eDiets Dinner Review: Beef Peppersteak on Lo Mein Noodles

by Marianne Plunkert                                   

Overall rating:  3.8/5

Meal Description and Cooking Instructions

Beef Peppersteak on Lo Mein Noodles with Oriental Vegetables was the dinner entrée on Day 6 of my diet.  The meal was presented in a 2-compartment plastic tray, with approximately 10 bite-sized chunks of beef in a light sauce over a bed of spaghetti noodles in one section and about 1/3 cup of mixed vegetables in the other.

The instructions indicated to microwave the entree on high for 1 ½ to 2 minutes.  I left mine in for 2 minutes 15 seconds, which turned out to be the appropriate amount of time for my microwave.  I added a serving each of fruit (apple slices) and non-fat dairy (a 1-ounce wedge of low-fat cheese) to complete the meal.

Beef Peppersteak on Lo Mein Noodles

My General Impressions

With the apple slices and cheese wedge I provided, the meal looked colorful enough on the plate, but I wondered why the serving of vegetables was so skimpy.  It would seem to me that they would supply a lot of nutritional value without providing a lot of calories and fat. 

The small serving consisted mostly of green beans and carrot slivers, with thin slices of red pepper and onion mixed in.  There were bits of a broccoli floret that, together, did not comprise one floret, and something that appeared to be a mushroom stem. 

This being said, the vegetables were nicely cooked to a crisp-tender texture, and the red pepper and onions enhanced the flavor of the dish.

The beef chunks were extraordinarily tender, and the noodles had a good texture, but I didn’t quite care for the taste of the sauce.  This surprised me because I could identify bits of red and green peppers and onions in the sauce—all items that I like. 

I couldn’t identify a specific ingredient on the ingredient list provided on the back of the plastic tray that would not have been to my liking, either.  I can only assume that it was just a matter of personal taste on my part.  Other dieters might enjoy the meal immensely.

Nutritional Content

Only 50 of the entrée’s 240 calories are from fat—just under 21%.  The meal provides 18 grams of protein.  At 30 grams, its carb content is relatively high.  Both fiber and sugars weigh in at 3 grams.

It does provide 25% of the average daily requirement of Vitamin C, 6% of the Vitamin A requirement, 10% iron, and 2% calcium.  And with the apple slices and cheese wedge I provided, all the food groups are represented, although the 1/3 cup of mixed vegetables in the entrée does not equate to a full serving.

Food Rating/Quality

I give this dinner entrée a “3.8” on a scale of 1 to 5, primarily because the taste of the sauce was not to my liking.  The beef chunks were more tender than I’ve been served in some restaurants, and both the noodles and vegetables were cooked to perfection.  The vegetable dish itself was wonderful; its only failing was that it was so meager.