Dr. Gourmet's Food Reviews

Amy’s Brown Rice, Black Eyed Peas and Veggies Bowl

Amy's Bowls have turned up pretty good in our testing in the past. They are on the expensive side but are pretty darn healthy, with organic ingredients and no chemical preservatives. All of their products are vegetarian and are a great choice for those who "don't like" vegetarian food because they are so flavorful.

After purchasing the Santa Fe Enchilada bowl I thought we had reviewed this before. It was, however, their Black Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas that I was thinking of (which turned out with thumbs up).

This meal is another winner from Amy's. It is very much like the Tamale Pie recipe on the Dr. Gourmet website. There are a couple of tortillas filled with pinto beans and veggies. All of this is topped with a good enchilada sauce that's not too spicy. A little bit of jack cheese is melted over the top, all with great flavor and texture.

As with most of Amy's products, there's just too much sodium. In almost every case this comes through with a slightly too salty flavor and this is no exception. The rest of the numbers are pretty good, however. Each bowl contains 350 calories and a whopping 9 grams of fiber (a lot for a frozen meal).

I am a sucker for black eyed peas. I grew up in the South and they just were a part of my life. Amy's combines these well with brown rice in their Amy's Bowls Brown Rice Black Eyed Peas & Veggies. Most of the Amy's Bowls that we have reviewed have been good and this one is also. The rice and black eyes are not overcooked and the herbs are just right with a ginger overtone. The veggies are good and fresh tasting.

Even the numbers are better than usual with 290 calories and 8 grams of fiber. There's 590 mg of sodium and the flavor does come across as a little salty and a little could have been saved here.

If you're on a low sodium diet, be careful with choosing Amy's. While they do make some lower sodium meals, these are not. They are otherwise great choices for your freezer.

Reviewed: April 3, 2009