Frozen foods

Lean Cuisine Signature Roasted Turkey Breast with herb dressing and cinnamon apples

9 3/4 oz/276 g

Bad out of 100 Medium confidence

Ultra-processed
Contains added sugars
Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
Contains seed oils
No synthetic dyes

Why it scores 17

Lean Cuisine Signature Roasted Turkey Breast with herb dressing and cinnamon apples scores 17 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
minus 20 points Molasses: An added sugar. Strong
minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong

Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.

Better frozen meals

The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.

The Receipt

Signature Roasted Turkey Breast with herb dressing and cinnamon apples

START100

Ingredients

Sugar minus 20 points

Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
Molasses minus 20 points

Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
Caramel color minus 10 points

Regulatory The FDA says classes III and IV, which can contain 4-MEI, are the most commonly used food color additives by volume. [4][5][6][7]

subtotal−50

Processing

Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points

Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [8]
6 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 7.5 points

Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), flavor enhancer, flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate, modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [8]

subtotal−25.5

Nutrition per 100 g

Sugars 9.8 g / 100 g minus 5 points

Strong High in sugar. [1]
Salt 0.7 g / 100 g minus 3 points

Strong High in salt. [9]

subtotal−8

TOTAL 17Bad

100 − 83.5 = 16.5 → 17

Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy	109 kcal
Fat	1.8 g
Saturated fat	0.4 g
Trans fat	0 g
Carbohydrates	18.1 g
Sugars	9.8 g
Added sugars	6.5 g
Fiber	0.4 g
Protein	4.7 g
Salt	0.7 g

Serving: 1 package (276 g)

Ingredients

High Moderate Not recognized Tap an ingredient for its evidence and rules.

Label text, as published

APPLES (APPLES, WATER, APPLE JUICE, SALT, CITRIC ACID), WATER, GLAZED TURKEY TENDERLOINS (COOKED TURKEY TENDERLOINS, WATER, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, SEASONING [AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, TURKEY FLAVOR, TURKEY STOCK, FLAVOR, GUM ARABIC], CARRAGEENAN, CANOLA OIL, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, NATURAL FLAVORING, SALT, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, PAPRIKA), SUGAR, ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, 2% OR LESS OF CELERY, ONIONS, SOYBEAN OIL, SALT, CHICKEN FAT, MALTODEXTRIN, BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, ORANGE JUICE CONCENTRATE, ONION POWDER, SPICES, FLAVORS, MOLASSES, DRIED TURKEY BROTH, POTASSIUM SALT, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, CARAMEL COLOR, FRUCTOSE, TURKEY FAT, NATURAL FLAVORS, YEAST, CHICKEN POWDER, DRIED GARLIC, SESAME OIL, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, GRILL FLAVOR (FROM SUNFLOWER OIL), SUNFLOWER OIL, SODIUM LACTATE, TURMERIC, LACTIC ACID, CHICKEN SKIN, DRIED CHICKEN BROTH.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat, Gluten, Sesame, Celery

Not vegan
Not vegetarian
Not gluten-free
Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Sources

Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children

World Health Organization · Mar 4, 2015 · Agency assessment

“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”

who.int
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture · January 2026 · Regulator

“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”

cdn.realfood.gov
Added and free sugars should be as low as possible

European Food Safety Authority · Feb 28, 2022 · Agency assessment

“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”

efsa.europa.eu
Questions & Answers About 4-MEI

U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Mar 27, 2020 · Regulator

“Based on current science, the FDA has no reason to believe that there are any immediate or short-term health risks presented by 4-MEI at the levels expected in food.”

fda.gov
Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)

International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

monographs.iarc.who.int
Caramel Color in Soft Drinks and Exposure to 4-Methylimidazole: A Quantitative Risk Assessment

PLOS ONE · Feb 18, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

doi.org
Proposition 65 List of Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity

California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) · Jul 31, 2026 · Law

“The date refers to the initial appearance of the chemical on the list.”

oehha.ca.gov
Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

doi.org
Sodium reduction (fact sheet)

World Health Organization · May 11, 2026 · Agency assessment

“For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”

who.int
Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses

BMJ · Feb 28, 2024 · Peer-reviewed

“Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”

doi.org
Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake

Cell Metabolism · July 2019 · Peer-reviewed

doi.org
Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome

Nature · Mar 5, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

“carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, induced low-grade inflammation and obesity/metabolic syndrome in wild-type hosts and promoted robust colitis in mice predisposed to this disorder.”

doi.org
Randomized Controlled-Feeding Study of Dietary Emulsifier Carboxymethylcellulose Reveals Detrimental Impacts on the Gut Microbiota and Metabolome

Gastroenterology · March 2022 · Peer-reviewed

“Relative to control subjects, CMC consumption modestly increased postprandial abdominal discomfort and perturbed gut microbiota composition in a way that reduced its diversity.”

doi.org
Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: prospective cohort study

BMJ · Sep 6, 2023 · Peer-reviewed

“This study found positive associations between risk of CVD and intake of five individual and two groups of food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods.”

doi.org
Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73)

BMJ · Apr 12, 2016 · Peer-reviewed

“replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”

doi.org
Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

doi.org
Dietary Linoleic Acid and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

Circulation · Oct 28, 2014 · Peer-reviewed

“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”

doi.org

Score

Why it scores 17

Better frozen meals

Nutrition per 100 g

Ingredients

Allergens and diets

More frozen foods on GoodSwap

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Sources