Better Buying: Frozen Italian Meals

Italian food once had a reputation for traveling directly from the lips to the hips. It was high in fat -- especially frozen Italian meals. But now, low-fat products outnumber high-fat ones.

When shopping for frozen meals, always check ingredient labels for fat and sodium content.

These additional tips should help you make the best buys:

• Choose products with 30 percent or less of their calories from fat.

• Choose meals with 600 mg. of sodium or less.

• Opt for tomato and marinara sauces, or broth-based sauces with wine added (marsala is prepared this way). They're usually lower in fat than pesto, carbonara, cheese and Alfredo (cream) sauces.

• Don't assume a vegetable-based meal is lower in fat than one with meat. The key is the sauce or the breading.

• Note that serving sizes vary.

• Breaded foods, like the Parmigiana entrees, absorb more fat so opt for those dishes that are not breaded to save calories and fat.

• Know the label lingo. "Fritta" (fried) or "crema" (creamed) dishes are higher in fat than the tomato-based dishes. "Primavera" usually refers to dishes prepared with fresh herbs and vegetables but read the label because primaveras can also be made with creamy sauces.