Smart Ones Thai-Style Chicken & Rice Noodles: A Health-Conscious Choice

I love Thai food. Particularly spicy Thai food, but I'm not too picky. Since the two Thai restaurants in our area are not particularly convenient, I began a hunt for good Thai food in the ethnic section of our local grocery store.

I had no real luck until I stumbled across a frozen entree that proclaimed "Thai Style Chicken & Rice Noodles". As I'm also watching my calorie intake, I was a little suspicious, and checked the label. It turned out to be a Smart Ones Bistro Selections and contained only 260 calories. At a little over $3 I felt that I could take the risk.

The back of the box states "The flavors of Thailand are infused into this tasty dish of juicy white meat chicken and tender rice noodles in a spicy peanut sauce, accented with carrots, chives and red peppers." It certainly sounded good, but I've never been one to believe advertising.

I was surprised at how good it smelled as I heated the dinner in our microwave at work. Despite the fact that we have a lower than average watt microwave, the meal heated just fine, and it was ready with a minimum of fuss. When I took my first bite, I could hardly believe my senses! This was a tv dinner? But it was so good!

While I do not believe that this is an authentic representation of Thai peanut sauce (and the box only says "Thai style"), the flavor was good enough to assuage my cravings for Thai food, and good enough to make me crave more of this dinner.

The peanut sauce is not excessively spicy, but the spice is present enough to create a tasty flavor. The chicken was definitely juicy, and only the slightest bit chewy. The noodles were very tender, and while I didn't feel completely full, the low calories allowed a little room to add a treat to the end of my meal.

It wasn't until after I'd eaten and I began to study the box the meal came in that I noticed that Smart Ones is made by Weight Watchers. Of course, a portion of the box contained a pitch for their membership, but it wasn't obtrusive, and I suppose that most people do not read the boxes their products come in.

The Smart Ones frozen entrees do not contain the same kind of fiber and nutrients that companies like Kashi provide, but they are low in calories, and do contain a portion of vitamins and minerals. Smart Ones frozen entrees can certainly be included in your meal plans as part of a well rounded eating plan.