Smart Made Rosemary Grilled Beef and Vegetables Smart Ones Frozen Entree - Review

I purchased this product at Meijer when it was on sale at 2 for $5 (regular price $3.65) the packaging looked enticing with colorful grilled Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes with a white background that boasted it was only 270 calories with 17 grams of protein.  

This brand, in general, advertises that it is more back to basics and selects "real" foods and prepares them the same way a "real" home cooking techniques, like grilling and roasting, but with a twist to switch out unhealthier ingredients for healthier ones, but without sacrificing taste.

Prep is easy, you take it out of the package and it looks like this.  You pull up the cover on the corner to vent, the microwave it on high for 2:30.

After you have nuked it for the allotted time, you pull off the plastic and it looks like this.  I hate to say it, but it did not look appetizing at all at this point.  Although the Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes have been charred, everything looks watery and limp and the sauce looks like a crime scene on the left-hand side of the dish.

On major ingredient that it has that it not advertised on the front is onion; while I am fine with it, I have family members where that much onion in a dish would be a deal-breaker and they would refuse to eat it, so I think it should be prominently displayed so you know what you are getting before you purchase the product.

Also, the picture on the front has a sprig of Rosemary, but I did not see any spices in the dish; mostly tasted the onions and there was some garlic in the sauce.

You then mix it up, but the plastic back over the top and put it back in the microwave for another 2 minutes.

At this point, it looks much better, but not at all like what is on the front of the package (below).

Of course, the real test is the taste and for under 300 calories, it was more flavorful than I expected and was not bad.  It as a tomato-wine based sauce with some spices (guessing that is it had Rosemary from the outside packaging, but if so was subtle, but did not specifically detect it in the taste).

This is a product that if it is on sale and/or I had a coupon for, I might pick it up again for the low calories, high protein, quick prep, and adequate taste, but I would not pay full retail price for.



Pros:

• Low calories
• High in Protein
• Quick and easy preparation
• Overall adequate flavor
• No artificial flavors or preservatives

Cons:

• Finished product does not look like what is advertised on package
• One of the major ingredients, onions, is not represented at all on the package
• Has Rosemary on the package, but not visible on the finished product.
• Expensive for a frozen dinner at the retail non-sale/coupon price of $3.69.