You know a "good-for-you" fad is on its way out when it reaches the foods marketed to kids. (Not that the fine canned products of Chef Boyardee aren't enjoyed by millions of happy adults.) Anyway, now three Boyardee products -- Beefaroni, Lasagna and Mini ABCs & 123s with Meatballs -- are available with whole-grain pasta.
Note: Whereas many regular pasta products are made with enriched flour, whole-grain-pasta products seem not to be. Thus, whereas a serving of regular Beefaroni contains 10 percent or more of the daily value of seven vitamins and minerals (and two with smaller amounts), the whole-grain version has three with amounts under 10 percent and none at 10 percent or more.
At least as interesting to people who don't expect to get their niacin or folic acid from Beefaroni, the whole-grain version costs more. At one store the regular versions of Beefaroni, Lasagna and Mini ABCs & 123s with Meatballs are $1.39. The whole-grain versions are $1.85 -- 33 percent more.
Pricey topping New from Kraft, six flavors of refrigerated Jell-O Temptations (not to be confused with Jell-O Mousse Temptations, the air-whipped sugar-free pudding product). The new Temptations are two-layer items: French Silk Pie (chocolate pudding topped with a creamy layer), Lemon Meringue Pie (lemon pudding topped with a creamy layer), Double Chocolate Pie (chocolate pudding topped with a chocolate creamy layer), Apple Custard Pie (apple-flavored vanilla pudding topped with chunky cinnamon apple sauce), and Strawberry or Raspberry Cheesecake (cheesecake-flavor pudding, with a layer of strawberry or raspberry topping). Mr. Tidbit liked most of them quite a bit (yes, in pursuit of his art, he tried them all).
The topping layer isn't the only thing that distinguishes Jell-O Temptations from regular Jell-O refrigerated puddings. A six-pack of 4-ounce tubs of the regular puddings sells for $2.79 at one store (47 cents a tub); at the same store, the three-pack (that's right!) of roughly 4-ounce tubs of Temptations (they vary slightly in weight) sells for $2.49 (83 cents a tub). That's 77 percent more per tub!
AL SICHERMAN
