diet gourmet reviews, meals 2 & 3

Well, here we are on day 3 of the Diet Gourmet food experiment. I already reviewed the herb-rubbed salmon on the first day, so let's go ahead with the next two meals...Buffalo burger and Santa Fe chicken dippers.

Buffalo Burger

I've never had buffalo before, but the burger's texture was suspicious...reminded me of those fake generic pressed-meat-product burgers that you can buy in the freezer aisle for a buck and a half ("now with more smoky flavor and realistic grill marks!"). I'm sure this was not helped by the fact that two minutes (the instructions indicated 1-2 minutes) in my microwave was way, WAY too long. Smooshy bun and sticky cheese everywhere after 1:08, at which time I took it out and cursed profusely.

Once it had cooled to a temperature less than the surface of the sun, I did layer it with the supplied veggies, a scosh of mayo, and some mustard and pickles from my fridge, and lo, it was good. Except for the aforementioned texture problem, that is.

Like with the salmon meal, the best part of this one were the side items. The little bag of baby carrots was pretty standard, but the apple-pineapple salad was awesome, and the dill cucumber salad was pretty good too. Even with the high acid content and my split lip (I haven't been drinking enough water), I ate them to the last yummy--if painful--bite.

The calories on this meal were a little higher--over 400 calories. Since I am a dolt and threw away the container before jotting down the exact numbers, I don't remember the fat content. I think it was around 10g. At 425 calories, 10g of fat, and oh, let's say 2g of fiber, it's still only a 9 point meal. And it kept me full for about 8 hours, so I guess it was worth it.

Santa Fe chicken dippers

Though the package did not indicate any cooking instructions, I threw the chicken in a coffee filter and popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds. (I only find cold chicken edible if it's fried and/or on a sandwich.) Thirty seconds were really just long enough to make it not-cold, but I was still too wary from the buffalo incident yesterday to stick it out for a full minute. Besides, I had to eat this with my fingers.

Even after the warming, I wasn't crazy about the meat. Again, texture (I'm beginning to think this is a recurring theme). The flavor was fine, and the lime-cilantro dipping sauce was excellent.

Alas, not as much luck with all the sides this time. There was this cup of coleslaw or something...to me, it tasted for all the world like someone had peed on some cabbage. Once I torpedoed that into the trash, the rest of it was okay. The wheat crackers and baby carrots were nice (and good with the dipping sauce!), but the highlight of the meal (besides the dipping sauce!) was the gold kiwi.

I didn't know such a thing existed. I've had (and loved) the green kiwi, and that's what I expected this to be when I spied it through the package. The produce sticker said "New Zealand GOLD", but I thought that was the brand, like Sunkist for oranges, or Chiquita bananas. When I peeled the thing, I was surprised to find that the inside was yellow. What the hell? Had my kiwi gone bad?! It didn't smell bad, or feel bad.

Being a geek at heart, I googled "new zealand gold kiwi" and got the scoop. Tropical, eh? Sweet, eh? Let's give this bad boy a try.

Best. Fruit. EVER.

It's got the basic awesomeness of a kiwi, but it's less tart. It reminds me a little of berries, and something else that I can't quite put my finger on. Whatever--it rocks. You should go buy one right now!

Ahem. So, anyway, the entire meal was 385 calories, 11.6g of fat. WW tells me this is 9 points at 0g of fiber. I'm guessing it actually has at least 2 grams, but possibly closer to 4-5g. Any fiber at all brings it down to 8 points, so that's what I'm going with.

So, 3 days into this experiment, things are going pretty well. The pickup was easy, despite the fact that they forgot my cooler. And while I have had texture issues with every one of the main courses so far, I think this is a factor that can be safely ignored by anyone who doesn't have bizarre food-feel issues. The taste of everything has been good (with the exception of the pee-cabbage), and the food seems to keep well in the fridge for at least this long. I still have pot roast and turkey chili on the menu for the next two days, so I'll let you know what I think of those on Friday.