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Healthy Choice CAFÉ STEAMERS Chicken Margherita with Balsamic
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Frozen ready-made meals

Healthy Choice CAFÉ STEAMERS Chicken Margherita with Balsamic

9.5 oz

Poor out of 100 High confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
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Why it scores 24

Healthy Choice CAFÉ STEAMERS Chicken Margherita with Balsamic scores 24 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Dextrose: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener): An added sugar. Strong
  3. 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

Chicken Margherita with Balsamic

START100

Ingredients

  • Dextrose
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener)
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [4]
  • 6 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: emulsifier, flavoring, industrial protein, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate, modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [4]
subtotal−25.5

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Salt 0.3 g / 100 g
    Strong Contains some salt. [5]
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]

GTIN 00072655001053 · 2026-08-12

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

High confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy100 kcal
Fat2.2 g
Saturated fat0.4 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates13.4 g
Sugars2.6 g
Added sugars1.9 g
Fiber1.9 g
Protein6.3 g
Salt0.3 g

Serving: 1 meal (269 g)

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, EGG WHITE), 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), TOMATOES, WATER, RAISIN JUICE CONCENTRATE, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: GARLIC, BALSAMIC VINEGAR (WINE VINEGAR, CONCENTRATED GRAPE MUST), SUGAR, OLIVE OIL, BASIL, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, ONIONS, GARLIC PUREE, SALT, CHARDONNAY WINE, MOLASSES, CANOLA OIL. CONTAINS: EGG, SOY, WHEAT.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Soy, Wheat, Gluten, Egg

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

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest frozen ready-made meals in the US

More from Healthy Choice CAFÉ STEAMERS

Sources

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

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

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  13. 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