Seafood Steamers for the Microwave

• McCormick Lemon Garlic, McCormick Garlic Butter, Old Bay

• $3.29 to $3.49 per box of 10 packets. Also available in 14-packet box.

Bonnie: How do you ruin fresh seafood? By coating it with the goo made by mixing any of McCormick's new Seafood Steamers seasonings packets with water and steaming them in the plastic bag in the microwave. Follow the directions to a "T" - which I always do when testing - and there will be way too much seasoning (read: salty), and the fish will be overcooked.

The best of the three is the Old Bay. It contains the fewest ingredients, and instead of adding water, you just shake and steam, resulting in a decent Old Bay-style flavor. You still need to be careful of overcooking.

Carolyn: With a name like Seafood Steamers, I expected these bags to feature light, powdered seasonings, not the heavy sauces you create using McCormick's Steamer seasonings and water. That makes these both messy and indulgent. For those who are looking for this kind of rich, creamy seafood sauce, the Lemon Garlic is particularly delicious and distinctive.

The Old Bay Steamers is more my expected conception of microwave-steamed seafood. The Old Bay shrimp I made with this was spicy, dry and probably much better for me nutritionally (I'm guessing, Bonnie) than the McCormick's Steamers sauces. Because it requires no mixing - you just shake the shrimp with the Old Bay in a bag - the Old Bay is as easy and quick on the front end of preparation as on the back of cleanup (just throw the bag in the trash).

Crystal Light On the Go Enhanced Beverage Mixes

• Lightly Lemon Hydration, Berry Splash Hydration, Wild Strawberry Energy, Cherry Pomegranate Immunity, Blueberry White Tea Antioxidant

• $3.29 to $3.49 per box of 10 packets. Also available in 14-packet box.

Bonnie: Crystal Light is jumping on the let's-add-nutrients-to-everything fad with these new enhanced drink packets. Like the original On the Go sticks, you just pour the crystals into a pint-size (that's 16 ounces) bottle of water.

The Lightly Lemon Hydration and the Berry Splash Hydration contain electrolytes (potassium and sodium) and added vitamins, the Cherry Pomegranate Immunity just the vitamins. The Blueberry White Tea Antioxidant has antioxidants from the white tea and added vitamins. The Wild Strawberry Energy has vitamins and caffeine. Each also contains the much- less-desirable artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors and other chemicals.

Carolyn: Crystal Light is the chameleon of diet drinks. The brand offers mixes mimicking orange and grapefruit juices, iced tea, lemonade and now enhanced waters like VitaminWater and Propel. I, for one, have nothing against stuffing drinks with vitamins and herbs, especially if when, as here, they don't come with any apparent downside - like more calories or bad taste.

In fact, the Energy, Immunity and Antioxidant varieties deliver the strong flavors of strawberry, cherry and blueberry, respectively. The Energy also packs a powerful wallop of caffeine - 120 milligrams per bottle, the same as what's in two cups of instant coffee.

Why Crystal Light decided to color the Antioxidant's blueberry- flavored white tea deep yellow instead of blue, I can't say. But it created a real battle between my eyes and my taste buds. The Lightly Lemon Hydration and the Berry Splash Hydration, with their promised "splashes" of lemon and berry, are as well-named as they are weak-tasting.

Bonnie Tandy Leblang is a registered dietitian and professional speaker. Carolyn Wyman is a junk-food fanatic and author of "Better Than Homemade: Amazing Foods That Changed the Way We Eat" (Quirk).