Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Last Minute Christmas Gift?



Imagine. You wake Christmas morning. You run downstairs. You pull your stocking down from the chimney. You dive your hand down into its woolly tunnels. And what do you find? Packets of microwavable Indian food!

Can you picture the joy?


You could give that joy to someone.

In all honesty, the Tasty Bite company and I have a love affair going on. No really. I twitter: "I love Tasty Bites." And Tasty Bites twitters back: "We love you too!"

So please know - when I make the suggestion of Tasty Bites as a gift, I'm totally biased.


Two months ago, they sent me a huge package of meals to review. This won me over twice. First, I got free food. Second, I got easy food. For about a month, the box sat in the trunk of my car. It came with me on my weekly journeys from school to school. Whenever I didn't have time to prep dinner, I had food right there with me. Good food + Convenience = Awesome.

Wait a minute.

Did I just refer to microwaved food as good?

Yeah, I did.

Tasty Bites are processed. They go in the microwave. Most nutritionists say that processed microwaved foods are at fault for the obesity epidemic in the US.

That said, Tasty Bites don't taste like processed microwaved food. They are insanely flavorful, spicy, warming, and comforting. They are perfect for someone like me - who loves Indian food, but is picky about spice.

You know that Simpson's episode
where Ralph says, "It tastes like burning!"

A lot of Indian food tastes like burning to me.

Punjab Eggplant - one of the spicier dishes - but still delicious



Kerala Vegetables - Look at the color!


Tasty Bites are full of heat, but not burning. I tasted multiple flavors in each one. That's incredible - considering this is food that sits in a silver pouch for who knows how long, and then is microwaved to life. Flavors usually die in the process.

So what? Does Tasty Bite fill their meals with chemicals and flavoring to make them nuke-proof? Nope. Here's what's in my personal favorite, the Channa Masala: Onions, Water, Chickpeas, Tomatoes, Sunflower Oil, Coriander, Salt, Spices, Chilies, Bay Leaf, Turmeric.

What did you not see? No preservatives. No chemicals. No flavoring. All real food!


Channa Masala with brown rice! So comforting!


What else do I love about Tasty Bites? They range from vegetarian to vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free. There's a Tasty Bite out there for everyone.

Most importantly -
Tasty Bites are the absolute perfect IBS food.


When I'm IBSsy, I need digestible food that will get my guts churning. Tasty Bites are mushy and full of fiber-rich lentils and chickpeas. They also contain tummy warming spices like ginger, cayenne, and chili. These herbs all help kick-start digestion, and keep the guts going right.



The way I see it - the good outweighs the bad here. Yes, Tasty Bites are microwaved processed foods. They are not organic. BUT they contain real easy-to-digest allergy-friendly food. And they taste awesome.

Did I mention cost? Tasty Bites are cheap. Check out the bombay potatoes below. This half jarful cost under three dollars, and kept me full through teaching my night class.

It really hit the spot!


So yeah. I'm only half kidding when I suggest stuffing a stocking with Tasty Bites. It could be funny, if anything. Jewelry? Perfume? Candy? Everyone's doing that. Give the gift of Indian food this season.


Toots

How do you feel about eating processed microwaved foods?

What processed or microwaved foods will you eat?

What will you not eat?

Are you into Indian food?

What's your favorite cuisine?






HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!


8 comments:

Heather said...

do you even know how happy i would be to find Tasty Bites in my stocking???!!!!
OH.EM.GEE!!
i just recently discovered these, and am so grateful i did :)
i just had the punjab eggplant the other day.
i wish i could find them for a more reasonable price though. :( in seattle, even when things are on sale, they're more expensive than the "regular" price back home.
*sigh*
generally, processed microwave foods are the last option for me, but in the case of Tasty Bite meals, i make an exception.
geez, do i sound like a walking advertisement or what?? LOL!
anyway, so happy for you and your Tasty Bite booty :)

'Drea said...

After reading your review, I almost ran to the store...

I keep a supply of Steamfresh vegetables and such. I love popping them in the microwave. Sure, some say that I'm lazy and wasting good $ but it works for me.

Vietnamese and Thai cuisine also works for me...

Happy Holidays to you too.

Twins said...

Yeah for Indian food!
I try to avoid microwave foods if I can, mainly because my stomach can't handle most foods that can be microwaved and I personally think nothing beats fresh foods, LOL ;)

Happy Holidays to you dear friend!!

HUGS
~Lori

Suki said...

Wow, this sounds amazing! Congratulations!

Lisa said...

LOVE the Madras Lentils :)

bein good to me said...

I've always been somewhat against those silvery packages of foods but never thought to turn the package over to read the ingredients list! I think you've convinced me to not shun Tasty Bite and I might have to pick up a packet next time I'm out. ;)
-Lisa

Jill said...

Great review! I recently discovered Tasty Bites, and was pleased to see the list of normal-sounding ingredients on the packages. I, too, normally avoid packaged envelopes of food, but Tasty Bites is a great product.

Chana Masala is my favorite.

Wendy said...

Indian food is by far my favorite food in the world. I know you were lovin' on the Tasty Bites, but I'll be shying away from them. I make my own oil free vegan Indian food and it's time consuming but darned good!

And hey! I'm almost done reading your whole blog! Yipee! I had a great time!