There’s a new convenient meal option on the market. What’s more, it’s just screaming out for pride of place next to the tinned tunas, microwavable rice tubs and baked bean pots as part of a quick and healthy lunch fix. Why? Because it’s healthy and it’s ready to eat! There’s no heating, draining or decanting needed. This Edgell bean salad is a complete, balanced meal in a single ready-to-eat bowl. Intrigued? So was I...
Edgell have recently released a new range of bean salads. Dressed and ready-to-eat, with a range of flavours, they include:
This is a winning concept because they’re all shelf-stable, already-dressed, contain a balanced legume/grain mix in a plastic bowl - perfect for an on-the-go meal. The entire range has been given a 4.5 out of 5 Health Star Rating (pretty good), thanks to the high protein, fibre-rich nature of legumes and wholegrains, plus the use of healthy oils and only small amounts of added salt.
I tried the lentil salad, which had a pleasantly mild curry smell and taste, with chewy brown rice, lentils, chickpeas and spinach, flavoured with curry powder, turmeric, cumin, chilli, garlic and coriander. I had no difficulty getting though the tub and felt satisfied afterward. Surprisingly at room temperature, the salad tasted fine, but on a hot day, I can imagine it would be nicer chilled.
The one thing I did miss was the crunch you usually get with fresh salads, and the brown/beige colour and flavour could get a little ‘same-same’. However, there’s nothing stopping you from adding some carrot or tomato for lunch or using it as a side dish for a quick dinner of grilled meat and salad.
Here’s the list from the pack:
Chickpeas (41%), lentils (24%), brown rice (16%), vegetable oil (sunflower, olive), spinach (3.5%), ginger, spices (1.5%) [curry (mustard), cumin, turmeric, chilli], garlic, salt, coriander, soy lecithin, lemon juice. |
Nutrient |
Per serve (200 g tub) |
Per 100 g |
Energy, kJ/Cals | 1520/363 | 761/181 |
Protein, g | 12.8 | 6.4 |
Fat total, g | 18.6 | 9.3 |
Fat saturated, g | 2.2 | 1.1 |
Carbohydrate, g | 31.0 | 15.5 |
Sugar, g | 1.6 | 0.8 |
Dietary Fibre, g | 11.2 | 5.6 |
Sodium, mg | 378 | 189 |
A healthy, easy, quick lunch option for those days when you just don’t feel like making something. I think they’re a great new addition to the convenience meal options and I plan to keep some in the pantry myself!
Thanks to Megan Cameron-Lee, APD for this Product Snapshot