Pasta dishes

Healthy Choice Grilled Chicken Marinara with Parmesan

9.5 oz

Poor out of 100 High confidence

Ultra-processed
Contains added sugars
Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
Contains seed oils

Why it scores 24

Healthy Choice Grilled Chicken Marinara with Parmesan scores 24 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

minus 20 points Dextrose: An added sugar. Strong
minus 20 points Sugar: 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

Grilled Chicken Marinara with Parmesan

START100

Ingredients

Dextrose minus 20 points

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

Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
Carrageenan minus 7.5 points

Strong In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, higher carrageenan intake was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes; cause and effect is not established. [4][5][6][7]
Soybean oil minus 1.5 points

Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [8][9][10][11]
Soy protein isolate / concentrate minus 1 points

Info An ingredient typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [12]

subtotal−50

Processing

Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points

Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [12]
6 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 7.5 points

Emerging Industrial additive classes found: emulsifier, flavoring, industrial protein, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate, modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [12]

subtotal−25.5

Nutrition per 100 g

Salt 0.5 g / 100 g minus 1 points

Strong Contains some salt. [13]

subtotal−1

TOTAL 24Poor

100 − 76.5 = 23.5 → 24

Can’t score above 79. Contains dextrose, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy	104 kcal
Fat	2.2 g
Saturated fat	0.7 g
Trans fat	0 g
Carbohydrates	13.4 g
Sugars	2.2 g
Added sugars	1.1 g
Fiber	1.5 g
Protein	7.4 g
Salt	0.5 g

Serving: 269.0g

Ingredients

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

Label text, as published

COOKED PASTA (WATER, ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [DURUM WHEAT SEMOLINA, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE {IRON}, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], SOYBEAN OIL), COOKED CHICKEN (CHICKEN BREAST, WATER, OLIVE OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN PRODUCT [ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN, MODIFIED POTATO STARCH, CORN STARCH, CARRAGEENAN, SOY LECITHIN], DEXTROSE, POTASSIUM SALT, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, FLAVORING), BROCCOLI, TOMATOES IN PUREE (TOMATOES, TOMATO PUREE), WATER, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: TOMATO PASTE, PARMESAN CHEESE (PART SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), ONIONS, SUGAR, FLAVORINGS, GARLIC, SALT, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, OLIVE OIL. CONTAINS: MILK, SOY, WHEAT.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat, Gluten

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
Food additive emulsifiers and the risk of type 2 diabetes: analysis of data from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort study

The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology · May 2024 · Peer-reviewed

“We found direct associations between the risk of type 2 diabetes and exposures to various food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods, in a large prospective cohort of French adults.”

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
Re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407) and processed Eucheuma seaweed (E 407a) as food additives

European Food Safety Authority · Apr 26, 2018 · Agency assessment

“However, the Panel noted uncertainties as regards the chemistry, the exposure assessment and biological and toxicological data.”

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

International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

monographs.iarc.who.int
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
Use of dietary linoleic acid for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and death: evaluation of recovered data from the Sydney Diet Heart Study and updated meta-analysis

BMJ · Feb 4, 2013 · 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
Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

doi.org
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
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

Score

Why it scores 24

Better frozen meals

Nutrition per 100 g

Ingredients

Allergens and diets

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Sources