Trader Joe's Reduced-Guilt Filet of Sole: Review

A Product Review of a Single-Serving Low-Fat Fish Frozen Entree

Feb 4, 2010
Norman Kolpas

Trader Joe's Filets of Sole package. - (c) Norman Kolpas

The heated dish looks nowhere near as appealing as its box photo. But this seafood main course in Trader Joe's Reduced-Guilt line satisfies and tastes surprisingly good.

Part of a line of own-brand healthy food products from innovative national food retailer Trader Joe's that encompasses frozen dishes, plastic-bagged snacks, and bottled and canned goods, the frozen Reduced-Guilt Filet of Sole with Rich Butter Beans & Seasoned Fresh Spinach Leaves delivers a surprisingly satisfying single-serving main dish. The results on the plate after heating in the microwave or the oven don't look anywhere near as appetizing as the photo on the box; but the tastes and textures are very good, both flavorful and full of cooked-to-order texture.

Some may find the 8.5-ounce serving modest, considering it includes not only three small wild sole filets but also some spinach and the aforementioned butter beans. Yet, the quality of all the ingredients, the combination of lively seasonings, and the overall way the product has been processed result in a healthy main dish worthy of savoring. And the price is a bargain, too: less than $3.

Lively Flavors Enhance Tender Sole Filets, Spinach, and Beans

The main element that elevates this dish above an ordinary healthy frozen fish entree is the sauce that envelopes the sole, spinach, and butter beans alike. Overall, the flavor is enticingly sweet and sour, thanks to a mixture of tomato, lemon juice, and molasses. Noticeable but not overbearing hints of spice come from poblano peppers and crushed red chile peppers. Though it inevitably separates a bit during heating, most of the sauce remains thick enough to cling to the featured ingredients.

Those main ingredients, meanwhile, manage remarkably to impress with good flavor and texture despite having been frozen and reheated. Sole filets are firm yet delicate and tender, mild and not overly fishy. The fresh spinach leaves used in the dish, though they don't look as green and leafy as they do in the photo on the box, still have some fresh flavor and even a little bit of al dente bite.

Meanwhile, those butter beans seem to pull it all together. Big and plump, they have a mild flavor and ultra-smooth texture that gives the low-fat dish an illusion of richness, and they go especially well with the sauce.

The combination of flavors and textures and the overall quality of ingredients results in a satisfying eating experience.

Microwave or Oven Heating Instructions for Filets of Sole: Convenient and Easy

Clearly explained heating instructions on the back of the box make preparing the filet of sole entree a snap. Microwave directions make it possible to put food on the table in around 10 minutes. Instructions for a conventional oven take just over half an hour, an option worth considering if other tasks await doing while dinner cooks.

While the meal itself is self-contained and balanced, other dishes could round out the meal. Consider a small portion of rice or some other grain such as couscous to soak up the sauce. A simple salad would make an excellent starter. Add fresh fruit or sorbet for dessert.

Nutrition Facts: A Healthy Entree

For all the satisfaction it offers, and even despite its obviously health-conscious name, a glimpse at the back-of-box Nutrition Facts panel for Trader Joe's Reduced-Guilt Filet of Sole still has the power to surprise. Total calories are only 190, and of those just 20 calories come from fat—10.5 percent, an impressively low figure considering healthy eating guidelines generally suggest aiming for an average of no more than 30 percent of calories from fat.

The dish also includes good amounts of dietary fiber and protein. Sodium, at 670mg, is a tad high, but well within daily guidelines for most people.

Consider all the data on the panel: