I have said before that putting frozen dinners on a plate makes them taste better. Who knows why, but there's so much great research about how we perceive food that you just have to believe this. I am surprised that sometimes there are frozen dinners that actually taste great and the Weight Watchers Smart Ones Lasagna Florentine is one of them. On a plate, or in the plastic container that it comes in, this is a pretty good choice.

Mind you, I am always a bit surprised when a frozen dinner actually tastes good, and this one does. The lasagna noodles are not overdone, the cheese has a good fresh herbed flavor and the veggies bear a striking resemblance to actual vegetables. I put this on a plate, but even coming out of the microwave in its little plastic container the lasagna smelled good and actually looked appetizing.

The tomato sauce is a little bit sweet and the herbs compound this for a slightly cloying flavor, but the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses temper that somewhat.

At 290 calories and 9 grams of fat, this is not a bad choice for a dinner in a hurry -- a good one to keep in the freezer. There's a little bit much sodium at 580mg, but this would be a problem for only those on the most restricted diets. Given that it tastes just salty enough this is a good achievement. Coupled with 4 grams of fiber, that makes this a pretty balanced meal, especially for those nights when you might want to go meatless anyway.

Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!

Timothy S. Harlan, M.D.
Dr. Gourmet