Cedarlane Couscous and Vegetable Veggie Wraps

February 2, 2007 | Reviewer: Abi

Price: $2.00
Serving: 1 wrap, 6 oz.
Calories: 220
Fat: 5%, 3g
Sodium: 24%, 580mg
Protein: 14g
Carbs: 12%, 36g
Fiber: 12%, 3g
WW Points: 4 Points

Cedarlane says: Start with a wheat flour tortilla. Fill it with a generous helping of couscous, non fat mozzarella, zucchini, olives, onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, green chilis, and just the right seasonings. Wrap it up and you have the delicious Cedarlane Low Fat Couscous & Vegetable Veggie Wraps. Wholesome, low fat and great tasting, plus they have no cholesterol.

Abi says: I’d let you know if this was filling, but I consumed it with a Diet Coke, string cheese, and apple slices. While I’m craving some chocolate right now (pretty sure I have chocolate almonds in my tote bag), I’m not on the look-out for other lunch items. This is a good sign, but not telling.

Cedarlane’s cooking instructions told me to microwave the veggie wrap (which I will mistakenly call a burrito from now on) in a paper towel on high for 2 minutes. That or I could put it in the toaster oven for 30-35 minutes. I had a feeling that my coworkers would not be pleased with my toaster oven monopoly unless I was using it to make cookies for them. I might do that later today. After all, three o’clock is the infinite hour and some cookies might help.

While I would never have thought to make a couscous burrito, I must admit that it was a great lunch item, for something that is really just carbs wrapped in more carbs. No, it is not an entire lunch, but definitely part of a well-balanced meal. A meal that included cheese and chocolate.

But let’s get back to the burrito. It is filled with pasta. Does that not strike you as a little unbalanced? It definitely weirded me out. Fortunately, I was able to put that feeling aside. Well, put it aside until I cut open the burrito and found a tell-tale cold spot in the middle.

Ok folks who keep chastising me for using an office microwave and complaining about overcooked food, I am taking this opportunity to point out that our office microwave is not the super-industrial monster all of you must think it is. I had to open up the burrito and heat it for another 30 seconds after the initial 2 minute cook time. This was not my idea of fun. Why? It involved getting back in the microwave line. Actually, it meant cutting in line. Cutting in the microwave line! I did not feel good about this turn of events.

Fortunately, it just took another 30 seconds of heating to have a piping hot couscous wrap/burrito on my hands. At this point, you may be wondering if I’m even going to say anything about the veggies. No, I’m not. Well, I guess I am, but they aren’t even going to get their own paragraph. The vegetables in this wrap were a non-factor. Veggie-phobes can rejoice in the fact that the wrap contains approximately 3 cubic centimeters of zucchini and 2.5 slices of olives. I didn’t recognize any other vegetable items. This was quite disappointing for a frozen item that had the word vegetable and a derivative of the word vegetable on the label. I’m not too impressed.

Will I buy these again? Only if they’re on sale. Otherwise I’d be paying over $2.00 for what amounted to pennies worth of ingredients. I make pretty terrific couscous myself and don’t need to eat it inside of a tortilla.

(According to the package, this meal contains mozzarella and honey, thus it is not vegan. This is pretty lame because they could easily leave out those two ingredients and have a perfectly OK wrap.)

comments

4 Responses to “Cedarlane Couscous and Vegetable Veggie Wraps”

Katie on February 2nd, 2007

I tried one of these for the first time a few weeks ago. I thought that had a sick, over-cheesy grossness to them, though they were edible. And I thought the olives were too metallic. Blegh. Unfortunately, I still have another one in my fridge.

You should try Cedarlane’s low-fat bean and cheese burrito. It’s very good - I buy it in Costco-sized boxes! But it also has the cold center issue, so I always heat it for 2:30.

Nice review!
MaryAnne on February 5th, 2007

I like cedarlane wraps/burritos. I don’t feel guilty after I eat them like I do with various other meals. However, after I finish I feel like I need something else. Like a chocolate wrap/burrito bonus. I always have the center cold spot problem too so I don’t think it’s your microwave. I like the pizza wrap the best.
sillygirl on January 15th, 2008

I love these burritos, they couscous one is one of my all-time faves. I get sick of the typical “bean and cheese” type burritos that most organic companies offer, and these provide a nice change of pace. I also find they’re pretty darn filling.

I will agree that they are way too expensive for what they are. Safeway charges $2.50 per burrito. I only buy them when I feel like a splurge or they’re on sell- I just can’t justify it any other time.
Carrie on April 9th, 2008

I LOVE the couscous wraps. I never have the “cold spot” problem and I even appreciate the fact that, unlike other microwave burritos/wraps, the paper towel doesn’t stick to the tortilla either. I will agree that the veggies are a bit lacking, but I am not typically eating this as a complete meal but rather a quick snack or working-thru-lunch meal when I know I wil have a complete dinner. Overall, 2 thumbs up. I buy these often and refer friends, too.