This week, columnists Shreya Aiyar and Regina Napolitano traversed the frozen food aisle at Trader Joe’s to test out the frozen vegan and vegetarian dishes the store has to offer.
REGINA NAPOLITANO (Vegan)
A&E; Contributor
rnapolitano@media.ucla.edu
On Friday I ran giddily up and down the frozen food aisle at Trader Joe’s to show Shreya the armful of frozen vegan options I wanted to purchase. From Thai noodle bowls to meatless Mandarin chicken, there were so many meals that appeared appetizing, sitting in bright, well-designed packaging, that I was having a hard time deciding.
I do not have a lot of experience with frozen food. I prefer to make most of my food from scratch because it almost always tastes better that way. I found something thrilling about venturing into uncharted territory, and was excited about the ability to eat my food after zapping it for two to four minutes in the magical microwave.
Eventually, I chose Thai vegetable gyoza, chicken-less crispy tenders, edamame and a box of Fruit Frenzy bars. The four items together made some semblance of a balanced meal, but I would suggest making a small salad to go with a frozen entree if you really want to be healthy.
It’s also a healthy option to buy and heat frozen vegetables, or in the case of edamame, beans. Seasoning with a little salt can go a long way in making bland bags of frozen vegetables and legumes tasty.
The dishes had varying degrees of success in the microwave. The gyoza made it through well and was especially tasty with the addition of a little soy sauce, but the chicken-less crispy tenders were soggy (although I still enjoyed them). The lightly salted edamame was great and fun to pop out of its pods.
For dessert, I tried a Fruit Frenzy bar, a popsicle striped with three flavors: raspberry, lemon and strawberry. The huge popsicle was refreshing and the three flavors meshed well. Sadly, the Fruit Frenzy bars may actually be the healthiest thing I purchased because they are simply frozen fruit juice and some sugar.
I was moderately happy with my overall frozen food experience. Some of the food was shockingly affordable, like the edamame, which was only $1.69 and the Fruit Frenzy bars, which were $1.99 for four popsicles. Personally, I prefer to do the cooking myself, but frozen food is a good option if you’re in a rush.
BY SHREYA AIYAR (Vegetarian)
A&E; contributor
saiyar@media.ucla.edu
Frozen food has a bad reputation. To many people, heating up a pre-made, icy dinner just does not seem like the tastiest and healthiest option out there.
Most of the time, that reputation is founded in truth: To make them last, the prepackaged entrees are laced with preservatives or laden with sodium to preserve the flavor that is usually lost during the microwaving process.
These unappetizing facts did not help me during this week’s quest to find a perfectly balanced frozen dinner. But sometimes, all that’s needed is a little creativity in order to enjoy a healthy meal, regardless of how it’s prepared.
At Trader Joe’s, I spied a neatly packaged box of Indian paneer tikka masala with spinach basmati rice that, at $2.99, wasn’t expensive.
Paneer tikka masala is a popular Indian dish that highlights the versatility of paneer, an Indian cross between tofu and cottage cheese. Firm yet malleable, paneer has the wonderful ability to absorb any flavor that accompanies it and also has a fairly high protein content.
This frozen entree contains spinach basmati rice and a paneer, tomato and onion gravy. The sodium content, however, is high for such a small tray of food – the entire 255 gram tray is only one serving size, yet the amount of sodium, 850 milligrams, constitutes 35 percent of a 2,000 calorie diet.
It’s imperative to offset all of that sodium with something healthy, but also quick and easy. Chances are, if you’re eating a frozen dinner, you’re in a rush, so try supplementing your diet with a speedy Indian-style yogurt side dish to add in some fresh vegetables and nutrients.
Frozen food does not have to be unhealthy, but it also does not contain everything for a balanced diet. For those needing inexpensive sustenance to get them through midterms, a frozen entree – with some fresh vegetables on the side – might be the way to go.
Recipe: Raita (Indian-style yogurt)
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cucumber, diced into small pieces
1 tsp. ground cumin or coriander
Chili powder, to taste
1) Put the yogurt and cumin or coriander in a large bowl.
2) Add the diced cucumber to the mixture.
3) Stir well until completely blended.
4) Add the chili powder to taste. Enjoy!
Have any creative recipes of your own? Share them with us by sending an email to saiyar@media.ucla.edu or rnapolitano@media.ucla.edu for the chance to have your recipe featured by the Veg Heads.