As my schedule has doubled over on top of itself this spring, finding me more than once committed to three events at the same time, ready-made dinners have been looking more attractive than ever. You know them, those frozen meals in a bag that you pop into a skillet for ten minutes. Despite my skepticism, desperation prompted me to try them one day. The one I chose was a Complete Skillet Meal made by Bertolli, the Italian food purveyor in business since 1865. It was a bit pricey at $8.99 and designed to serve two, but I was a bit desperate.
Easy to prepare, these pasta meals have clumps of frozen sauce that melt in the skillet. One stir midway through cooking is all that is required. The instructions say to cook the meals on low heat; that is essential or the sauce will both evaporate and stick to the pan. The taste of these Bertolli Complete Skillet Meals is about the best I have ever tasted in a frozen entree. The sauces have a degree of sophistication not usually present in your supermarket freezer.
The fat and sodium content on Bertolli Complete Skillet Meals is pretty high, as much as 50% of the recommended daily intake. So these are not the best choices for dieters or for everyday fare. But for a quick and tasty meal in a pinch, Bertolli has presented a tantalizing option. Grab a loaf of Italian bread and throw together a quick salad, and you have a full meal.
Most of the Bertolli Complete Skillet Meals cost $8.99 in the supermarket. There are a few plainer ones that cost $5.99. A couple of points to be made here. Target sells the more expensive ones for $5.99 every day. Yup, Target of all places, sells frozen food for much lower prices than the grocery store. As for those few Bertolli Complete Skillet Meals selections that cost $5.99 in the grocery store already, they did not meet the taste test for me.
Bertolli does not use preservatives or coloring agents in its meals.
Although happy with Bertolli, Complete Skillet Meals, I have not been happy with its supermarket price. So one day when I was in the supermarket, I decided to test Birds Eye Voila! meals, which sell in supermarkets for about $3 less than the Bertolli meals.
Birds Eye Voila! meals come in three types: classic, be well, and family skillets. I tried one of the Classic meals, Shrimp Scampi, and was so disappointed in the taste that I never tried another. It was bland.
Upon researching the Birds Eye Voila! meals, I found that they have much less fat and sodium than the Bertolli Complete Skillet Meals but they do have coloring agents and preservatives in them. Birds Eye also brags about the quantity of vegetables included in its Voila! meals, 2-6 servings per bag, depending on the variety. This is an attractive feature, if only the overall taste were improved.
The Birds Eye Voila! Be Well selection is advertised as low carb. It also has relatively low fat, but about 40% of the recommended daily intake of sodium. Like the Birds Eye Voila! Classic meals, it contains coloring agents and preservatives.
The Family Skillets are a larger sized bag, 36 oz., designed to serve families.
One advantage of Birds Eye Voila! is the greater variety of offerings. This product line includes Asian and Southwest United States themes as well as Italian, while Bertolli’s Complete Skillet Meals are all Italian.
The conclusion? Taste is the most important criterion, and Bertolli Complete Skillet Meals wins that one by a landslide. The use of natural ingredients also goes to Bertolli Complete Skillet Meals. But if you’re looking for lower fat and sodium, you’re going to have to go with Birds Eye Voila! If you want your entire meal in the bag, Birds Eye Voila! on average does have more nutritious vegetables than Bertolli Complete Skillet Meals, although some Bertolli selections do pretty well there too. Price? Well that depends on where you shop. If you can get to a Target easily enough, the price is equal. But if you’re stuck in a grocery store, you may find that Birds Eye Voila! is so much of a bargain that you can’t bring yourself to spend the extra $3 for the Bertolli Complete Skillet Meals.
