Meals with chicken

Healthy Choice Sweet & Sour Chicken

10 oz

Poor out of 100 Medium confidence

Ultra-processed
Contains added sugars
Contains seed oils

Why it scores 24

Healthy Choice Sweet & Sour Chicken scores 24 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
minus 20 points Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener): 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

Sweet & Sour Chicken

START100

Ingredients

Sugar minus 20 points

Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener) minus 20 points

Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
Modified starch minus 2.5 points

Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [4]
Potassium phosphate minus 1.5 points

Strong EFSA (2019) set a group ADI for phosphates of 40 mg/kg body weight (as phosphorus) and noted that infants, toddlers and children may exceed it. [5]
Sodium aluminum phosphate minus 1.5 points

Strong EFSA (2019) set a group ADI for phosphates of 40 mg/kg body weight (as phosphorus) and noted that infants, toddlers and children may exceed it. [5]
Guar gum minus 1.5 points

Info An ingredient class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [4]
Soybean oil minus 0.5 points

Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [6][7][8][9]
Natural flavors minus 0.5 points

Info "Natural flavor" is a legal category (21 CFR 101.22(a)(3)): flavor substances from spices, fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy or fermentation. [10][4]
Alcohol (ethanol) minus 0.5 points

Regulatory IARC classifies alcoholic beverages as Group 1; the small amounts used as a solvent in flavorings are not comparable with drinking. [11][12]
Wine minus 0.5 points

Regulatory There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy. [12][11]
Canola oil minus 0.5 points

Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [6][7][8][9]
Xanthan gum minus 0.5 points

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

subtotal−50

Processing

Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points

Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [4]
4 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 4.5 points

Emerging Industrial additive classes found: flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate, modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [4]

subtotal−22.5

Nutrition per 100 g

Sugars 7.8 g / 100 g minus 3 points

Strong Contains some sugar. [1]
Salt 0.5 g / 100 g minus 1 points

Strong Contains some salt. [13]

subtotal−4

TOTAL 24Poor

100 − 76.5 = 23.5 → 24

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

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy	138 kcal
Fat	3.2 g
Saturated fat	0.7 g
Trans fat	0 g
Carbohydrates	22.3 g
Sugars	7.8 g
Added sugars	7.4 g
Fiber	1.1 g
Protein	4.2 g
Salt	0.5 g

Serving: 1 Meal (283 g) (283 g)

Ingredients

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

Label text, as published

cooked rice (water, white rice), chicken breast fritters (cooked chicken [chicken breast, water, modified corn starch, salt, potassium chloride, potassium phosphate], batter [water, bleached wheat flour, yellow corn flour, leavening {sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate}, whey, salt, whole eggs, guar gum], predust [enriched wheat flour {wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid}, soybean oil, salt, natural flavor]), water, red and green bell peppers, sugar, onions, pineapple, pineapple juice concentrate, contains 2% or less of: rice vinegar, modified corn starch, soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt, alcohol, vinegar, lactic acid), garlic, tomato paste, salt, cooking wine (white wine, natural flavor, salt), ginger, canola oil, chili paste (red chili peppers, distilled vinegar, salt, xanthan gum), citric acid, contains: egg, milk, soy, wheat,

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat, Gluten, Egg

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

Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

doi.org
EFSA issues new advice on phosphates

European Food Safety Authority · Jun 12, 2019 · Agency assessment

“We estimated that dietary exposure to phosphates may exceed the new ADI for infants, toddlers and children with average consumption of phosphates in their diet.”

efsa.europa.eu
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
21 CFR 101.22 Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Dec 19, 2016 · Law

“whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”

ecfr.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
About Alcohol Use During Pregnancy

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Aug 14, 2026 · Regulator

“There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy.”

cdc.gov
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

Score

Why it scores 24

Better frozen meals

Nutrition per 100 g

Ingredients

Allergens and diets

More meals with chicken on GoodSwap

More from Healthy Choice

Sources