Grain bowls latest food trend

Consumer Reports checks taste, nutrition

SAN ANTONIO – With names like power bowls or grain bowls, they sound like they're good for you. So, Consumer Reports' food experts tested 26 different frozen grain bowls for nutrition and taste.

Turns out, they found, the all-in-one combos of grains, proteins and veggies are good for you.

"The ones that we recommend have less sodium and more fiber than many frozen meals," said Amy Keating, Consumer Reports' nutrition expert. "We were pleasantly surprised, most tasted really good."

The convenient meals come in all sorts of combinations and flavors. Testers suggest a few that are worth a try:

  • Amy's Light and Lean Quinoa and Black Beans with Butternut Squash and Chard has hints  of garlic and ginger for extra flavor. It has 240 calories and five grams of fat and costs $4.20.
  • If you like Indian food, they recommend Luvo's Planted Power Great Karma Coconut Curry Power Bowl. It has plenty of vegetables, chickpeas and lentils in a spicy sauce. It has 330 calories, 15 grams of fat and costs $6.
  • Healthy Choice Cafe Simply Steamers Unwrapped Burrito Bowl has a lot of heat with rice, beans, corn and a tomatillo sauce. It has 270 calories, 4 grams of fat and costs $4.
  • Kashi Chimichurri Quinoa Bowl is a spicy mix of red quinoa, lentils,beans and veggies in a tangy sauce. It has 260 calories, 8 grams of fat and costs $4.

All supply at least one third of recommended daily fiber.


About the Author:

Marilyn Moritz is an award-winning journalist dedicated to digging up information that can make people’s lives a little bit better. As KSAT’S 12 On Your Side Consumer reporter, she focuses on exposing scams and dangerous products and helping people save money.