European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 22, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Frozen food Quick but not always filling by Densie Webb the new York times if the 80s were the Quot Light Quot decade then the 90s Are the Quot healthy Quot decade. Supermarkets exploded in the 1980s with Light foods promising fewer calories. But now Low calorie in t enough. Today food has to be healthful As Well. Frozen dinners and entrees bearing names like healthy Choice eating right be menu healthy healthy slices and for kids snoopy s Choice Are crowding Freezer sections in supermarkets As they vie for shoppers attention. Many of this new Breed Are about As Low As they can go in calories fat sodium and cholesterol and still be palatable to most people. But do the healthy labels really signal an improvement in convenience foods or Are they just a marketing ploy weight watchers and Stouffer a lean cuisine Frozen entrees introduced in the Early 1970s and the 1980s, were the innovators that brought calorie controlled Frozen entrees to supermarkets. Back then As Long As calories were kept in Check Little attention was paid to the percentage of calories that were from fat or to the sodium and cholesterol counts. But calorie controlled foods have evolved through the years offering More variety catering to More sophisticated tastes and of late bowing to consumer demands for More healthful foods. In the last three years Colagra s healthy Choice and snoopy s Choice dinners and entrees have been. Introduced and both weight watchers and Stouffer s lean cuisine have been Reto mutated to reduce fat cholesterol and sodium most of the healthful group of entrees and dinners have nutrition profiles that look like this 300 calories or fewer per serving 30 percent or less calories from fat no More than 600 milligrams of sodium and less than 70 milligrams of cholesterol. To put the numbers into perspective readers action line the american heart association recommends limiting sodium intake to 3,000 milligrams a Day and cholesterol to 300 milligrams. Susan Hanley manager of product publicity for the Colagra consumer Frozen food co., said the company s healthy Choice line has been so successful that it was expanding from Frozen dinners Dairy desserts and an egg substitute to include soups Frozen pizza and pasta dishes. Roz of Hearn director of Public affairs for Stouffer foods corp., said a line of lean cuisine Frozen desserts was being test marketed and was doing Quot very very  despite the apparent Success of these foods most nutritionists voice reservations. Quot i think anytime these convenience foods go toward a healthier Content we re going in the right direction Quot said Carol Sameisky a dietitian and spokeswoman for the new Jersey dietetic association. But she added they Are far from being nutritionally Complete. She said most Are Low in fiber and Complex carbohydrates and As a result Are not very filling. Quot if you re going to have one i would suggest adding a whole wheat Roll or italian bread a tossed Green salad and have fresh fruit for dessert a Hamersky said. If you use diet dressing the whole meal would provide about 500 calories. Though this new generation of convenience foods offers less fat cholesterol and sodium the Cost Maxl Ltd new York Timas Many Flat Frozen meals Are Low in fat cholesterol and sodium but May not be fully nutritious. Some experts recommend they be supplemented with salads. Convenience and taste Are not always Ideal Layne Lieberman Anapol director of nutrition for King Kullen supermarkets in new York City and Long Island expressed the same qualms As Hamersky about the nutritional value of these foods. She also said that the Frozen convenience foods healthy or not Lack taste. Quot you can make something taste much better if you prepare it yourself than if you get it out of a Box Quot she said. And the More satisfying the taste she said the less Likely you Are to crave something else later. Because virtually All healthy Frozen entrees and dinners Cost $2 to $4 each Price is not much of a Factor in choosing among them. It is a Factor however in choosing whether to use them at All. Hamersky said it is easy to buy enough fresh food to make two meals for the Price of one Frozen dinner. Bean burritos using flour tortillas vegetarian retried Beans and Low fat cheese Are one example of a Quick inexpensive healthful meal. Hamersky also suggested using Frozen vegetables for a stir Fry and serving them Over fresh pasta or Rice. Because the meals Are Quick to prepare and eat the whole process of mealtime is Cut Short she said and can make you feel As if something were missing. Before Long she says you re Back in the Kitchen looking for something extra to make the meal feel Complete. A nobody has time for food preparation anymore Quot Lieberman Anapol said. Quot they want everything to be fast. That s one of the reasons people turn to these  but depending on Frozen dinners can backfire she said. Quot once a person feels that they have to eat a Frozen dinner every night they begin to feel deprived and Are Likely to go on a  tha Tufts University diet and nutrition letter offered so tips on How to complement Frozen dinners with hed Ahful Side  a copy Send $2 to Tufts University diet Ltd nuts inn letter 53 Park place new York n.y., 10007, Pmj request the april 1990  contributions limited for military it each january i note that my w-2 wage and earnings statement has Quot yes Quot in the Block where the employer states whether or not the employee is enrolled in a pension program. With few exceptions i e medical retirement military members do not receive a pension Check unless they Complete 20 years service please Don t direct me to an irs publication i be already read it it basically states that if you re enrolled in a pension plan the amount of Ira contribution deductible from taxable income depends on income if you make Over a certain amount As in my Casenove of the contribution is deductible. I would like someone to explain a in simple English a How this determination was made capt. Kenneth e. Dick Stuttgart Germany i in Regina m. Deanehan internal Revenue service replies the letter from your Reader is a Little ambiguous but i believe his underlying concern is Why military personnel Are considered to be enrolled in a pension plan when they Are not entitled to receive a military pension unless they Complete 20 years of service. This question comes up frequently during seminars and taxpayer assistance visits my taxpayer service staff makes to overseas military facilities. The deduction for contributions to an individual retirement account Ira is limited when a person participates in or is enrolled in a pension plan these include pension plans sponsored by the u s government for its employees. A person is considered enrolled in a plan As  he or she is not excluded from eligibility in it. This is True even if the person must work for a certain number of years before being Able to receive a pension military personnel Are therefore participants in a pension plan and Are subject to Ira deduction limitations if your readers have further questions on this matter or other questions related to individual retirement accounts that Are not answered in irs publication 590, individual retirement arrangements they May write to our taxpayer service office at the following address internal Revenue service assistant commissioner International attn in c tips 950 l infant Plaza South . Washington d c. 20024 to write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas me military environment or _ ques Jons about polices and guidelines when other avenues id answers Are not readily available.  ave a question and Don t khow where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes Apo a 09211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. D n in a Page the stars and stripes Friday november 22, 1991 a As