‘Breakfast Pizza’ Bests The Burrito
These days, breakfast doesn’t necessarily mean eggs and bacon, pancakes and syrup or even cereal and milk.
It could be a burrito, or a sandwich, or a pizza - particularly if you’re looking for something to pop in the microwave.
We served The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel samples of three frozen, microwaveable breakfasts: Red Baron’s Bacon Scramble Breakfast Pizza, Swanson’s Great Starts Bacon Breakfast Burrito and Swift’s Premium Morning Makers egg/cheese/bacon breakfast sandwich.
The pizza, with fresh-tasting toppings and a surprisingly good crust coming from a microwave, was a narrow winner over the slightly spicy burrito in the balloting.
Red Baron boasted a considerably bigger margin in calories and fat: 440 calories and 25 fat grams per 5-ounce pizza, to 250 calories and 11 fat grams in Swanson’s 3.5-ounce burrito.
As for Swift’s new Morning Makers sandwich, it seems panelists failed to recognize it as the “sensational breakfast breakthrough” advertised on the box. Actually, panel member Sandy Davidson’s description was more accurate: “Cheez Whiz in a tennis ball, with chunks.”
Continuing in our nontraditional morning mode, we also offered the panel some portable cereal - specifically, fruit-filled cereal bars.
Fat content was no indicator of success in this rather unspirited competition. Panelists favored the softer Hostess bars, with 1.5 fat grams each, while the fat-free SnackWell’s and fattier Quaker (3 grams per bar) finished in a dead heat for second.
Tasters complained that both the Quaker and SnackWell’s cereal concoctions were way too dry.
Got milk?
Red Baron Breakfast Pizza, Bacon Scramble
Price: $2.69 for 10 ounces (2 pizzas).
Nutrition: 440 calories (50 percent fat calories); 980 milligrams sodium per pizza.
Taste: ***
Value: **
Comments: “All of your basic breakfast foods in one meal. A little salty - has a strong bacon flavor that kind of overpowers the eggs, cheese and crust. Good, though.” - Ann Finke
“Really nice, meaty chunks of bacon - looks homemade. Probably not low in fat after looking at the paper plate when you’re finished! Tasty, but not for the health conscious.” - Tina Johnson
Swanson Great Starts Breakfast Burrito, Bacon
Price: 95 cents for 3.5 ounces.
Nutrition: 250 calories (40 percent fat calories); 540 milligrams sodium.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments: “A hint of Mexican spice gives this breakfast burrito a welcome boost. Viva!” - Karen Buck
“This would be a good breakfast with some sauce to dip in. Rather tasty.” - Bob Bates
Swift Premium Morning Makers, Egg, Cheese & Bacon
Price: $1.29 for 3.5 ounces.
Nutrition: 250 calories (32 percent fat calories); 400 milligrams sodium.
Taste: **
Value: **
Comments: “Bland, chewy, eggy hot pocket. Chunky, crumbly insides taste as bad as they look.” - Beth Kowal
“Too much bread with unknown stuff inside.” - Rich Clemson
Hostess Fruit and Grain Cereal Bars, Blueberry
Price: $2.99 for 10.4 ounces (8 bars).
Nutrition: 120 calories (12.5 percent fat calories); 90 milligrams sodium per bar.
Taste: ***
Value: **
Comments: “Soft and fruity. Very sweet for a breakfast item, more like a cookie.” - Sandy Davidson
“Gummy, doughy. It would be nice if they’d baked it.” - Eileen Bakken
SnackWell’s Cereal Bars, Blueberry
Price: $2.19 for 7.8 ounces (6 bars).
Nutrition: 120 calories (no fat); 110 milligrams sodium per bar.
Taste: **
Value: **
Comments: “Dry Fig Newton wannabe.” - Bob Bates
“Turns to glue in the mouth. I’m glad I know the Heimlich maneuver!” - Karen Buck
Quaker Fruit & Oatmeal Cereal Bars, Blueberry
Price: $2.99 for 10.4 ounces (8 bars).
Nutrition: 140 calories (18 percent fat calories); 120 milligrams sodium per bar.
Taste: **
Value: **
Comments: “Very dry with odd, strong flavor.” - Rich Clemson
“Soft but dry outside, soft but dry inside, too. The filling is too sweet. I wouldn’t eat these for breakfast or any other time.” - Jeannie Coffey