sat. fat (g) | Sodium (mg) | Cholesterol (mg) | Fiber (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy Choice Philly Cheese Steak Panini | 310 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 600 | 43 | 6 | 24 |
| Lean Cuisine Philly-Style Steak & Cheese Panini | 350 | 9 | 4 | 720 | 46 | 3 | 21 |
| Healthy Choice Chicken Basil Panini | 310 | 5 | 1.5 | 600 | 41 | 5 | 25 |
| Lean Cuisine Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom Panini | 280 | 8 | 3.5 | 690 | 32 | 5 | 21 |
