Low Calorie Spaghetti Bolognese - Tried and Tasted

Everyone's favourite! Good old 'Spag Bol' —  a tasty, filling dish that most of us enjoy and want to fit into our diets. The lashings of pasta and heavy sauce can be a put off. However, most of the major brands include a Spaghetti Bolognese in their low calorie ranges. Our panel eagerly put them to the test…

Remember, the Tried and Tasted Team don’t know which product is which, so there’s no bias involved!

Table 1: Healthy Stews and Casseroles Compared

Product	Spaghetti Bolognese, Be Good to Yourself, Sainsbury's*	Spaghetti Bolognese, Eat Smart, Safeway*	Spaghetti Bolognese, Count On Us, Marks & Spencer*
Ranking	1	2	3
Taste/Texture	An extremely tasty dish which had universal approval. Good flavour which made it feel like you were eating something special and not a standard 'Spag Bol'. Good portions of all the ingredients. This one stood out from the rest and didn't taste like a low calorie version.	A good sized portion in an attractive and tempting package. An appealing texture and flavoured dish with the most chunky mince. Good slices of onion, mushroom and carrots which gave the dish a homemade feel and taste.	This dish tasted healthy with a tasty, light sauce, tender beef and a good mixture of tomatoes and mushrooms. The portion was a little on the small side.
Calorie Content per Serving	392 (per 450g pack)	350 (per 400g pack)	360 (per 360g pack)

Table 2: More Healthy Stews and Casseroles Compared

Product	Spaghetti Bolognese, Weight Watchers, Heinz*	Spaghetti Bolognese, Healthy Eating, Tesco*	Spaghetti Bolognese, Quorn*
Ranking	4	5	6
Taste/Texture	As always with Weight Watchers, the portion size was deemed too small leaving a feeling of deprivation. The dish was however given good marks for its taste and texture. A thick sauce with good quality slices of mushroom and onions. The blend of herbs and garlic puree noticeably enhanced the flavour.	At first glance the spaghetti looks stringy and tasteless; the dish also gives the impression of lacking in quantity. On tasting the panel agreed the dish redeemed itself and it was flavoursome and had a good portion of mince and accompanying sauce. Not a dish to stand out, but adequate.	We thought we'd throw in a vegetarian dish to see how it compared to the others (remember the panel don't see the packaging and brand they are tasting). A good sized portion with a very pleasant flavour and taste. The texture was a little on the runny side.
Calorie Content per Serving	272 (per 320g pack)	326 (per 340g pack)	290 (per 450g pack)

We all enjoyed the fact that our winner, Be Good To Yourself, Sainsbury's was the lowest in fat! Hard to be derogatory about any of the dishes but BGTY had that little bit special to offer and satisfy the appetite.