A couple of months back Tired Dad Dave started a new job. He’s been enjoying the job, but has been struggling a bit trying to figure out how to adapt from working at home to going back to an office. He’s biggest challenge has been lunch. He was so used to walking into our kitchen and making a quick sandwich, that having to remember to make his lunch ahead of time hasn’t happened as often as he would like. As a result, he’s become a bit too familiar with area fast food restaurant combo meals.
The good news is that we recently had the chance to review a few meals from Marie Callender’s. They have a wonderful selection of 34 single-serve meals that contain fewer than 500 calories! Last night we tried the Fresh Flavor Steamer Chicken Stir Fry & Vegetables.
We were amazed to see that this meal had only 260 calories. We thought it might be a little lacking in taste because of the low calorie count, but we were glad to be proven wrong. It was delicious, flavorful, and easy to make.
Simply remove the outer packaging and pop it in the microwave for 4 minutes. No need to vent by pulling back a corner or adding slits.
This…
Became this…
In only 4 minutes!
And to top it off (literally), the Flavor Fresh Steamer Meals offer a patent-pending tray-in-tray steaming method that allows the rice (or pasta), veggies, and meat to steam perfectly while the sauce cooks separately underneath. After the meal is microwaved you can eat it plain as above, or top it with the sauce for additional flavor.
We really enjoyed the Marie Callender’s Fresh Flavor Steamer Chicken Stir Fry & Vegetables. It did taste very fresh and Tired Dad Dave enjoyed it so much he said he’s really excited to pick up more of the Marie Callender’s Meals and take them to work with him.
At only $3.19 a meal that’s far cheaper than his fast food combo meal purchases and in under 5 minutes, he can have a healthy, tasty, and filling lunch that’s under 500 calories! I’m sure his co-workers will be jealous once they see what he’s brought in compared to their greasy, bland, and over-priced burgers and fries.
I’m also excited to pick up more of these meals and eat them when I’m crunched for time at home. The Marie Callender’s Fresh Flavor Meals are the perfect on-the-go selection for a quick nutritious last minute meal that’s affordable as well and I look forward to trying the many other Fresh Flavor and Complete Meals options as well.
I worked in conjunction with Marie Callender’s and TheMotherhood.com on this post. Products were provided for review and compensation was received. The honest opinions are my own and that of my family.
About Tired Mom Tésa
This review reads like a paid advertisement, but I will say that I’ve been sampling various Marie Callendar’s steamer meals lately and they’re quite good. Blow traditional frozen fare (including Smart Ones and Lean Cuisine) away completely in both flavor and texture, and the calories are comparable, maybe tending just a bit higher. For a quick, cheap, relatively healthy lunch at work you could do far worse.
I’m really looking forward to trying these meals. I’m getting so bored with my typical Lean Cusine & Smart Ones meals. There’s only a handful of meals in each brand that I actually like so I eat the same thing over & over. I hope Krogers includes this Marie Callender’s line in their next big Mega Event Sale!
I love the Marie Callender meals. I haven’t tried the fresh steamers yet. But the meals are the closest to home cooking I have tasted yet. Bite my husband and I have found ourselves disabled after years working. I have many medical issues including fibromyalgia and at times I find it hard to stand in the kitchen and cook a meal that’s where Marie comes in and cooks for us.
My favorite are the two turkey meals. Yes there are two to choose from regular and honey roasted. They are soooooooooo yummy!!! Hubby liked the pot roast and Salisbury steak.
I stock up when Krogers has them on sale. Usually 5 for $10.
I am trying to find more lower calorie meals for lunch since I am currently on a diet. I will try a few of these to see if I like them. Thanks for the review.