I’m trying to be better about eating healthy, which includes eating lots of veggies. The issue I have with eating lots of fresh veggies is how long it takes to prep them. I like being able to use steam in the bag veggies for a side dish with dinner. Or, if we have a salad, I really appreciate being able to buy it already cut up and washed. All I have to do is open the bag and use it. I also like veggie slaw, and salad kits, and even snack trays as quick and easy lunch options.
Veggies Made Easy is the website for Mann’s produce packaging company. Their line of products covers each of the things I listed above, which makes it a lot easier for me to meet my diet and health goals. As far as steam in the bag options, Mann’s offers two product lines. The Fresh Veggie Noodles/Veggie Rice line includes a Broccoli & Sweet Potato “Rice” Blend, Butternut Squash “Rotini,” a Cauliflower “Fried Rice” Blend, Cauliflower “Rice,” Kohlrabi “Linguine,” and Sweet Potato “Fettuccine.” The other steam in the bag line is called Family Favorites. Family Favorites includes veggie blends, single veggies, and sweet potato fries.
Their fresh lettuce, salad, and veggie snack options include Fresh Leaf Farms, Veggie Slaw Blends, Snacking Trays, and a line of organic products called Organic Biologique. Some of the snack trays come with cheese, one comes with honey turkey bites, and one comes with pretzels.
What’s new for me are the Nourish Bowls. They are full of veggies and some have rice or noodles. Each comes with a separately packaged sauce that you add to the rest of the meal. There are several things I like about these quick meals. First is the fact that it’s healthy and low carb. Second is that it’s filling. That’s important for me, because eating mostly vegetables usually leaves me feeling hungry. There’s not a lot of rice/noodles in the package, which is what helps it maintain it’s low carb status. Third, it only takes a few minutes to heat up, making it a good option for lunch is your lunch time is limited.
The vegetables in the Nourish Bowls retain their crunchiness even though they’re warmed up with a sauce. It has the texture of slightly stir-fried vegetables. The only thing I had a problem with was opening the package of rice included. I couldn’t get it to tear and had to use scissors to cut it open. I don’t mind doing that, but it means you need to have access to scissors when you want to eat it.
There are several flavors of Nourish Bowls, including Smokehouse Brussels (includes bacon and a sweet maple glaze), Southwest Chipotle (chipotle corn salsa and cheese), Cauli-Rice Curry (chopped cauliflower, green chickpeas and curry sauce), Monterey Risotto (butternut squash, brown rice, and creamy garlic sauce), Sesame Sriracha (includes snap peas and brown rice), Basil Pesto Veggie Noodle (complete with parmesan cheese), Spicy Thai Veggie Noodle (kohlrabi noodles and toasted sweet coconut flakes), and Tomato Bolognese Veggie Noodle (shredded carrots, marinara sauce, and grated parmesan cheese).
Check out www.veggiesmeadeeasy.com for full details of each product and some pretty cool recipes.
