Frozen Individual Meals Reviews

reveurgam (60)in #food • 6 years ago (edited)

Reviews of frozen products from EatingWell, Luvo, Healthy Choice, gluten free Cafe, Good Food Made Simple, and evol. Because all of the products came in plastic/plastic-lined containers, we cooked them on a microwave-safe plate or bowl in our microwave because we prefer NOT to contaminate our food with the chemicals in the plastic used for the containers, except for the Burrito Bowl and the Orange Mango Chicken. For the burrito bowl, it comes in a unique, two part steaming bowl, that made it impractical (if not impossible) to cook otherwise. The Chicken came in a special pouch that ballooned during heating, and I really wasn't sure if it would be okay to cook it in a safe bowl.

Note: heating food and beverages in plastic containers, or serving them in them, or even those with an internal plastic lining, causes contamination of the food by the chemicals in the plastic. The amount varies depending on which chemicals are used for the plastic, how long it stays warm enough to cause contamination and what the temperature is. In addition, plastic-encased food products are often sterilized at the factory using boiling temperatures and/or UV, resulting in contamination at the factory. How dangerous the plastic is depends on the chemicals in it.

Maker: EatingWell(TM)
Product: Gnocchi with Garden Vegetables

Description: "Whole wheat gnocchi with peppers, broccoli & kale in a creamy tomato vodka sauce."
Claims: 14 g protein, No preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, vegetarian, 1 cup of veggies, Fresh-Seal(TM), excellent source of calcium
Allergens: egg, milk, wheat
Review: This has a nice medley of veggies with small gnocchi. While the flavor is good, albeit a bit sour and mildly spicy, the sauce could've been better. I wouldn't mind eating it again.
Notes: 540 mg of salt, 6 g of sugar, and 45 mg of cholesterol makes this one of the healthier choices on the list.

Maker: EatingWell(R)
Product: Spicy Asian Inspired Chicken

Made in: ?
Distributor: Bellisio Foods, Inc., Minnesota
Description: "Roasted white meat chicken & vegetables in a spicy sauce on udon noodles." (Yes, that's a grammatical error.)
Claims: No preservatives, artificial flavors, ingredients or colors, antibiotic-free chicken, 1 cup of veggies, "Fresh-Seal (TM) for freshness!" (DOH, really? as opposed to "Fresh-Seal(TM) for staleness!"? Gosh, we consumers are stoopid!), good source of fiber, 24g protein, manually processed. No high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, MSG, BHA, BHT, caramel color, aspartame, autolyzed yeast extract, caramel color or carmine.
Allergens: Soy, wheat
Review: The noodles are not like Japanese udon I ate in Asia - they are far thinner and had a slightly different texture, but were nice. The flavor was very nice with a mild-medium piquancy, and is appropriately balanced with the other ingredients, and the variety of vegetables is fairly similar to what you'd get in Asia. Overall, a very tasty meal. I'd be happy to have it again.
Notes: With 900 mg of sodium, 9 g of sugar, and 45 mg of cholesterol, people with high blood pressure like me should probably not eat this too much, either.

Maker: evol.
Product: Hawaiian Style Grilled Chicken

Made in: ?
Distributor: evol foods, a division of Boulder Brands USA, Inc., Colorado
Description: "White rice, grilled white meat chicken (what's with this strange grammar?), pineapples, edamame, water chestnuts and red bell peppers - All combined with an insanely tasty pineapple teriyaki sauce."
Claims: Nothing artificial, chicken (apparently, it must be an insanely huge chicken for them not to use the plural form) raised without antibiotics, no preservatives, gluten free, 13g protein,
Allergens: soy
Review: A distinct improvement over their burritos, this dish has a nice sauce that is slightly overpowered by the ingredients but, in the end, it's good enough to want more. It's not really teriyaki because of all the pineapple, but it is enjoyable despite the fact that they cut the chicken meat too large.
Notes: Literally, the source of the meet is referred to as "chicken". I have to wonder what kind of growth hormones were needed to produce a chicken large enough to make a single chicken of sufficient size to supply the production line for this product. 🤣 With only 20 mg of cholesterol and 580 mg of sodium, this seems pretty good despite the 21g of sugar.

