Monday April 19

Today I am still not feeling well so for dinner I had a Michelina's frozen four-cheese manicotti.

INGREDIENTS: CHEESE MANICOTTI (RICOTTA CHEESE [WHEY, WHOLE MILK, CREAM, VINEGAR], ENRICHED DURUM FLOUR [DURUM WHEAT, NIACIN, FERROUS, SULFATE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], WATER, BUTTER BLEND [LIQUID SOYBEAN OIL, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, BUTTER, SALT, BUTTERMILK, VEGETABLE MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CITRIC ACID ADDED AS PRESERVATIVES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, COLORED WITH BETA CAROTENE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE ADDED], SALT, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, HALF AND HALF [MILK, CREAM, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM CITRATE, CARRAGEENAN], MALTODEXTRIN, EGGS, SOYBEAN OIL, CHEDDAR CHEESE [PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, POTATO STARCH AND POWDERED CELLULOSE ADDED TO PREVENT CAKING], CHEESE FLAVORING [CHEDDAR CHEESE {PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES}, WHEY, SALT AND DISODIUM PHOSPHATE], PARMESAN CHEESE [PASTEURIZED PART SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES], ROMANO CHEESE [PASTEURIZED SHEEP'S MILK, RENNET, BACTERIAL CULTURE, SALT], DRIED PARSLEY, GARLIC, ONION FLAKES, SPICES), WATER, TOMATO PASTE, TOMATOES (TOMATOES, TOMATO JUICE, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, CITRIC ACID), ONIONS, LESS THAN 2% OF MARGARINE (LIQUID AND HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, SALT, VEGETABLE MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BHA & BHT ADDED TO PROTECT FLAVOR, VITAMIN A PALMITATE AND VITAMIN D3 ADDED), SUGAR, SALT, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, PARMESAN CHEESE (PASTEURIZED CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), SPICES, GRANULATED GARLIC.

The four-cheese manicotti is manufactured in Duluth, Minnesota. to get to the Lowe's Foods in Elon, NC the manicotti travels 1,218 miles. With gas costing an average of $1.80 per gallon and the average truck getting 6 miles a gallon, it costs Michelina's $365.40 to ship the frozen meals.

One of the ingredients, Carrageenan, has been studied for a long time and might cause gastro-intestinal cancer. But it has also been shown to be preventative towards HPV, so you can just take your chances with it and hope it helps but doesnt harm.

I would not recommend this meal to anyone. Not only is it a tiny portion and not so yummy, but it has very questionable ingredients.