Smart Ones | Slow Roasted Turkey Breast
I recently discovered these and they are a gamechanger for me.
Only 170 calories and 19 grams of protein, which is around what a decent protein bar with good macros is. They're also around $2/each, plus or minus, depending on where you live/shop and if they're on sale, also similar to what a protein bar costs when not buying in bulk.
Unlike a protein bar, you get a hot meal to eat which, though on the smaller side, is more food than a protein bar, is more filling, and feels more like a slower, proper meal. Again, it's not a ton of food but feels like a lot for only 170 calories (fun fact: also only slightly more than 2 Oreo cookies). I never walk away full but am usually content and it does the job.
That it's a frozen meal that takes only 5 minutes to easily make in the microwave makes it really convenient for work or for when you just want to eat and not spend time cooking food. Yes, it's processed, yes, it's rather high in sodium, but it's a decent tradeoff to make on occasion and has that high protein to calorie ratio.
The few times I've seen this posted online or in Reddit, people bash the taste, especially the mashed potatoes, saying it doesn't taste like real turkey, potatoes, and gravy. Or that other frozen brands taste far better... sure, with double the calories or more. Obviously, yes, it's a low calorie frozen meal. It's not going to taste anything like fresh turkey and potatoes, and is definitely sacrificing flavor for calories. But considering the nutrition here, these taste absolutely decent.
Can't recommend enough for what it is. There aren't that many fast and easy frozen prepared meal options with calories this low, protein this high, at a price this low, and with decent taste.
Pros:
- 170 calories
- 19 g protein (8.9 calories / protein g)
- Low fat (3.5 g / 2 g Saturated)
- Price (~$2.00)
- Quick and easy (5 minutes in microwave)
Neutral:
- Flavor (not great, not terrible)
Cons:
- High sodium (700 mg)
