Disclaimer: I received 5 Luvo Inc Meals to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"
Training for the New York City marathon kicks off in one month. As I get closer to training, I am working on getting my products together to support my training. Having the best nutrition is the key to obtaining and maintaining my peak performance. Lately my nutrition has been seriously lacking. While I am not normally a fan of frozen meals, I was interested in trying Luvo meals (http://luvoinc.com/) to kick start my training nutrition.
Luvo meals are low calorie frozen meals that have a balance of protein, grains, and vegetables. What's really cool is that the meals are packaged in a bag in the box. The food steams in the bag in the microwave. After cooking, the bag is cut open and the contents slide onto a plate. The meals cook all the way through in the bag. The bag prevents the meal from creating a mess in the microwave. The meal looks just like it does on the box (that's really rare).
I tried 5 Luvo meals. So did Luvo make me a frozen food convert? Let's see..
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna (11 oz, 250 cal, 5 g fat, 480 mg sodium).
The lasagna was well seasoned and tasted good. The meal had a cup of vegetables (butternut squash and kale). While it didn't have a lot of cheese like conventional frozen lasagna, it was still delicious. This dish helped me meet my veggie quota for the day. The portion size was good too.
Chicken in BBQ Sauce (10 oz, 280 cal, 9 g fat, 490 mg sodium)
This meal had bbq chicken, millet grits, and collard greens. I will admit that I was skeptical of this meal because I have never had frozen grits before. Grits are a southern delicacy that we take seriously. Surprisingly, the grits were good. They were well cooked and I mixed them with the other meal components to enhance their flavor. The chicken and vegetables were also well cooked.
Orange Mango Chicken (10 oz, 280 cal, 5 g fat, 450 mg sodium)
This meal had orange mango chicken, broccoli and kale, and rice. The rice was soft and well cooked (not mushy). The mango was great and preserved its flavor. I don’t normally like eating cooked fruit mixed with meat and vegetables, but I enjoyed the mango in this meal. Nice portion size and the sauce was flavorful. The kale and broccoli was cooked well. The broccoli still had crunch to it.
Tandoori-Inspired Spiced Chicken (10 oz, 270 cal, 7 g fat, 440 mg sodium)
This consisted of chicken, brown jasmine rice, broccoli, cauliflower, and mango. The rice was nicely cooked and not mushy. The sauce had a spicy kick, but I like spice. The spice is not for the faint at heart. The mango helps with the spice, but did not cut it completely. The chicken was moist and soft. The vegetables were well cooked and taste perfectly steamed.
Chicken Chile Verde (10 oz, 300 cal, 11 g fat, 490 mg sodium)
This meal had chicken, polenta, roasted pumpkin seeds, and black beans. Hands down, this was my favorite meal! I like every component of the plate. The beans and polenta were well cooked. The beans were well cooked and not mushy. The spice level was fine. The chicken was tender. This is a recipe that I would replicate for dinner. I would leave the pumpkin seeds out.
The verdict?
The meals were flavorful and the steam allowed the components to maintain their freshness. I like that they are low in calories and fat and have great portion sizes. I will consider adding these meals to my nutrition plan.
What to try Luvo?
Check out http://luvoinc.com/where-to-buy/ to find a local grocery store in your area.