Tag Archives: whole foods

365 Organic Lentil Soup

When I go to Whole Foods these days, it’s usually because I’m on the hunt for something very specific that I can’t find anywhere else, or because it’s the most convenient place to go for certain items. Examples include Chicago Diner vegan desserts (which are available in Whole Foods stores throughout the Midwest) or a Field Roast or Tofurky frozen pizza (I want it when I want it). One really nice thing that Whole Foods does is offer coupons that are actually very decent deals. I end up trying new things because I have a coupon. One new thing that I tried recently was 365 Organic Lentil Soup.

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I bought a 2-serving size “juice box” style package of the soup. The box isn’t resealable like most other soup boxes I had seen, so I had to split the contents into two containers which equaled two lunches. That was mildly annoying. It would have been nice to keep the box in the fridge at work. I will say that the packaging does have a clever way of being opened that results in zero to minimal mess and easy pouring.

The soup itself tasted OK. One serving size was a perfect lunch portion for me. It had a decent amount of lentils with some carrots and celery in the mix. No extra seasoning was needed. All I had to do was heat it in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. It was a good meal, but nothing spectacular. It’s nothing more or less than what one would expect from a pre-packaged soup.  I didn’t pay much attention to the ingredients but I did find myself wondering what preservatives were in there in order for the soup to stay fresh while it was sitting in my pantry for a month.

If these are on sale or I come across another coupon, I will likely buy a box or two. It makes a really easy lunch when I have zero time to cook or prepare anything. It’s also cheaper than buying soup at a restaurant or in the cafe, and that’s if I can even find a vegan soup. When I do have time, and I should really make time, I’ll follow Christie’s lentil soup recipe which looks and tastes much better. Homemade is best! –Melissa

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Thanksgiving Recap!

Today was a definitive Back to Reality day. After a long and lazy weekend (though I did have to work on Friday), it was time to get back into gear. I felt a little gross about having pigged out for a few days straight, but I felt really good because I managed to have a 100% vegan meal for Thanksgiving! Though the turkey smelled pretty good cooking in the oven, I was extremely happy with the Wild Rice Cranberry Roast en Croûte that my loving sister ordered for me from Schmole Broods. Oh, what the heck! We ordered Thanksgiving from Whole Foods this year, including my vegan meal.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with the vegan roast, but it was really delicious. It tasted like Thanksgiving! Unlike turkey, it had no cholesterol and stayed delicious even though I reheated it. It looked nice and fresh before I heated it, but I won’t be surprised if this was a frozen product to begin with. Field Roast has a product that is a doppelganger for the roast if not the actual roast that I received. This doesn’t disturb me one bit. My original Thanksgiving choice was going to be a Tofurky meal since I have never tried it, but this was different, I don’t recall having seen it before, my soy-sensitive sister is able to enjoy it, and I’m totally psyched that I can buy a frozen version to have any time.

The following sides came with the meal:

  • Health Starts Here® Ginger Mashed Yams (5 oz): I was a little disappointed. There wasn’t much flavor here except for shocking busts of very strong ginger.
  • Health Starts Here® Garlicky Braised Greens (5 oz): This was really good.
  • Health Starts Here® Wild Rice and Whole Grain Stuffing (5 oz): This was hearty and the grains were plentiful, but I had to add some salt to it.
  • Fresh Cranberry Relish (4 oz): I’m not a cranberry person so I didn’t try this.
  • Vegan Mushroom Gravy (4 oz): YUMMMMMM

I will definitely try the Field Roast version. My sister even expressed interest in getting a whole loaf for everyone to share over the holidays. I’m glad I tried the Whole Foods vegan meal, but I’ll definitely make all the vegan side dishes next time. Until then, it’s back to reality! –Melissa

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SaviSeeds

I was browsing at ‘rhymes with Schmole Broods’ today and came across SaviSeeds by Vega. There were small packages, perfect for tasting, so I grabbed the Oh Natural and Cocoa Kissed pouches. I ended up staying late at work and was highly caffeinated, very much needing a snack as I waited to meet up with my sister for dinner. So I grabbed the Oh Natural bag and decided there was no better time than right then to try them out.

I have never heard of sacha inchi seeds before. They mostly remind me of peanuts, but the more I ate, the more I found them to be a giant, hearty seed — which is exactly what they are. The Oh Natural version is seasoned only with sea salt. These seeds were delicious and easily tied me over.

These guys are gluten-free and have 6 grams of Omega-3 (according to the package, they are the richest plant-based source of Omega-3) and 9 grams of protein per serving. AMAZING!

Here is a photo of the sacha inchi. Totally rad, right? I think I have found my perfect on-the-go snack! –Melissa

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Simply Vegan

I reached another milestone yesterday: I had another birthday! It was my first birthday as a vegan. I don’t know about you, but for birthdays and other holidays, I like to enjoy a decadent meal, guilt-free. This year, I knew exactly what I wanted: a Tofurky cheese pizza and a Chicago Diner cake (which you can find at Chicago-area Whole Foods in addition to the diner itself). Props to my family for getting me exactly what I wanted! My nieces even loved the cake:

She’s a goofy one! That was dinner. Lunch was pretty darn good, too. My sister treated me to falafel from Pita Inn which is the falafel that I measure all other falafel against. In other words, it’s the best.

It was such a breeze to know exactly what I wanted to eat for my birthday. Previous years have been almost annoying… do I want Chinese food? Pizza? If pizza, deep dish or thin crust? Steak? Fried chicken? Gyros? Basically, what awful and unhealthy food should I get? I love that that wasn’t an issue this year.

In other news, I think I have finally settled on the perfect vegan Filipino breakfast:

Super garlicky rice with tempeh strips and tomato salad. I have finally embraced the wondrous tempeh strip. I credit Brent and Christie for that. This breakfast is so easy, super yummy, and hearty! And it MUST be eaten Filipino-style, with a spoon containing a little bit of everything on the plate:

Now please excuse me while I have another slice of that delicious birthday cake! –Melissa

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