Maker: gluten free Cafe(R)
Product: Fettuccini Alfredo

Made in: ?
Distributor: Hain Celestial Group, Inc., New York
Description: "Rice noodles smothered in a creamy parmesan and romano cheese sauce."
Claims: All natural (no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives), minimally processed, certified gluten free
Allergens: milk
Review: I'm a big fan of quality ribbon rice noodles and A.F. is a dish I really enjoy with lactase enzyme (I'm seriously lactose intolerant). The noodles themselves were very good, so I didn't mind that A.F. is not made with rice noodles, but the sauce had an unusual flavor and aftertaste that I didn't care for, and the lack of veggies was a disappointment. I wouldn't eat it again.
Notes: With 830 mg of sodium, 1 g of sugar and 45 mg of cholesterol, this meal can adversely affect those who have high blood pressure tied to sodium, and lots of dairy, so this isn't a very healthy choice, even if I AM gluten intolerant.

Maker: Good Food Made Simple(R)
Product: Turkey Sausage Scramble Bowl

Made in: ?
Distributor: Good Food Made Simple, LLC, Massachusetts
Description: "With roasted potatoes, bell peppers, and white cheddar cheese"
Claims: made with cage-free egg whites (i.e. cage-free chickens LOL) from chickens in barns, 18g protein, turkey used raised with no antibiotics, added hormones and not fed animal byproducts.
Allergens: eggs, milk
Review: With a bland flavor slightly dominated by an indistinct potato taste, and the cheese is flavorless, so this is sure to be all the rage for people who seek mild food. Nothing about it wows me. I wouldn't buy it again.
Notes: At 540 mg, 3 g of sugar and 40 mg of cholesterol, this meal is one of the best for your health.

Maker: Healthy Choice(R)
Product: Unwrapped Burrito Bowl Simply Steamers

Made in: ?
Distributor: Conagra Brands, Illinois
Description: "Black & Pinto Beans, Fire Roasted Corn, Red Bell Peppers & Scallions with Whole Grain Brown Rice in a Spicy Tomatillo Sauce"
Claims: Vegan, made with organic beans & brown rice, nothing artificial, Weight Watchers(R) SmartPoints(R) Value: 8* (calculated by Conagra, not endorsed, sponsored or approved by WW)
Allergens: none
Review: It seems like it's not easy to find burrito fixings (or frozen burritos, for that matter) which actually taste delish without adding salsa, guacamole or sour cream, and this product is no exception. While its taste is fairly bland, aside from the medium piquancy, even with cilantro it has little to distinguish it flavorwise. I had to add salsa to make it enjoyable, so I'd have to have a good condiment before I'd consider buying it again. If you like mild flavor that is piquant, and you have salsa, guac and/or sour cream available, then this is a good choice...Especially if you have tortillas.
Notes: Burrito wraps/tortillas not included. This comes in a unique 2-piece plastic steaming bowl, which makes it difficult to cook in a different container. Due to heating, the plastic becomes far more flexible, increasing the likelihood of it warping and spilling or slipping out of your oven mitts. With no cholesterol, 350 mg of sodium and 3 g of sugar, this is undoubtedly the healthiest of the bunch.

Maker: Luvo(TM)
Product: Orange Mango Chicken steam in pouch(TM)

Made in: Canada
Distributor: Luvo USA, LLC, Washington & Lotus Foods
Description: "with brown jasmine rice, white chicken, kale & broccoli"
Claims: Gluten free, 19g protein, 27g whole grains, antibiotic chicken, BPA free packaging
Allergens: soy
Review: I'm a mango lover, but I'm cautious about orange sauces because they tend to be overwhelming if there isn't a sufficient amount of other ingredients to balance it. This meal didn't have that problem; in fact, the sauce was too mild. The veggies and were not tasty, having been finely chopped and having a uniform flavor that left me disappointed. The only solution was to mix the two together, which made it all passable. I certainly wouldn't eat it again.
Notes: It has 3g of added sugars for a total of 10g, with 470 mg of sodium, and 35 mg of cholesterol, making it fairly healthful. We cooked this in the pouch but I think it could've been put in a covered microwave-safe bowl. This product contains two foods within it, and the package recommends pouring it out carefully so they don't mix.