Yummy! Yummy! and good on my Tummy! (Heinz Weight Watchers Chicken Hotpot)

Member Name: cstag

Product:	Heinz Weight Watchers Chicken Hotpot
Date:	27/05/09 (34 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tasty Treat for Dieters and Non Dieters Alike!

Disadvantages: None

I normally feel a bit guilty about purchasing Ready Meals and not cooking a proper meal - however occasionally I do work odd hours so I don't want to come in late and start cooking with saucepans and what not! I am also a follower of Weight Watchers (or Hippo Club as my mean elder brother refers to it!), so I do also count food points on a daily basis - therefore trying the Chicken Hot Pot (with its amount of points neatly labeled on the front) seemed like a very good idea!

The theory behind Weight Watchers for those unfamiliar with it - is that each food is allocated a certain number of points. Those that are following the programme have a certain number of points that they can fulfill throughout the day - the idea being that if you stick within your allocated points - it will hopefully help you loose weight.


Cooking

The meal itself is produced by Heinz and is available from the freezer cabinet in supermarkets. It comes in a black carton and you can either cook it in the microwave for approx 8 minutes or in the oven for approx 45 minutes. I have tried cooking the hot pot both ways and have decided that it tastes slightly better when cooked in the oven - this is explained below.


The Main Event - Eating!!

The hot pot consists of several slices of chicken breast in a creamy sauce. There are also carrots, mushrooms, peas and to top it all off small, cubed, roastie style potatoes. The chicken doesn't taste at all rubbery like it can in some frozen ready meals and is instead quite tender. You also get quite a large portion. The sauce is similar to condensed chicken soup and this is also similar to the smell of the hotpot overall. The sauce is very creamy and tastes great. However the vegetables (though quite few in number) do taste better overall when this is cooked in the oven. When cooked in the microwave the vegetables can be quite soft and squishy. It also tastes more 'home cooked' when warmed in the oven.


Nutrional Information

Obviously for a Weight Watchers follower (and someone a little lazy like myself!)- having the points already worked out on the cardboard packaging makes this an easy meal to add to your diet - without having to work out what is in it!

I found that the portion size is quite enough to fill me up and satisfy my appetite and as it's only worth 4 ½ points on the Weight Watchers programme you can add a dessert after and not feel too guilty.

For those not following Weight Watchers this would also make for a healthy meal. It only contains 270 calories and less than 3% Fat.


Conclusion

This meal is very quick to prepare and very convenient. The worst thing about dieting is that sometimes you can feel deprived or that you are missing out on treats - however this is really, really tasty and I think I would happily eat this regardless of whether I was following the Weight Watchers plan or not.
The hot pot costs approx £1.50 - however I have regularly seen them on offer in supermarkets.

Summary: Convenient, Cheap, Tasty, Healthy, Ace