Last Updated on May 24, 2023 by Michael Brockbank
My quest for the perfect frozen dinner continues. Today, I’m looking at the Safeway Signature Select Teriyaki Chicken frozen dinner. I picked this up yesterday as it was on sale, two for $4. As I usually try to keep my meals within the $2 mark, I figured I would give this dish a try. I was somewhat impressed by the results.
What is Signature Select Teriyaki Chicken?
This dish is one of the brand items you can find in virtually every Safeway grocery store. Safeway Select is the company’s version of Walmart’s “Sam’s Club.” The “Signature” Select suggests more of a higher-quality product. However, it’s a cheaper alternative to some of the other products that line the shelves.
Why Should You Want It?
These make excellent lunches, especially for those who don’t have a lot of time in the day. Instead of picking up a couple of McDoubles, I can toss this in the microwave for the same price and get far more nutritional benefit.
Convenient to Make
While I’m sure making your own version of this is probably healthier and cheaper in the long run, it’s more about convenience. It’s a semi-healthy meal that takes very little time to prepare and is far better than fast-food from a healthy standpoint.
Some Veggies for Health
This product is made with “Asian-style” fried rice. Which is the equivalent of rice, peas, carrots and a bit of egg. In the Signature Select Teriyaki Chicken I had, there was one good-sized chunk of egg in the whole dish. A bit disappointing, but what can you really expect from a frozen dinner? Not every dish is going to be perfect.
Good Sauce
One of the things I liked most about this dish was the flavor of the teriyaki sauce. There have been times when store brand sauces just didn’t seem to add up when compared to bigger brands. This was not the case with the Signature Select Teriyaki Chicken. I rather enjoy it.
Not As Pronounced Processed-Chicken Flavor
Although the chicken does have a small bit of the processed-poultry taste, it’s not as strong as in cheaper microwave dishes. I’ve had some that tasted like chicken flavored cardboard, and this one is definitely better.
In my experience, this meal is comparable to Marketplace Lean Cuisines. This is the “higher value” product made by Lean Cuisine, which usually has a better taste and overall appearance. It would be difficult to decide which make a better product: Market Place or Signature Select. They are both about the same price and have similar quality.
Rice Wasn’t Mushy
One of the things I worry the most in dishes like this is the rice. I’ve had frozen meals where the rice came out soggy and more like soup. So far, Signature Select hasn’t failed me in this regard.
In reality, I was quite pleased with how well the rice did come out – aside from only having one piece of egg in it.
What Kind of Health Benefits Are In Signature Select Teriyaki Chicken?
The rice, chicken and few vegetables that come in this dish provide a small bit of nutritional value. One of the elements you might want to consider is the 17 grams of protein. In fact, it’s one of the few microwave dinners than had a decent total amount of chicken in it.
The meal has a small amount of iron, vitamin A and calcium, which may be a bit higher than other cheaper alternatives. However, it’s also much higher in sugars than I would like from something I am trying to use to lose weight. In this particular instance, the sugar content is 14 grams.
Another aspect that might scare some people away is the high number of carbohydrates. You’re looking at 54 grams in the Signature Select Teriyaki Chicken. However, this can easily be offset throughout the day with physical activity or lighter meals.
It is a bit high in sodium, sitting at 800mg for the whole tray. However, this is still much lower than many types of soups and other microwavable meals you can eat. In reality, most of my normal lunches and dinners are nearly twice this amount.
Will Signature Select Teriyaki Chicken Work to Help Lose Weight?
This completely depends on the type of diet you’re focusing on. If you’re watching carb intake, probably not. This dish is loaded with carbs and sugars, so it may not be a good fit.
Because I work to burn off sugars and carbs, something like this dish is not totally bad as it’s lighter than some alternatives and loaded with proteins. As long as you’re able to get up and walk some of it off, I don’t see why some of you wouldn’t want to add it to your menu.
I am a calorie counter. Something like the Signature Select Teriyaki Chicken is a bit more than I would like for a single dish, but it’s still manageable. For example, this meal rests at 340 calories while I try to keep the average around 300. This doesn’t seem like a lot until you’re trying to cram the entire day into a net 600 calorie diet.
What’s the Bottom Line?
To be honest, I’m not sure how often I’ll add the Signature Select Teriyaki Chicken to my regular menu. I usually try to keep my meals around the $2 mark and this one is normally $2.69. But if it’s on sale like it was yesterday, I’ll definitely pick it up. The taste was far better than the $1 microwave meals I’ve had in the past and I found it to be filling for a nice lunch.
The only real downside for me is the number of carbs. Of course you’re going to have a high carb count when you start adding in things like teriyaki sauce, so I am not really all that surprised. Like I said, though, this offset by getting a bit of physical activity to burn it off.
Where Can You Get It?
Signature Select Teriyaki Chicken is available in the frozen food section of most Safeway locations. In fact, I’ve seen a few of these in Von’s and other affiliated brand grocery stores.[template id=”3591″]
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