This weekly column focuses on what's new and available to grocery shoppers. Entertainingly written from two diverse opinions (Bonnie Tandy Leblang is a registered dietitian and Carolyn Wyman is a junk-food fanatic), "Supermarket Sampler" sifts through the myriad of new products and lets you know what's really inside the fancy packaging.

WHAT'S NEW ON THE GROCERS' SHELVES

Splenda Low-Calorie Sweetener Granular and Packets. $2.29 to $2.49 per 1.9-ounce box of granular, or $3.99 to $4.29 per 3.5-ounce box of 100 packets. Also available in 3.8-ounce box of granular, and 50- or 200-count boxes of packets.

Bonnie: Splenda is the brand name for sucralose, a sweetener without calories that is actually made from sugar. Sucralose is already widely used in many low-calorie foods and beverages, including Diet RC, Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa mixes, and Ocean Spray Lightstyle fruit drinks. And now it's available in single-serve packets and granular boxes.

To date, I've neither read nor heard anything negative about the safety of this sweetener. That's why Splenda is the first artificial sweetener I have no reservations about recommending to those who need to use one.

Carolyn: I don't mind artificial sweeteners hidden in drinks. But I can't abide them straight or in coffee. In that case they have too much of an aftertaste. It's the same story with Splenda. The package claim that it has "no unpleasant aftertaste" is only true in the sense that I would not use the word unpleasant. I would use the word bad.

Gorton's Ranch Crunchy Breaded Fish Fillets. $3.29 per 11-ounce box containing six fillets.

Bonnie: Gorton's recently introduced a Ranch flavor to its line of frozen crunchy breaded fish fillets. Like its other crunchy offerings, these are moderate in fat and calories with a serving of two small pieces providing 240 calories and 13 grams of fat. (A serving of most Gorton's Grilled Fillets serves up half that.)

Pair the Crunchy Ranch with a lightly dressed green salad and some fresh fruit, and you'll have a fairly nutritious meal. Better yet, buy fresh fish from your supermarket or fishmonger, broil or bake, and serve with a favorite ranch dressing.

Carolyn: The ocean meets the plains in this new Gorton's fish fillets. The fillets are crunchy and salty, with only the slightest hint of a ranch-dressing tang. In other words, it probably won't be enough for real ranch dressing fans. While we're on the subject of Gorton's frozen fillets: Can anyone tell me why they're all shaped like the state of Maryland?

Pillsbury Toaster Strudel and Scrambles Pastries. Caramel Apple, and Chocolate Strudels and Western Style Scrambles. $2.19 per 10- to 11.5-ounce box containing six pastries.

Bonnie: I'm no fan of Toaster Scrambles and probably never will be. That includes this new Western-style one. Making an egg and wrapping it in toast or a tortilla takes just moments and tastes infinitely better. At least the Toaster Strudels are palatable. These two new ones also provide much less fat and fewer calories than a slice of caramel apple pie or a chocolate croissant. I wouldn't suggest them as a substitute for a real breakfast but either would make quite a reasonable (only 190-calorie) dessert.

Carolyn: Who is strong enough to choose a cereal, fruit and toast breakfast over a big piece of hot flaky pastry? Hardly anyone. No wonder Pillsbury Toaster Pastries have been such a success.

As with the previous flavors, the fillings on these new ones play second fiddle to the crust both in quantity and quality. The eggy paste inside the new Scrambles Western Style is the kind of breakfast astronauts must squeeze out of tubes. The Caramel Apple Strudel is similar to Toaster Pastries' other fruit flavors. But the chocolate is another order of treat altogether. In fact I'd call it a chocolate croissant Americain.

(Bonnie Tandy Leblang is a registered dietitian and creator of Express Lane Cooking: A Simple Solution to What's for Dinner (Universal Press Syndicate). Carolyn Wyman is a junk food fanatic and author of "Spam: A Biography" (Harvest/Harcourt Brace). Each week they critique three new food items.)