11/10/2022: Healthy Choice Power Bowls Italian Chicken Sausage & Peppers

First Impressions: Holy crap, this is HOT. No, seriously, packaging so hot I almost dropped it. Taste: This promises an arrabbiata sauce and THIS SAUCE DELIVERS. I'm legitimately surprised that the box does not say "spicy" arrabbiata sauce (just because it's implied in the name for me doesn't mean it is for everyone) because this sauce is ACTUALLY SPICY! This bowl is packed with brown and red rice, quinoa, barley, leafy greens, and (not enough) chicken sausage. There is a decent amount, I just always want more, and this sausage is GOOD. This whole bowl is damn good. Cooking: Microwave 4 1/2 minutes. CAUTION: Contents will be frigging hot. Filling Level: 4.5/5, as good as it's going to get with this type of meal. The power is from all the protein, see? Nutrition: 270 calories, 8g fat, 16g protein, 600 mg sodium

10/14/2022: Sweet Earth Pad Thai

First Impressions: Wait, is that tofu?

This is what the box says the meal will look like!

Taste: So, yes, that's fried tofu. And there is a decent amount of it - which I can't often say with proteins in these dishes. Now, granted, I don't eat a lot of tofu, fried or otherwise. The texture is? Meh? Very squeaky> And the flavor is? Nonexistent, which I guess it the entire point of tofu, the idea being that it will pick up the flavor of whatever you're cooking it in. The flavor of this dish is what I would call "Generic Asian-esque Sauce Flavored." It's nothing exciting, but it is also not bad, and I will take that any day when it comes to a frozen meal. There are some mushrooms, and carrots, and one snap pea, and some red onion including ONE REALLY BIG STRIP OF RED ONION!, and the noodles are really good. Also, the tofu kinda - kinda grows on you by the end.

Cooking: Slit film, microwave 2 1/2 minutes, stir, microwave 2 minutes.

Filling Level: 3.75/5 Nutrition: 390 calories, 15g fat, 11g protein, 580 mg sodium (full nutrition specs here)

I can't get a picture of what the meal looked like to upload, but rest assured that it looked almost nothing like the meal on the box.
Overall: Decently filling, fairly tasty, I can't really fault it that much, but I also didn't love it. Perhaps those tofu enthusiasts (tofusiasts?) out there would love it. Grade: C+

Addendum: After 30-45 minutes and lots of water and multiple pieces of spearmint gum, there is still some kind of funky, not necessarily GROSS but definitely-don't-still-want-it-in-my-mouth-this-long-after-eating aftertaste. For that reason alone I wouldn't purchase this meal again.