Latin Flavor: Diet Frozen Food Challenge

Now that the holidays and hangovers are behind us, its time to start focusing on our diet again. Many of us have made resolutions to start the year off with healthy eating habits, while others feel the weight of the extra pounds gifted to them by all the pernil, yuca, tamales, and hallacas consumed last month. In any event, something has got to change and pronto! For many, the easiest place to start is the frozen food section.

Pre-made, pre-packed, and pre-measured foods that promise loads of flavor and fiber in exchange for a couple hundred calories and four minutes in a microwave entice many hopeful dieters. Food manufacturers have taken notice of the Latin population (and our delicious food!), and are honing in on our traditional dishes, converting them into convenient frozen offerings. But how do these Latin influenced frozen foods fare? Are they as good as they promise? I took the challenge of tasting a random sample and judging them based on flavor and nutritional claims. Here are the results. 

First up, taste tesing burritos…

The Burritos

There are almost as many frozen burritos in the freezer section as there are frozen pizzas, and they come in all sorts of flavor combinations. Here are the contenders:

Amy’s Kitchen Cheddar Cheese Burrito

Claim: Light in sodium, organic.

evol. Foods Fire Grilled Steak Fajita Burrito 

Claim: Natural, minimally processed, protein, and fiber content prominently displayed on label.

PJ’s Organics Turkey and Eggs Breakfast Burrito

Claim: Organic, protein, and fiber content prominently displayed on label. 

Winner: Amy’s Cheddar Cheese Burrito

Not only was Amy’s burrito the most flavorful and dare I say authentic, it was the most nutritionally sound. The fact that Amy’s had half the amount of sodium as the other contenders yet had the most flavor, was surprising, but when you realize it packs almost twice as much fiber as the others, you seal the deal with this winner. 

Notable loser: PJ’s Organic Turkey and Eggs Breakfast Burrito

Lack of flavor aside, if you are going to display the fiber content of your product prominently on the label, it should have more than 2 grams per serving.

Next up, the bowls and dishes…

The Bowls and Dishes

Frozen enchiladas and tortilla casseroles are go-to comfort foods for many. Here are the contenders:

Amy’s Kitchen Tortilla Casserole and Black Beans

Claim: Gluten free, no GMOs, organic.

evol. Foods Chicken Enchilada Bake

Claim: All natural, gluten free, protein content prominently displayed. 

Whole Foods Market Hatch Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Claim: No nutrition or health claim on the label, just the Whole Foods healthy halo.

Winner: Whole Foods Hatch Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

While Amy’s tortilla casserole was a close second (it lost points to its high sodium content, 780mg), it was the combination of fiery flavor and solid nutrition numbers that makes Whole Foods a winner. The entire package sets you back 310 calories, 8 grams of fat (1.5 saturated), and 450 mg of sodium but offers you 6 grams of fiber and a third of your daily requirements of Vitamin A. The most unfortunate part of the green chile enchilada was how sad it looked when it came out of the microwave but that was made up by the fiery and deeply flavored chile sauce. 

Notable loser: evol. Foods Chicken Enchilada Bake

Nothing more than a bowl of mush with very little discernible flavor. Not sure where their 680 mg of sodium went.

Next up, traditional fare and tamales…

Traditional Fare: Tamales, Taquitos, and Arroz

Sometimes only a taco or a tamal will do. Here are the contenders: 

Bueno Foods Buenatural Vegetarian Tamales

Claim: None on label.

Engine 2 Grain Medley

Claim: Organic, good source of fiber, good source of Vitamin C.

Whole Foods Beef Taquitos

Claim: Excellent source of fiber.

Winner: Bueno Foods Buenatural Vegetarian Tamal

Tamales are the perfect frozen food. I know this because whenever I make them, I freeze extras and they are as good reheated as they are the day they were made. So I had high hopes for these. Unfortunately, none of them were that great. Why are they the winner? Because they were better than their contenders.  Plus, considering each tamal provides just 170 calories, there is enough caloric room to add a fresh salsa or a dollop of crema to jazz it up. 

Notable loser: Whole Foods Beef Taquitos

After just two minutes in the microwave, the corn tortillas were tough and greasy and despite its fiber claim, each taquito provides less than 2 grams of fiber.

Now you tell us on Facebook or Twitter: Were you successful at turning our home cooking into a nutritious frozen meal?