Too Good to Be Food: Garden Lites Zucchini Portabella

The freezer aisle can be an overwhelming adventure, with a plethora of options vying for your attention. Many of these frozen foods have ingredient lists that don't even appear to be in English, which can make finding a healthy frozen option a challenge. One product that caught my eye? Garden Lites Zucchini Portabella, which has 110 calories per dish (love that it is for the entire box!) and is all natural (we know that doesn't always mean that much) and gluten-free (a bonus for many of you). The picture certainly looks delish! Is it Too Good to Be Food?


What's in It:
Zucchini, Onions, Portabella mushrooms, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Water, Tomato Paste, Canola Oil, Sugar, Lemon Juice, Sea Salt, Salt and Spices.

Zucchini? Yum! Onions? Yes! Portabella Mushrooms? My fave! Tomatoes? Eggplant? Can this get any better? The first five ingredients are real food! Water is next (no complaints here), followed by tomato paste, which adds a dose of lycopene, the powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes. Next up is canola oil, a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (the total fat is five grams). Sugar is next, which I am happy to see versus artificial sweetener, especially at just three grams. The next ingredients are lemon juice, which naturally adds a dash of vitamin C and salt. Nearly all frozen foods have added salt, so I'm glad to see that it's second to last on the list. The final ingredient is spices -- my favorite way to flavor for satisfaction and a little antioxidant boost.

Bottom Line:
Get eating! This product is not too good to be food! Although it does have 390 mg of sodium, the real-food ingredients, fiber, antioxidants and its low-calorie nature make it not worth the pass. Try melting fresh mozzarella cheese on top for a delicious mini meal.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 110
Fat: 5
Sat Fat: 0.5
Trans Fat: 0
Cholesterol: 0
Sodium: 390
Total Carbohydrate: 16
Fiber: 4
Sugar: 3
Protein: 3
Looking for dessert? Find out if Edy's Antioxidant Fruit Bars are the right choice.


Nationally recognized nutrition expert and published author of "The O2 Diet," Keri Glassman is the founder and president of Keri Glassman, Nutritious Life, a nutrition practice based in New York City. For years, Keri has been a leader in advancing a "whole person" approach to health and wellness. She has dedicated her career to creating services and promoting education through her Nutritious Life brand.