Disclaimer: I received Luvo meals to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
Quick and easy often doesn't equal healthy. Luvo Frozen meals give you nutritious, delicious, and smart choices. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you may remember last year I reviewed several of their Steam in Pouch™ meals. As I said then they're quick, easy, healthy, and most importantly tasty. I received the opportunity to review their product again, so I was super excited to try out their new bowls and Planted™ Power Bowls.
Quick and easy often doesn't equal healthy. Luvo Frozen meals give you nutritious, delicious, and smart choices. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you may remember last year I reviewed several of their Steam in Pouch™ meals. As I said then they're quick, easy, healthy, and most importantly tasty. I received the opportunity to review their product again, so I was super excited to try out their new bowls and Planted™ Power Bowls.
So what are they?
Luvo is more than just a frozen meal. Their philosophy is simple "We believe that when you eat well, you feel and perform better in all aspects of life, so we’re on a mission to make wholesome, delicious meals more accessible for all." That philosophy shows with their meals. They create well rounded meals, with less sugar and sodium, and use lean proteins and whole grains. They use a "fact-based approach to nutrition that is supported by credible 3rd party sources like the World Health Organization and the Harvard School of Public Health". They also are teaming with WhyHunger and A Sense of Home give you a company really making an effort for the environment and the community.
What did I try?
Since I already know I love their Steam in Pouch™ meals, I took this time to try out their bowls and Planted™ Power Bowls.
Hawaiian Un-Fried Rice
This is one of my favorites. This is a vegan bowl, made with Forbidden Rice, shiitake mushrooms, pineapple & cashews. This is a very tasty dish on it's own. I'm a big fan of fried rice and this is a tasty mix. While it works as a meal, I also thought it would be great to split as a side. Not only that, I may have had this more than once and added some chicken the second time around, making it very much not vegan, but quite delicious to me.
Roasted Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
This was a surprise dish for me. I've heard of cauliflower being used like this, but I've never been a fan of cauliflower itself. In the name of review, I decided to try it out anyway. In addition to the roasted cauliflower, it includes brown rice noodles in a creamy sauce with panko style topping. I'll admit, at first when I took it out, it surely smelled like roasted vegetables. However, the taste was great. I think this is a fantastic healthy take on your classic mac & cheese. This will definitely be one that lives in our freezer, as my wife enjoyed it as well.
Mighty Masala & Greens
The next dish I tried was another of the Planted™ Power Bowls. The Might Masala & Greens included brown jasmine rice, green garbanzos, cabbage & kale. This bowl was not quite my personal flavor. It was a good healthy mix, but just didn't tickle my taste buds like the others. It had a little bit of spice, which was nice. This is one I may try again, with a little something to mix it up. I'm always willing to give things a try, and a second try.
Chicken & Corn Chowder
The last dish was the chicken & corn chowder. While summer time wasn't really the right time for it, I enjoyed this one as well. It is made with white chicken, kale, sweet potato & white beans in a savory dijon-herb base. I think the best part of it was that "dijon-herb base". It gave a good and unique taste to this. I even enjoyed the kale, which I've not been a fan of in the past. This is one I'm looking forward to again, I'm just going to wait for the fall for it.
Hawaiian Un-Fried Rice
Roasted Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
This was a surprise dish for me. I've heard of cauliflower being used like this, but I've never been a fan of cauliflower itself. In the name of review, I decided to try it out anyway. In addition to the roasted cauliflower, it includes brown rice noodles in a creamy sauce with panko style topping. I'll admit, at first when I took it out, it surely smelled like roasted vegetables. However, the taste was great. I think this is a fantastic healthy take on your classic mac & cheese. This will definitely be one that lives in our freezer, as my wife enjoyed it as well.
Mighty Masala & Greens
The next dish I tried was another of the Planted™ Power Bowls. The Might Masala & Greens included brown jasmine rice, green garbanzos, cabbage & kale. This bowl was not quite my personal flavor. It was a good healthy mix, but just didn't tickle my taste buds like the others. It had a little bit of spice, which was nice. This is one I may try again, with a little something to mix it up. I'm always willing to give things a try, and a second try.
Chicken & Corn Chowder
The last dish was the chicken & corn chowder. While summer time wasn't really the right time for it, I enjoyed this one as well. It is made with white chicken, kale, sweet potato & white beans in a savory dijon-herb base. I think the best part of it was that "dijon-herb base". It gave a good and unique taste to this. I even enjoyed the kale, which I've not been a fan of in the past. This is one I'm looking forward to again, I'm just going to wait for the fall for it.
The Takeaway
I love Luvo meals. They give you healthy choices that are also quick and easy. Great recipes, healthy substitutions, and made with ingredients from people-, animal- and planet-friendly practices. As a runner, we need good fuel. We also don't always have much time. Overall, you won't find a match for these any where else in the freezer section.