When people discuss cuisine, the importance of texture is often downplayed. But even freshly-made pasta will get slimy if it’s cooked for too long, and when veggies aren’t prepped before they’re cooked, they can be be completely mushy. The Healthy Choice Mediterranean-Style Lentil Bowl contains plenty of appealing ingredients, but it’s a complete failure in the texture department.
The Healthy Choice Simply Steamers line allows you to keep solid and wet ingredients separate during the heating process. In our experience, this system delivers mixed results. We’ve really enjoyed some of the dishes in the Simply Steamers line, but other dishes, like this one, don’t taste like they were cooked properly.
Most of the ingredients in this bowl have a gooey, sludge-like feeling to them. The organic spinach is probably the biggest offender here; it feels like mush in our mouths. We found the red peppers and tomatoes to be slimy as well. The lentils aren’t exactly mushy, but they’re too soft for our liking. The thick lemon herb sauce only makes matters worse, and the thick, sticky sauce gives the rest of ingredients a gelatinous quality.
The chickpeas, on the other hand, have the opposite problem. They’re very hard and taste like they haven’t been cooked long enough. We actually ran into this same problem when we reviewed Healthy Choice’s Chana Masala. The Simply Steamer cooking method just doesn’t seem to work for chickpeas.
The one ingredient that works for us here is the carrots. They’re cooked properly, and the seasoning enhances their natural flavor. Unfortunately, well-cooked carrots aren’t enough to save this dish.
Unless you’ve got a soft spot for mush, we suggest staying away from the Healthy Choice Mediterranean-Style Lentil Bowl. This viscid dish doesn’t appeal to any of our senses. If you’re craving a lentil dish, there are other options that offer a better taste and texture.
For more information about this dish’s ingredients and nutritional content, check out our scans below.