I eat lunch on-the-go five days a week. Every working day means grabbing something super quick in time to be ready for my next group of students. Most days I eat cafeteria food, which is sometimes ok, and other times I grab a bag of chips and call it good, which is definitely NOT ok. I try to pack lunches the night before, and sometimes I succeed, but I have so little time because of my “mom duties” at night (supper, bathing the kid, homework, bedtime) that it’s just easier to “grab and go”.
BARILLA MICROWAVABLE MEALS
Barilla now has a new line of microwavable meals that can help you eat healthier while you’re on-the-go.
My family was sent five Barilla Microwavable Meals to try out and see if it made those quick grab-and-go eating times a little more healthy and delicious. The meals come in five different flavors and include Tomato & Basil, Marinara, Spicy Marinara, Whole Grain Tomato & Basil, and Whole Grain Vegetable Marinara.
With Barilla Microwavable Meals, you get:
- 100% Natural Ingredients
- No preservatives
- Relatively low calories (only 320 calories per meal)
- Two whole grain options
I’m quite a bit skeptical about meals that are packaged because most of the time I find that I’m having to sacrifice taste. However, I love Barilla and use their rotini pasta religiously in the salads I do manage to make for lunch during the week, so I was excited to give these meals a try. My husband was also thrilled. He is a truck driver and likes to keep hassle-free foods in his truck in case of emergencies (like being stranded on a interstate in a blizzard) and for those times when he stops in smaller towns with no truck parking at restaurants (or no restaurant at all).
I chose the Mezze Penne Spicy Marinara to try out and I have to say I was floored! The marinara sauce was robust and amazing and had just the right kick of heat. I love that these meals are hearty…you definitely get a good portion in each. Each meal heats up in 60 seconds, so there is no waiting a few minutes, stirring, then heating again. That in itself is a major selling point with me!
I also love the fact that the sauce tray just lifts right out of the main cooking tray, so there is no awkward and sloppy stirring involved. If you’re not crazy about too much sauce, you can just add as much as you want. I did find that the pasta was a bit firmer than I was expecting once it was cooked, but I’m one of those people that likes really soft pasta, so this wasn’t a total turn-off, just different.
I think this little microwavable meal is pretty much perfect and can’t believe something in a package can taste so great. We also found that we preferred the regular pasta to the whole-grain wheat options.
Be sure to visit the Barilla website to grab a coupon for $1 off, learn more about their microwaveable meals, and check out Barilla on Facebook.
GIVEAWAY:
I have 5 coupons to give away! Each coupon is good for one FREE Barilla Microwavable Meal. I will draw 5 winners who will each receive one coupon. U.S. Only, void where prohibited. The giveaway ends on September 30, 2012, at 12:01 AM EST.
Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. You can do as many or as few entries as you like. Each counts as an entry.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Barilla. I received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.
