Price: $2.29
Serving: 1 package, 8oz.
Calories: 310
Fat: 12%, 8g
Cholesterol: 12%, 35mg
Sodium: 25%, 610mg
Protein: 16g
Carbs: 14%, 42g
Fiber: 20%, 5g
Weight Watchers Points: 6 Points

Whole Kitchen says: Filled with natural, sustainably farmed chicken, our Whole Kitchen Chicken Enchiladas are convenient, quick to fix and perfect for a delicious, wholesome meal. Our enchiladas are handmade using authentic corn tortillas made with natuaral masa and topped with a savory, traditionally spiced sauce.

Kelly says: I am clueless when it comes to good Mexican food. I like Mi Barrio, a run down place near the freeway and I like Chipotle, a mega-super-chain once owned (90% of shares) by McDonalds. Obviously my standard is ‘Does it taste vaguely foreign?’. You might laugh, but as I woman of Eastern European descent who was raised in the Midwest, I grew up eating hot dishes (casseroles for all you coastal people), not tacos and enchiladas.

But with the ATL commuting issues and lots of paperwork at the office, I don’t ever have time to slip out for some incredible tacos al pastor. I have to plan ahead. And believe me, picking up fresh Mexican food at breakfast time doesn’t mean you’re going to have that same degree of freshness at lunch. When I saw these enchiladas at Whole Foods for just $2.29 I thought ‘Woooo! Finally a somewhat inexpensive all natural Mexican-type food that I can eat in the office. Lean Cuisine Fiesta Chicken gets old fast and a lot of stuff out there that looks good isn’t so good for me.

It turns out that these enchiladas aren’t so good for me either. They pack 310 calories into 8 ounces of crusty tortilla barely covered with bland tomato sauce. I only ever eat mild salsa (yes, even medium is too strong for me), but the mole in these enchiladas is a joke. As far as toppings go, there was a smattering of cheese, but it was more of a decoration than an actual ingredient. What a bummer.

These Whole Kitchen Chicken enchiladas do have meat, but it isn’t the memorable chunks of tender chicken I find in Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde Enchiladas. These measly, bland pieces were each about the size of a small marble. Dear Whole Foods, there’s this awesome thing called ‘marinade’. I suggest you look into it.

I wish I had something nice to say about this meal. For the price and the naturalness, I was looking forward to making this a lunchtime staple. If it magically appeared in my freezer or was free or I forgot to bring my lunch and a friend had one sitting around I would eat it again. But I don’t think I’ll pay money for another box. Back to the drawing board freezer section, I suppose.

Price: $3.50 (superb sale)
Serving: 1 package, 11.75 oz.
Calories: 430
Fat: 13%, 8g
Sodium: 57%, 1360mg
Protein: 27g
Carbs: 19%, 58g
Fiber: 10%, 3g

Whole Foods says: Fresh salmon with garlicky teriyaki sauce, paired with rice and vegetables — a fresh meal, ready in minutes with our new steam flow packaging.

Abi says: I am on the bus right now and the current is next to a Dunkin’ Donuts. The scent is intoxicating. Literally, I am drunk off of the smell of donuts. But I have to concentrate and write about salmon.

I’ve eyed these Whole Foods 1-2-3 meals for months and would have reviewed one much sooner if it weren’t for the crazy-high price of $6.00 each. Convenience food purchases are a risk and it is a lot easier to gamble on 3 Lean Cuisines than one piece of raw fish.

Yeah, the meat is raw. Having experienced insanely horrible salmon incarnations before (Healthy Choice Creamy Dill Salmon), I didn’t think I was up for yet another salmon disappointment. Salmon are majestic fish. They don’t belong in a microwave, they belong on a cedar plank in the form of an enourmous fillet. I told my mom I was going to microwave some salmon and she actually hung up on me. I had to send her some gravlax to get back in her good graces.

My hope was that the insane technology harbored by Whole Foods could somehow make the microwave safe for salmon, veggies, and rice all being steamed in the same container. Did it work? well, aside from making the microwave reek of steamed salmon, this dish was pretty darn good. Ok, except for the asparagus and the broccoli and carrots. You see, to cook the salmon properly, you end up oversteaming the vegetables. If you like really, really mushy steamed vegetables, this will work out for you. I prefer my carrots and broccoli al dente.

The garlic teriyaki sauce provides a delicate pungency and enough sodium for more than half your day. If you haven’t been getting enough salt, this is quite beneficial for you. Considering that 95% of the readers of HeatEatReview.com hail from the United States, I don’t think lack of sodium is an issue.

I wish I knew of the effects of microwaves on Omega 3 fatty acids. But I don’t, so I’m assuming that this salmon is rocking my socks, nutritionally speaking. If you can control other potential sodium hot-spots for the day, this meal is a satisfying way fill your tummy.