Entrees are healthy but taste a bit odd

Healthy Choice All Natural Entrees. Mediterranean Pasta, Portabella Marsala Pasta, Pumpkin Squash Ravioli, Portabella Spinach Parmesan, Sweet Asian Potstickers, and Tomato Basil Penne; $2 to $2.49 per 9-ounce to 10-ounce entree.

Bonnie: Healthy Choice entrees are now even healthier. Like the frozen entrees it has offered for 20 years, these six new ones are low in fat, calories and sodium, but these new ones are also all-natural, with no preservatives, and feature new healthful ingredients. Those include pumpkin, asparagus, butternut squash, portabella mushrooms, dried cranberries and lots of whole grains.

I also like how each box teaches by listing how each entree provides antioxidants, contributes to heart and digestive health and relates to significant parts of the USDA food pyramid. For instance, regarding the pyramid's daily recommended amounts, the Mediterranean Pasta provides 25 percent of daily grains, 20 percent of vegetables and 25 percent of fruit, while offering 15 percent of vitamin C and 10 percent of zinc (antioxidants), and 12 grams of fiber (for digestive health).

I only wish I liked the way these tasted more. The Sweet Asian Potstickers themselves are tasty, but their brown rice accompaniment is odd — a bed of Asian vegetables would be a better choice, although not as whole-grain healthy.

Carolyn: Lost in all the hype about Healthy Choice's new All Natural Entrees is that they're also vegetarian. I'm sure this mainstream company's afraid that will scare some "regular" consumers away, but this junk foodie doesn't necessarily have a problem with vegetarian if it tastes good, especially when the cost savings are passed on to us, as here. (The regular price on these is only $2 to $2.50. Are you listening, Kashi?)

But these are not just all-natural and vegetarian — they're also quite unusual, and that includes the two Lean Cuisine copycats: Potstickers is like Lean Cuisine's Asian-Style Pot Stickers, except almost too spicy. Healthy Choice's Pumpkin Ravioli mirrors Lean Cuisine's Butternut Squash Ravioli except that Healthy Choice's has a sweet, apple-pie-like spicing — making this entree more of a dessert. The orzo-white bean Mediterranean Pasta was also oddly sweetened with apples and cranberries, though filling and pleasantly multitextured.

The Tomato Basil Penne is too bland, and the Portabella Marsala Pasta tasted too strongly of mushroom. The Portabella Spinach Parmesan is a much more balanced blend of sophisticated ingredients. It's the only one of these new entrees I can heartily recommend. (Although, frozen entree thrill-seeker that I am, I'll probably also be buying that oddball Mediterranean Pasta again.)