We always get really nervous when we’re about to try a Healthy Choice Power Bowl. Our longtime readers know why that is, but we’ll talk about this again for those of you who are new to Freezer Meal Frenzy. We gave up Healthy Choice frozen food for a good long while after a Power Bowl burst into flames in our microwave. We’ve been hesitantly returning to the brand to make sure we review some of the new additions to their lineup, but we’re still a bit timid about the Power Bowls specifically.
Well, today we have to face those fears, because we’re checking out the Healthy Choice Basil Chicken Pesto Power Bowl. If this doesn’t start a fire, it does look like it has the potential to be a pretty great frozen meal.
This takes about four minutes in the microwave, and we recommend keeping an eye on it. If the meal inside seems a little dry, you might want to think twice about cooking it. We’re pretty sure that the issue with these Power Bowls is that they don’t keep moisture in, so the longer they sit in the freezer, the less moisture they will have. When you get too dry, they become flammable, or just really dried out.
Thankfully, that wasn’t a problem this time, and we breathed a huge sigh of relief when this came out of the microwave looking just fine, as you can see in the image below.
The chicken is pretty decent here. It can be a little rubbery in places, but it does have a really nice texture, and the flavor is great too. There’s a little bit of a citrus flavor to it, which we think is a product of the tiny bit of lemon juice that’s in the basil pesto sauce. It’s a good touch.
Instead of an actual rice, this meal cuts the carbs by using a riced cauliflower. If the portion size were too big, we think this could have been trouble, but there’s not really a ton of it here. It doesn’t impact the flavor so much as just adding a nice texture to the meal as a whole. It is a little more watery than actual rice, though, so your bowl might be just a tad soupier than you expect it to be.
Then you’ve got a whole bunch of veggies. The biggest portion is a selection of leafy greens that includes chard, kale, and spinach. As far as the veggies are concerned, this concoction is the flavor powerhouse of the bunch, and it worms its way into pretty much every bite, adding an earthiness that we really dig.
The real star of the show, though, has to be the sliced squash. We weren’t expecting it (we guess we didn’t pay close enough attention to the box when we picked this up), and found it to be an absolute joy. And then, of course, there are a few kidney beans. We don’t think this necessarily needed the kidney beans, but they certainly don’t hurt anything. We think they’re maybe here for the consistency rather than the flavor.
At only 230 calories, this isn’t going to scare off any dieters, and the 600 mg of sodium is just slightly lower than your average frozen meal. Of course, this is mostly designed as a low-carb, gluten-free meal, and it’s definitely a success in that department.
The Healthy Choice Basil Chicken Pesto Power Bowl is decent. It’s not something we could see ourselves eating every day, but it does have a surprising range of flavor, and the chicken portion is really good. But best of all, this didn’t start a fire!
To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for this Healthy Choice Power Bowl, check out our package scans below.
