NutritionDoc

"Wholesome. All Natural.Delicious," say boxes of Linda McCartney meatless meals. It is not clear what makes these dishes "natural." Some of their ingredients (like xanthan gum, wheat matlodextrin, yeast extract, whey protein, and dextrose) sound like the same additives that you find in any frozen dinner.  The grains - rice or pasta - are refined in 6 out of the 8 entrees. And the lack of preservatives is nothing special for frozen foods since freezing prevents spoilage. And don't assume that "wholesome" is a synonym for "healthy".  Two of Linda's dinners have 6 or 7 grams of sat fat (a third of a day's worth).  The Macaroni & Cheese hits 11 grams. And while the Fire-Grilled Vegetarian Chicken & Veggies and Portabello Mushroom Barley Pilau are low in sat fat, each has more than 900 mg of sodium. That is hardley "wholesome". Worst of all are the Cheese Enchiladas with Mexican Style Corn Risotto.  At first glance, it looks like you are getting 250 calories, 6 grams of sat fat, and 570 mg of sodium. Look again. That is for ONE enchilada plus half the risotto. Eat both enchiladas and whole side dish and you have downed the equivalent of a Big Mac.

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