Description: Boxed cereal made with oat clusters, corn and multigrain flakes, plus dried blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Net weight is 13 ounces.

Preparation summary: Eat plain or with milk.

Highpoints: Consumers get more berries for their bucks and big daddy-sized clusters bursting with grainy flavors and fiber. Low sodium and zero preservatives a plus. The high crunch factor withstands extended steeping in milk, longer than most other cereals.

Lowpoints: A notch less sugar (13 grams per serving) would allow the tartness of the fruit to surface better. Though better for you than similar commercial brands because of the extra fiber, it’s a little too sweet to call yourself a “healthy eater.”

Average retail price: $2.29

Availability: Trader Joe’s

Description: New dip and salad dressing by T. Marzetti contained in a 15-ounce glass jar. Product is creamy with small chunks of blue cheese mixed throughout.

Preparation summary: Keep refrigerated. Use as a dip or on salads.

Highpoints: Less oily than other brands and doesn’t develop a yellow film as it grows old in the refrigerator.

Lowpoints: Afflicted with too much distilled vinegar, which falls into fifth place on the ingredient list. Claim made on the jar stating “this is the blue cheesiest of our blue cheese family” indicates that the real stuff may be gone forever.

Average retail price: $3.99

Availability: All major grocery stores.

Description: A frozen dinner by Stouffer’s that claims on the box to contain more spinach rigatoni and sun-dried tomato ravioli than its previous version. Pasta is stuffed with cheese and comes in an Alfredo sauce.

Preparation summary: Cut plastic film to vent, and cook in microwave on high for 2 1/2 minutes. Lift cover to stir, and continue cooking on high for 1-2 minutes.

Highpoints: Green and pink pasta look kind of pretty and sport a pleasant texture if you like your rigatoni al dente.

Lowpoints: Swiss and cheddar cheeses stuffed into pasta? These rigatoni scream for Parmesan or ricotta instead. The filling is basically flavorless. And the so-called larger portion touted on the box sums up to a feathery net weight of 8 1/2 ounces and will cost you 460 calories for a meal that takes about two minutes to consume.

Average retail price: $3.19

Availability: All major grocery stores.