I have been a devout fan of ***Prego Italian Sauces*** for a long time and must have tried every flavor by now.  At least, that's what I thought until Peapod ran a sale on them a few weeks ago and something new popped up:  ***Prego Heart Smart Onion & Garlic Italian Sauce.***  This "new" stuff was supposed to provide more than a half cup of veggies, besides being a good source of fiber and **HEART HEALTHY** as well.  I really wanted to just load up on my favorite ***Prego Chunky Garden sauces*** but here was this new one which said "***Heart Smart***" after all and ... well ... to make a long story short, I went for this ***"Heart Smart"*** stuff with all the fervor of a dog trying to get a bite out of the mailman.  For us ***Prego*** fans, it is a foregone conclusion that this sauce was delicious and the stats weren't bad either. **STATS:** Some optimist who gives us too much credit for self-control has gone on record as considering a half a cup to be one serving which contains 100 calories with only 30 calories from fat.  There are three grams total fat, one gram saturated fat, zero trans fat, one and a half grams polyunsaturated fat, half a gram monounsaturated fat, less than five mg. cholesterol, 470 mg. sodium, 400 mg. potassium, 12 grams total carbs, three grams dietary fiber, nine grams sugars, and two grams protein.  Vitamins and minerals are there too:  10% (D.V.) Vitamin A, and 4% each Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron. **MY VIEWPOINT:** As I read the information, I had to wonder what made it special and how it stacked up with the ordinary ***Prego*** sauces.  It just so happened that I had stored a review about *[Prego Chunky Garden Mushroom & Green Pepper Italian Sauce][1] * a few months ago.  Now I checked out the nutritional info for that and ... you guessed it ... the older ***Prego*** sauce boasted only 90 calories wth 25 calories from fat in a 1/2-cup serving!  Other components measured up favorably too.  In fact, there was no real difference or health advantage between one flavor and the other ... except for that "***Heart Smart***" on the label! As in the case of the *[Jif Peanut Butter Regular Vs. Reduced Fat][2] *debate of a few months ago, we see that food issues are sometimes more complicated than they seem.  I have no complaint here -- in fact, I am glad this happened.  For no extra cost, I tried a new ***Prego*** sauce which I might have otherwise passed up and I enjoyed it almost as well ... and all because some marketing genius stuck that "***Heart Smart***" label on it.  The news is nothing but good here ... once again we see that sometimes even a health-conscious person can do the right thing and still enjoy a favorite version of a product.  As for me, "***Heart Smart***" was delicious but from now on I'll stick with the ***Chunky Garden*** stuff and enjoy it just as much. **TASTE TIP:** ***Prego "Heart Smart" Onion & Garlic Italian Sauce*** (especially on sale) is just what we need in these economic times.  Here's a great economical dish (and meatless too).  Boil up a pot of spaghetti, drain and toss hot pasta with a half of a red bell pepper chopped up, either dehydrated or fresh chopped parsley, a generous dose of olive oil, a few dashes of *[Lawry's Coarsely Ground Garlic Salt with Parsley Flakes][3] *, and some fresh grated Parmesan cheese (the kind you buy in the dairy case).  On your individual plate, top the pasta with a serving of your favorite ***Prego*** sauce and another handful of fresh grated Parmesan, than heat for a few seconds in the microwave until cheese is melted and bubbly.  (Go ahead and make a **BIG **pot because this stuff refrigerates and reheats beautifully.)   [1]: http://www.viewpoints.com/Prego-Chunky-Garden-Mushroom-Green-Pepper-Italian-Sauce-reviews [2]: http://www.viewpoints.com/J-M-Smucker-Company-Jif-Reduced-Fat-Creamy-Peanut-Butter-review-b2be4 [3]: http://www.viewpoints.com/Lawrys-Coarse-Ground-Garlic-Salt-with-Parsley-review-1b309

AnnaBanana

Oak Park, IL