Michelina's Lean Gourmet Pepperoni Pizza

By: Tanya Taylor, PhD | May 9, 2006

It seems like every company that makes frozen dinners is also starting to sell single serving pizzas too - and trying to make them healthier - or I should say, 'not so bad for you!' I tend to like Michelina's Lean Gourmet products. Most are tasty, have decent nutritional value, and are very inexpensive. But I must admit that the meals are small, and the Michelina's Lean Gourmet Pepperoni Pizza was no exception. It is like a small slice of pizza - barely enough to satisfy my appetite at lunch! The crust was crunchy but the overall taste was pretty average. It reminded me of a slightly greasy, cheese and pepperoni pizza - and it was very salty! This coming from someone who pretty much adds salt to everything!

The Lean Gourmet pizza was only a dollar, and for that price, I might forgive the lackluster taste if the nutrition content is not too bad, and it isn't. There are 290 calories, 9 grams of total fat and 3 grams saturated fat, which is about 15% of the recommended daily amounts (RDA). There is also 950 mg of sodiun, which is 40% of the RDA, 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar and 14 grams of protein.

So there is way too much sodium, even compared to other frozen pizzas like Lean Cuisine Deluxe Pizza, which has 590 mg sodium (25% of the RDA), Weight Watchers Four Cheese Pizza, which has 720 mg (30% of the RDA), and my current favorite, South Beach Diet Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Harvest Wheat Crust Pizza, which has 800 mg of sodium (33% of the daily value).

So maybe most (okay ... all) of the pizzas are high in sodium, but the others reviewed tasted better, but were also more expensive. So it's up to you to decide which qualities are more important to you.

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