Weight Watchers Smart Ones Frozen Meals

This post is part of a series on low-cal packaged meals. For more, check out previous entries on Healthy Choice, South Beach Living, and Lean Cuisine.

"Diets don't work," Weight Watchers' promotional material claims. Hard to argue with that sentiment -- but do their products work for the taste buds?

Weight Watchers offers a self-branded line in grocery stores, which includes cheeses and snack cakes, alongside their Smart Ones frozen products and the additional foods they sell at meeting locations. But why stop there? The company also endorses Progresso's light soups, which boast as few as zero "points" a serving.

Points, you say? Having never participated in Weight Watchers, I'm no expert on the subject, but Wikipedia provides the formula used to calculate a food's points value. Basically, it seems that you count one point for every 50 calories, but you can subtract a point for high-fiber foods. Weight Watchers assigns its clients on the Flex Plan a weekly points budget, and if you stay within your allocation, you will, slowly but surely, lose weight. It's basically calorie counting with more math and an emphasis on increasing fiber intake.

Weight Watchers-endorsed products come labeled with the points per serving, making them convenient for people "on plan." However, buying the food does not buy you the trademark group support. Don't expect miracles from eating these meals.

I never tried many Smart Ones frozen meals. My usual supermarket didn't carry the full line in the freezer case, so I'm afraid I might have missed out on the tastier selections. Here, then, are the best of what I could find.

Weight Watchers Smart Ones

Santa Fe Style Rice & Beans
This rice and beans plate resembles enchiladas deconstructed. You'll find a pile, made mostly of rice, doused in a light but creamy sauce and sprinkled with cheese. The sauce is kind of odd -- I couldn't quite figure out what it was made of -- but it tasted satisfyingly rich. A good choice, though, as always with light frozen meals, too small. It'll cost you 310 calories, or six Weight Watchers points, if you're counting. The meal also boasts a full four grams of filling fiber.

I remember a few other Smart Ones selection, but they were merely satisfactory (or bad). Check out the ice cream selection next time you're at the market, though. They offer a nice variety of portion-controlled treats.

Next week, we'll check out Michelina's Lean Gourmet, an option that helps you cut both your waistline and your budget.