Low-Fat Lasagna A Loser

With another new year here, it’s time to start another new round of diets to make up for those holiday hogfests.

But what if you’re not quite ready to go cold turkey hot dogs? Are there delectable yet lightened-up versions of some of the fattening foods we got used to over the yuletide?

We tried out a couple of possibilities with the help of The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel. Our conclusions: Brownies - definitely. Lasagna - not even close.

Among the lower-fat frozen lasagnas we sampled, The Budget Gourmet was the best of a bad bunch (and easily the highest in fat content), with more and slightly better sauce and cheese than the Weight Watchers and Healthy Choice offerings. As one panelist said of the Weight Watchers: “A lot of noodle flavor.”

The reduced-fat boxed brownie mixes we tried were a marked improvement. Betty Crocker’s cakelike, richer Sweet Rewards - which comes with a Hershey’s syrup packet you mix into the batter - was a slight favorite over the moister, chewier Krusteaz fat-free mix. There was weaker support for SnackWell’s; while still decent, most tasters found them less chocolaty and thought the marshmallow swirls added little.

Of course, the Crocker’s had the most fat, requiring you to add oil and eggs as well as water (the others called for water only). And while lower in fat than regular brownies, none of the three were a particular caloric bargain, thanks to their sugar content.

So, if your family is really serious about this dieting stuff, better stick to the lasagna. Just don’t expect to score any brownie points.

The Budget Gourmet Light Lasagna With Meat Sauce

Price: $1.79 for 9.4 ounces.

Nutrition: 250 calories (24 percent fat calories); 690 milligrams sodium.

Taste: **

Value: **

Comments: “Rather bland taste. Not enough cheese. A low-fat diet is not worth this!” - Sandi Kessler

“Kind of like canned tomato soup and Friskies over noodles. Really awful.” - Sandy Davidson

Healthy Choice Lasagna Roma

Price: $2.29 for 13.5 ounces.

Nutrition: 390 calories (11.5 percent fat calories); 580 milligrams sodium.

Taste: **

Value: *

Comments: “I don’t think that this manufacturer has ever had real lasagna. It looks awful, and doesn’t taste much better.” - Susi Faville

“Looks more like pizza. However, I would have rather had the pizza.” - Ken Peters

Weight Watchers Smart Ones Lasagna Florentine

Price: $1.89 for 10 ounces.

Nutrition: 200 calories (7.5 percent fat calories); 590 milligrams sodium.

Taste: *

Value: *

Comments: “Is insipid too strong a word? Bland, uninspired waste of pasta and veggies.” - Jim Eggers

“Smart ones will not buy Smart Ones more than once.” - Bob Bates

Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards Premium Brownie Mix

Price: $1.69 for 22.5 ounces (makes 20 brownies).

Nutrition: 150 calories (27 percent fat calories); 110 milligrams sodium per brownie.

Taste: ****

Value: ****

Comments: “Chewy, good chocolate flavor and texture. Very classic - what I would expect a good brownie to be.” - Jan Robison

“Nice, flaky top layer - a must for a brownie. But they are a little too dry and chewy, and could be just a little more chocolaty.” - Helen Span

Krusteaz Fat Free Fudge Brownie Mix

Price: $1.79 for 18 ounces (makes 16 brownies).

Nutrition: 120 calories (no fat); 180 milligrams sodium per brownie.

Taste: ****

Value: ****

Comments: “Rich, dark chocolate. Really gooey - kind of sticks to the roof of your mouth, but good anyway.” - Jarretta Manning

“Still tastes packaged, but has a very good chocolaty taste - especially remarkable for fat-free!” - Meagan Coffey

Pillsbury SnackWell’s Devil’s Food Brownie Mix

Price: $1.79 for 15.1 ounces (makes 12 brownies).

Nutrition: 150 calories (18 percent fat calories); 105 milligrams sodium per brownie.

Taste: ***

Value: ***

Comments: “Just OK. Marshmallow was wasted - no taste, just made them sticky.” - Jim Eggers

“Only fair. Not much chocolate flavor. How can you make it so dark without chocolate?” - Larry Kelly

, DataTimes MEMO: Products sampled by The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel are prepared according to package directions. Panelists are not aware of a product’s brand name or price until after they have tasted it. Products are rated from one to five stars for taste and for value, based on quality compared to price.