Kashi Entrées: Pesto Pasta Primavera

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 02:34:17 PDT

I've just recently tried a new product from Kashi (the company who makes those chewy granola bars I love). They are broadening their scope and have just introduced some frozen entrées to their Kashi brand, look for them in the freezer at your local health food or grocery store.

I was very excited to try one because I already have the utmost respect for anything with the Kashi name. When I looked at the back of the Pesto Pasta Primavera package, the ingredients were just what I would use if I were to make it myself: whole wheat pasta, basil, Parmesan cheese, peas, yellow carrots (yup), sweet red peppers and garlic. There wasn't anything on that list I didn't recognize, and that made me feel good.

The serving size was very filling, but because there were so many veggies, it was only 330 calories for the entire meal. Speaking of the veggies - they were actually very fresh tasting and even had a little crisp to them, so I know they weren't overcooked.

For a pasta dish, I was surprised to find out it has 12 grams of protein. It also has 7g of fiber. Out of the 11g of fat, only 2g are saturated, and there are NO trans fats. The sodium level was a little high - 790mg - but not over the top high considering you can have 2,300mg a day.

Another great thing? Since it has as many veggies as noodles, I felt energized after eating it, not exhausted like you can get with most pasta dishes.

Want to see what it really looks like? Then

read more It's very creamy and flavorful. The penne pasta was cooked well (some people may prefer it to be a little bit more firm) with actual cheese sprinkled on top. It only took about 4 minutes to warm up, and couldn't have been easier to do. I would definitely recommend Kashi's Pesto Pasta Primavera for a great lunch idea. I have yet to try the other frozen entrées, but I'll let you know when I do.