I first stumbled across Barilla's microwavable meals early last week when looking for something to keep in my office when I didn't have leftovers to bring in. I thought about portable soups but some are really expensive and not very good tasting or good for you. Instead I saw the new Barilla microwaveable meals 2 for $4. Hey, that was cheaper than the soup and these looked good!
There were several varieties but I immediately went for the two whole grain options:
Whole Grain Mezze Penne with Tomato & Basil Sauce
Whole Grain Fusilli with Vegetable Marinara Sauce
I ate the first a couple days later when I was too busy to take a lunch break at work. Of course I was skeptical but I gave it a try. Boy was I surprised. I expected a watery congealed pasta that was either bland or too salty. It was neither.
Instead I found separate compartments of sauce and pasta which after only 60 seconds were hot and ready to mix. I like a good amount of sauce so this was perfect without being "overly" saucy.
I think the Fusilli with vegetable marinara was my favorite. I love the big chunks of veggies in the sauce. It didn't even need cheese!
The meals are all natural and with the whole grain pasta you don't have to feel guilty about it. They are incredibly easy- open flap slightly, microwave for 60 seconds, mix and eat.
So far I've only tried two of the five available varieties so I asked for a little more information.
Here's what I got:
Dear Ms. Hunt,
Thank you for your recent e-mail to Barilla America, Inc. regarding our Microwaveable Meals.
Barilla’s revolutionary packaging separates the pasta from the pourable sauce cup to maintain the taste, texture and freshness until the consumer is ready to enjoy his/her microwaveable meal. This also allows consumers to determine the amount of sauce they want to put on their pasta and customize their microwaveable meal to taste. These meals are shelf stable for 12 months from the date of production. The pasta is fully cooked in the package using a tailor-made production. This enables Barilla to not use any preservatives and still be shelf stable.
The Microwaveable Meals are manufactured in the United States at our plants in Iowa and New York.
We currently have 5 flavors available. They are:
Mezze Penne with Tomato & Basil Sauce
Mezze Penne with Traditional Marinara Sauce
Mezze Penne with Spicy Marinara Sauce
Whole Grain Mezze Penne with Tomato & Basil Sauce
Whole Grain Fusilli with Vegetable Marinara Sauce
Below is the Nutrition Facts for the Barilla Mezze Penne with Traditional Marinara sauce Microwaveable Meal.
Serving Size 9 oz (255g)
Servings per Container 1 tray
Calories 320
Calories From Fat 45
Amount Per Serving
Total Fat 5g
Saturated Fat 1g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 700mg
Total Carbohydrate 58g
Dietary Fiber 6g
Sugars 7g
Protein 11g
Vitamin A 20%
Calcium 4%
Vitamin C 6%
Iron 8%
INGREDIENTS: Cooked Mezze Penne Pasta (Water, Mezze Penne Pasta [Semolina (Wheat), Durum Flour], Olive Oil, Salt, Natural Flavors), Traditional Marinara Sauce (Diced Tomatoes [Tomatoes, Citric Acid], Tomato Puree [Tomato Paste, Water], Carrot Puree, Olive Oil, Onion Puree, Tapioca Starch, Celery Puree, Sugar, Salt, Garlic Puree, Basil, Oregano, Natural Flavors).
Contains: Wheat ingredients. The pasta product is manufactured on equipment that processes products containing eggs.
If you would like any more information on our products, please reply to this e-mail leaving the subject line in place, or contact us by phone at (800) 922-7455. Our hours of operation are Monday thru Friday between the hours of 8 AM and 6 PM, Central Standard Time.
Barilla is the best selling pasta company worldwide, and we take pride in our product, right down to every last package. For over 130 years, four generations of the Barilla family have maintained the tradition of producing the finest pasta and sauces in the world.
Thank you again for your support and we appreciate you taking the time to let us know your thoughts. We hope that you continue to enjoy Barilla Pasta & Sauces.
Regards,
Jennifer
Right from the horse's mouth. (In a good way.) I love the all-natural mixed with convenience making a long lasting product.
They have really marketed this product complete with sweepstakes and $1 off coupons on their website. Visitors can even vote for new varieties in development including:
Mezze Penne with Mushroon Marinara Sauce
Gemelli with Flavorful Meat Sauce
Tubini with Three Cheese Sauce
Rotini PLUS with Chickpeas & Red Bell Peppers (I WANT THIS)
Mezze Penne PLUS with Tuscan Herb Sauce
Rotini PLUS with Tomato and Ricotta Sauce.
Now I'm no food expert and I never claim to be but I do like bringing attention to products that begin to close the gap between the bad eating habits many people have today. While I love quinoa and Whole Foods, the average person doesn't have the luxury or time for such things. Products that are convenient and more nutritious is how we will close the gap. Now I must admit, the Wall Street Journal priced the Barilla microwaveable meals on average at $3.69. While I would very much like to try these again as well as keep them in my desk at work, I don't know how many I will buy if they are not 2 for $4.
My overall discovery of this product was priced based and the only reason I ended up buying them was the whole grains and over all promise of the package. This is great for lunch but what is stopping someone from boiling a box of pasta and mixing in with a jar of sauce to make 5 lunches for $4? If it is more affordable I think it will be more successful. I hope that people will be able to try these new microwaveable meals for their own conveinence and as a healthy option but I know that until one of these is as cheap as a sandwich on the McDonald's Dollar Menu, it might be hard to catch on...at least for now.
Note: This review was of my own accord and I was not compensated nor contacted to provide a review of this product. The information provided by Barilla America, Inc. was requested by me with no other contact or offer.
Are there any microwavable meals that you really like that are also nutritious?
I just tried the classic marinara. It was great. The meals have less fat/calories that lean cuisine/smart ones meals, and are more filling. Will definitely buy again!
ReplyDeleteA word of caution - Be careful when removing the film because it isn't easy to remove and it is easy to splash hot marinara on your hand.
Thanks for the tip. It's funny that didn't happen to me until maybe the third or fourth time I tried their meals after I wrote this review. The film stuck to the sauce tray and half my sauce landed on my desk! I really like these and will definitely get them again when they are on sale but really they aren't expensive.
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