Go ahead and give Lean Cuisine's Market Creations a try

Lean Cuisine Market Creations. Asiago Cheese Tortelloni, Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Margherita, Garlic Chicken, Mushroom Tortelloni, Shanghai-Style Shrimp, Shrimp Scampi, and Sweet & Spicy Ginger Chicken. $3.99 per 10 to 10.5-ounce bag.

Bonnie: Lean Cuisine Market Creations are packed in special steaming pouches instead of the traditional plastic tray. Their up-to-300-calorie contents go from pouch to plate in just minutes. Problem is, you really need to know the wattage of your microwave to cook these properly. I no longer do, so I inadvertently overcooked some.

I found the flavor of most quite pleasant, although there was too much garlic in the Garlic Chicken and not enough seasoning in the Shanghai-Style Shrimp. The Mushroom Tortelloni was both tasty and filling — surprising, considering its 280 calories. If you're a packaged-food eater like Carolyn, give these a try.

Carolyn: Lean Cuisine's new Market Creations frozen entree line obviously aims to align with two of today's hottest food trends: steam cooking and local farmers' markets. Like competitor Healthy Choice's Cafe Steamers, these are supposed to cook up less like frozen casseroles and more like steam-cooked fresh veggies from the local farmers market.

But Lean Cuisine Market Creations differ from Healthy Choice Steamers and virtually every other single-serve frozen entree in that they come in little bags. I imagine this is better for the environment than a plastic tray, but it's bad for convenience because it means having to dirty and clean a plate. (If I wanted to clean dishes, I'd cook.)

The entree recipes are also not as good as the 20-plus Lean Cuisine tray entrees I regularly buy. Blandness (in the Sweet & Spicy Ginger Chicken) or too much going on (in the Chicken Margherita and Mushroom Tortelloni) are the two problems. In fact, there are probably only two entrees I would buy again.

Though not at all innovative, the Shrimp Scampi delivers strongly on the expected garlic and lemon flavors. The Garlic Chicken is also a solid choice for those in the "market" for a light garlic-cream chicken dish.

Kellogg's Simply Cinnamon Corn Flakes. $3.19 per 12-ounce box.

Bonnie: Kellogg's new Simply Cinnamon Corn Flakes could have been called Simply Cinnamon-Sugar Corn Flakes, as they are not simply corn flakes with cinnamon, but are sweeter than plain Corn Flakes by 4 grams of sugars.