by Marianne Plunkert
Overall rating: 5 out of 5
Meal Description and Cooking Instructions
My lunch on Day 5 of the diet was Chicken Pesto Pita, which was served with a side of tri-bean salad. I was to supply a fruit accompaniment. Red grapes seemed an appropriate choice for this meal.
The eDiets entrée came packaged in a 2-compartment tray. One section held about 1/3 cup of tri-bean salad, and the other held 1/3 cup of chicken coated with a pesto sauce with ¼ of a small whole wheat pita on top.
The instructions on the packaging warned that the meal should not be heated. Instead, they said, “Assemble sandwich and enjoy!” There was more chicken than the ¼ pita could hold, so I spooned the remainder on top and around the sides of my pita bread “sandwich.”
Chicken Pesto Pita
My General Impressions
The meal looked very colorful and inviting on my plate, and it was just as delectable. The pita, albeit small, tasted fresh and had a significantly better texture than some pita bread I’ve purchased in the grocery store.
The chunks of chicken were moist and tender, and the savory pesto sauce that coated the chicken was robust with the flavors of garlic, basil, and cheese. Yum!
Somewhat to my surprise, I found the tri-bean salad equally delightful. I’m not normally a fan of any type of bean salad, but this dish was quite good. Green beans, kidney beans, and wax beans were cooked to just the right consistency, with a little crunchiness left in them, and were served in a sauce that had a delicious touch of tang to it.
Nutritional Content
As delectable as it is, this meal is also very low fat. Less than 17% of its 240 calories are from fat. And it offers a healthy 18 grams of protein. At 32 grams, total carbs are higher than most of the eDiets meals I’ve consumed thus far. There are 4 grams of dietary fiber and10 grams of sugar.
This entrée supplies 8% of the daily recommended doses of both Vitamin A and iron, 10% of calcium, and 4% of Vitamin C. Counting my grapes, all the food groups are represented, although the cheese in the pesto sauce may not qualify as a full serving of dairy.
Food Rating/Quality
This luncheon entrée rates a perfect “5” on a scale of 1 to 5 with me. It was as appealing to the palate as it was to the eye. The pita tasted fresher than any store-bought pita bread I’ve purchased and even fresher than some that I’ve been served with one of my favorite types of sandwiches—gyros. The chunks of chicken were succulent, and the pesto sauce that coated them was superb.
The tri-bean salad was exceptional. The crunch that the beans provided and the tanginess of the sauce in which they swam proved a perfect complement to the strong, spicy flavor of the chicken pesto dish.
This is definitely a lunch that I will order again if I have to make a substitution to accommodate my schedule. I’m already salivating in anticipation.
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