Review of Zatarain’s Jambalaya Pasta

Just about every week, the local Meijer store has one frozen food brand or another that is on sale at a ridiculous price that usually too good to pass up. I’m talking micro meals discounted down to about two to two and a half dollars that usually catch my eye. I typically try to limit consumption of these meals to maybe once or twice a week given the incredibly high sodium and preservative counts. Still, I can’t but help grab a few of these items and test them out given the decent price. The latest endeavor for my lunch time dining was Zatarain’s  Jambalaya Pasta at the very low sale price of $2.00 per bowl. This item was marked down significantly from the regular price of three bucks.

The meal weighs in at ten and a half ounces and only tallies up at a measly 380 calories. I usually try to keep the lunch meal in the caloric range between 500 to 800 calories so I was quick to supplement this smaller portion size with a banana and a few small cookies to keep me going until dinner.

The microwavable meal is packaged in a small bowl with plastic film wrap that requires a slit in the top and a modest cook time of three minutes, a quick stir, and an additional minute to heat up. The meal sets for a minute or two, and then the eating begins.

The meal includes the ingredients of chicken, sausage, ziti pasta, peppers and onions. I have to say I like the Zatarain’s rice and bean side dishes with chicken and fish, and this convenient microwavable meal did not fail me. I thought the ziti had a fun spicy taste and the meal left me craving more. I regret not purchasing five meals for ten bucks! I recommend this one a solid buy, even at three dollars, though be prepared to accompany this meal with a healthy side dish as the meal alone will leave you hungry.

Review of Millville Cinnamon Crunch Squares Cereal

Our family goes through a lot of cereal every week. Cereal is one of the best options during the hectic school week as kids can serve themselves and eat fairly quickly before they are out the door. I enjoy a good bowl of cereal every once in a while but am pretty picky about my choices. Our family prefers several General Mills brands such as Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The cinnamon cereal is our children’s favorite, but can be quite expensive considering a box is over three dollars and it may last two days tops. I have been on the hunt to find a more inexpensive substitution of this cereal and stumbled across the ALDI brand known as Millville Cinnamon Crunch Squares.

Taste

The little cinnamon toasted squares look identical to the General Mills version. The first bite of this cereal had me convinced I was eating the name brand version.  This cereal is absolutely delicious. It was a big hit with the family and was consumed just as quickly as the competition. I found myself reaching in the bag to snack on long after I finished my bowl of cereal. Each square looks quite identical of the General Mills square and has that same tasty dose of cinnamon in each bite.

Nutrition

A serving size consisting of three quarter cup yields 130 calories. The addition of milk obviously places this breakfast in the higher calorie bracket primarily due to the ten grams of sugar.  The high carbohydrates and sugars tend to make this cereal a better option for one or two days a week at most.

The cereal ingredients start with whole grain wheat, sugar, rice flour, and other sweeteners, vitamins and minerals. As sweet as the Millville cereal is, it is still a better alternative to donuts or coffee cake as it is absent of those dangerous Trans fats.

Price

Aside from the great taste, the price of Millville Cinnamon Crunch Squares cannot be beat at the low price of two dollars. The savings of at least a dollar over the competition makes this choice of cereal a no brainer. It is nice to know I can get about three boxes of this ALDI cereal for the same price of two General Mills boxes

Overview

I have tried to substitute other name brand cereals with Millville that failed miserably in taste. The Millville cinnamon cereal really passes with flying colors as the taste and price cannot be beat. I would definitely rate this product a very strong buy.