With over 40,000 products in the average supermarket, people don't have time (or the money) to test every product on the shelves – so we do it for you! (Points system explained below the products!)

Each week we will post the latest reviews and I hope you will log in to see what’s hot…and what’s not!

Helen’s Kitchen Thai Yellow Curry

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
29	18	15	15	10	4	5	96

This product is a HIT!

We like this product a lot! The curry sauce is terrific; the flavor is very good and unlike so many prepared frozen dinners the ingredient list is simple and doesn’t read like a list from chemistry class with 20 or 30 ‘components’. Sometimes we’ve found vegetarian options to be a little lacking in flavor compared to their meaty counterparts – but that’s not the case here. There’s a nice balance between the vegetables, rice and tofu (although the tofu cubes are smaller than they look in the photo on the box) and it all works together nicely. And of course we love that this product is certified organic. Other varieties available.

Retails for $4.89 / 9 oz.

Helen’s Food Inc
Irvine, CA
866 328 8638
helensfoods.com/

White Toque Chocolate Domes

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
30	18	13	13	10	5	4	93

This product is a HIT!

Irresistible! That’s the only word that springs to mind to describe these “Chocolate Mouse With Hazelnut Crunch and Crème Brulee Center” frozen desserts! The mousse has a very nice consistency – not too aerated; rich and satisfying and not overly sweet as you might be expecting. The flavor is great and we found the combination of chocolate mousse and crème brulee heavenly! These mousses (or should we say meeses?) are perfect for entertaining, or as a relaxing solo treat (we suggest pairing with a good French White Burgundy – yep, they’re that good!) Our only complaint is about the packaging: the two piece container does keep the domes in place and protected, but it doesn’t prevent freezer burn – for such a high-end product we’d like to see them wrapped in cellophane too for extra protection. Also, a quick word of warning: the package directions say to leave the dessert to thaw in the refrigerator for 2 hours, but we think you might find it too soft – we suggest about 45 minutes. Other flavors and varieties available.

Retails for $6.99 - $7.99 / 6.3 oz ( 2 domes).

White Toque, Inc
Secaucus, NJ
800 B FROZEN
whitetoque.com

Marie’s Greek Vinaigrette with Feta Cheese and Garlic

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
29	18	13	12	10	5	5	92

This product is a HIT!

This great new product tastes really nice, with a full-bodied, very satisfying flavor. There is something we find odd, though: on the label it makes a claim we’ve never seen before: “Contains less than 2% High Fructose Corn Syrup”. So they obviously recognize that this is something consumers are trying to avoid, so we’re wondering: why not leave it out altogether and use sugar instead? We were afraid the flavor would be overpowering, but it isn’t and we’re thrilled to see that Marie’s are taking kitchen health and hygiene into account with the new pouring bottle shape instead of the wide jar that had to be spooned for serving, inviting in bacteria with each use.

Retails for $3.59 - $3.79 / 11.5 fl oz.

Ventura Foods
Brea, CA
800 339 1051
maries.com

Cool Soup Creamy Mango Spice

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
20	17	11	11	10	5	5	79

We were really excited to try this new product; we love the idea – ready to eat, drinkable soup – and we love the packaging, but unfortunately that’s where the love-fest ends! The Creamy Mango Spice flavor is really sweet and the combination doesn’t work as well as we thought it would. The flavors seem to be fighting each other; and one look at the ingredient list tells us why, peaches and apple juice follow mango on the list and the aroma of peach is overpowering, while the apple juice flavor just doesn’t work well with chili pepper. If Go Appetit had stuck to just mango we think this would have been great, but as it is they should have called it “Mango, Peach and Apple Spice” – it’s a bit misleading as it is. It’s rich in potassium, which is great, but packed with sugar - 26 grams - which we find excessive. Available in other flavors. Retails for $2.49 / 8 oz bottle.

Go Appetit foods
Houston, TX
866 7767940
goappetit.com

Snyder’s of Hanover Butter Sesame Pretzel Crackers

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
15	15	13	12	10	4	4	73

In 2009 Snyder’s of Hanover will celebrate their 100th anniversary – congratulations, Snyder’s! Unfortunately if they want to be around for another 100 years they might want to consider dropping this product. While you certainly do get a hint of butter aroma upon opening the bag it is quickly overwhelmed by the aroma of palm oil – and no wonder: check the ingredients of these “Butter Sesame” pretzels and you’ll see that there isn’t any – butter, that is. There is butterfat and natural flavors, but no actual butter. The package suggests piling on smoked salmon or chicken salad for serving – we can only hope you don’t try either – let’s just say we don’t think this flavor would be complementary to either one. Lastly, we’d like to see these pretzels in a re-sealable bag for storage. Available in other flavors.

Retails for $3.49 / 18 oz bag.

Snyder’s of Hanover, Inc
Hanover, PA
800 233 7125
snydersofhanover.com

Points System:

Each product is judged and taste-tested based on the following seven criteria:

1. (30 points) Taste: The most important attribute of any food

2. (20 points) Value: Is it worth it?

3. (15 points) Health: Based off the nutritional information, is it nutritionally balanced?

4. (15 points) Ingredients: What's in it, how natural is it?

5. (10 points) Preparation: When applicable, how accurate or good are the directions?*

6. (5 points) Appearance: Is it appetizing and does it resemble its photo or description?

7. (5 points) Packaging: Is it appropriate for the product and does it have any benefits such as reseal ability, added freshness, better storage, etc?

*Products that do not require any preparation will have the full value of these points included in their total score.