Weight Watchers Smart Ones Three Cheese Ziti Marinara

Who would have thought that weight watchers smart ones could come up with a close second to real baked ziti without all of the fat and calories. Now don't get me wrong nothing can compare to my favorite baked ziti from my favorite local Italian restaurant but the Weight Watchers Smart Ones Three Cheese Ziti Marinara is a great healthy choice. The three cheese ziti is ziti pasta in a marinara sauce topped with mozzarella, monterey jack and parmesan cheeses. This is one of the classic favorites.

Nutritional Facts: Serving size is one package. There is one serving per container. There are 320 calories per serving. 70 calories of that are from fat. There are 8 grams of total fat per serving. 3.5 grams are saturated fat. There is no trans fat. There are 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat. There are 2 grams of monounsaturated fat. There are 10 mg of cholesterol. Sodium is high at 590 mg per serving. Total carbohydrates are high also at 47 grams per serving. Dietary fiber is 4 grams. There are 2 grams of sugar per serving. There are 14 grams of protein.

Ingredients: There are too many to list. The best thing to do would be to go on the website at www.WeightWatchers.com or call 1-800-651-6000 to learn more about this entrée.

Points: If you are following the points system on the Weight Watchers plan this entrée has a 6 point value. That is pretty good for a complete meal. Finish this up with a smart ones desert or a piece of fruit and dinner is complete.

Taste: Extremely cheesy and not too saucy. It important that after you cook it you mix it well or else the cheese stays separated from the pasta and the sauce. It doesn't have any spice taste to it at all. The sauce is a little on the thin side for my taste. I prefer a thicker sauce for my ziti. The ziti itself is not bad. Can be a little chewy if not cooked thoroughly.

Cooking Directions: The box will tell you to pull back one corner of the plastic while cooking in the microwave. Then it tells you to put it in for 3 minutes on high setting. Then it tells you to mix the pasta and put it back in for another minute. Then let is stand in the microwave to cook off for another minute. I know that my microwave would scorch this meal if I left it in for that long. I only put it in for 2 minutes and then test it out. You can also cook it in the conventional oven. You would need to preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Same thing you would have to pull back the corner of the plastic for ventilation. Then you need to place it on a baking sheet on the middle rack. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir pasta. I have to be honest with you, is anyone really going to wait a half an hour for such a small meal? I know I wouldn't have the patience.

Warnings: Do not cook this in a toaster oven. Do not reuse the plastic cooking tray. Keep it frozen until you are ready to cook it. Make sure you cook it thoroughly.

I would highly recommend the Three Cheese Ziti Marinara if you are looking for a quick, easy and healthy meal. I don't follow the points program anymore but I still eat this entrée. It is perfect to take to work and heat up for lunch. Sometimes I will cook my husband something he likes and I will just pop one of these in the microwave for myself.

Price: Can be a little expensive at $4.99 from King Kullen. Try to wait for a sale or buy them from Target. You can find them their for only $2.99.