Dr. Gourmet's Food Reviews

Blue Horizon Foods Albacore Tuna Bites

I have been looking for fish sticks and just haven't been able to find any to review. This is because the big companies put so many chemicals in their products that I don't feel all that comfortable reviewing them (let alone having to eat them). Most every one of them I have looked at contains monosodium glutamate.

I did come across a close substitute from the company Blue Horizon Wild. They sell a product they call "bites" that are sold as hors d'oeuvres but will work as a lunch or main course.

Note that there are instructions for both microwave and conventional ovens on the package. Use the latter. Testing both it was clear that you should not use the microwave. The coating comes out too gummy.

The Fish and Chips Bites are made with potatoes and this gives them a creamy texture. The fish flavor is not overpowering but they are almost too salty (4 of them have 210 mg of sodium). Given that they are only 80 calories that's not too bad since you might eat 8 of them for dinner.

The Salmon Cake Bites taste OK. Because there's no potato they have more of a crumbly texture and are almost too dry. The salmon is pretty strong but unlike the Fish and Chips Bites and these are not too salty. Cooked in the oven they have the best crust but overall tasters liked them the least. There's less sodium (150 mg) but more calories at 130 for four.

The Albacore Tuna Bites are pretty good but are almost a bit overpowering if you don't like ginger. I love it and the flavor is good. They aftertaste of chili adds a lot to the clean tuna flavor. Likewise, the texture is good and one taster described these as "plump and juicy." They do have the most sodium at 260 mg but are only 70 calories.

Hey, you might not have liked fish sticks as a kid, but I did and it'd be great if someone made a healthier alternative. These bites aren't fish sticks but they're an OK alternative.

Reviewed: March 26, 2010