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I tried 3 precooked family meal packs from Whole Foods. For less than $30 each, they made meal planning effortless. https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/food/news/i-tried-3-precooked-family-meal-packs-from-whole-foods-for-less-than-30-each-they-made-meal-planning-effortless-/slidelist/108763936.cms2024-03-25T13:42:23+05:30

I tried 3 precooked family meal packs from Whole Foods. For less than $30 each, they made meal planning effortless.

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Jena BrownMar 25, 2024, 13:42 IST

I tried 3 precooked family meal packs from Whole Foods. For less than $30 each, they made meal planning effortless. — My household tried salmon, lemon-rosemary-chicken, and chicken-scallopini meals from Whole Foods.Jena Brown
I picked up family meals at Whole Foods to see how tasty they actually were.
The salmon and chicken-scallopini meals came with green beans and potatoes and were delicious.
I've been trying to find easy, healthy meals lately. When I saw a TikTok about the precooked family meals at Whole Foods, I wondered if they'd work for my household.
I grabbed my husband and roommate and headed to our closest Whole Foods in Las Vegas. Here's how the premade family meals stacked up.

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The options at my local Whole Foods were a little disappointing.

The options at my local Whole Foods were a little disappointing. — We brought home chicken and salmon family meals.Jena Brown
Before heading out to the store, I looked online to see what kind of family meals Whole Foods carries. I was particularly excited to see premade spaghetti and meatballs.
We went to three Whole Foods locations to locate this dish but couldn't find it anywhere. When I came home and input my ZIP code into Whole Foods' website, I learned the dish isn't available at stores in my area.
Regardless, we left Whole Foods with three promising-looking options: salmon, lemon-rosemary chicken, and chicken-scallopini meals. Each family meal was $27.

We ran into a roadblock before we baked the meals.

We ran into a roadblock before we baked the meals. — The labels didn't contain any heating directions.Jena Brown
The meat and vegetables in the family meals were fully cooked but needed to be reheated.
I realized the labels, which were stuck to the bottom of the metal trays, had no heating instructions. I tried to find instructions on the Whole Foods website but kept getting directed to the store's meal-catering information.
Eventually, I decided to bake each dish at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until the meat reached an internal temperature of 165 F, which took about 30 minutes.

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We started with the salmon dish.

We started with the salmon dish. — I was a little disappointed to see only three salmon fillets.Jena Brown
We were excited to try the salmon meal, which included green beans and sweet-potato wedges with peppers and herbs.
The label on the container said the kit served four, but there were only three thin pieces of salmon. I would've been disappointed if I was planning to serve four people.

This meal was absolutely delicious.

This meal was absolutely delicious. — The salmon and its sides were super flavorful. Jena Brown
The fish was incredibly delicious, with a buttery taste and light saltiness. All of us could have easily eaten more than one fillet.
The sweet-potato wedges were a little mushy, so I popped a few into the air fryer. My roommate liked the wedges straight out of the oven, but my husband and I needed the extra crispiness.
The green beans had a nice, light, peppery flavor.

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Next, we dove into the chicken scallopini.

Next, we dove into the chicken scallopini. — I was afraid the chicken scallopini would dry out in the oven.Jena Brown
This family meal came with four large pieces of chicken, so we felt like we got a great value.
However, I worried the thinner cuts of chicken would become overcooked and chewy in the oven.

The chicken scallopini was better than I expected.

The chicken scallopini was better than I expected. — The chicken scallopini and its sides complemented each other perfectly. Jena Brown
The light breading kept the meat moist and packed a ton of flavor into each bite.
The chicken came with green beans and buttery, creamy mashed potatoes. The sides were flavorful and paired well with the chicken, so we didn't need any butter or gravy.
We'd all happily eat this meal again.

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Lastly, we tried the lemon-rosemary chicken.

Lastly, we tried the lemon-rosemary chicken. — I expected to enjoy the lemon-rosemary chicken.Jena Brown
I had high hopes for the lemon-rosemary chicken because I usually love this flavor profile.
When I opened the container, I was disappointed that the kit came with only three pieces of chicken.

We weren't fans of the chicken at all.

We weren't fans of the chicken at all. — The lemon-rosemary chicken had an odd flavor that I didn't like.Jena Brown
The chicken was dry and had an oddly bitter flavor, so we couldn't taste the lemon or the rosemary.
The meal came with sweet potatoes and green beans. These sides tasted the same as they did in the other meals.

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Overall, I’d buy the salmon and chicken scallopini again.

Overall, I’d buy the salmon and chicken scallopini again. — My husband, roommate, and I loved the salmon and chicken-scallopini family meals.Jena Brown
The salmon and chicken-scallopini meals were delicious and easy to heat up.
I wish the family meals came with a better variety of veggies, but both dinners were satisfying. Next time I'm at Whole Foods, I might grab one of the options for a quick dinner I know my entire household will enjoy.

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