Find out if it tastes as good as it looks after the jump!
]
Upon first glance, the grilled tofu and eggplant meal has several things going for it:
1. It's under $6. If only the same could be said for many of the other borderline exotic items that line the shelves of Whole Foods.
2. It's a pound of food! This fact operating in tandem with the first point creates a pretty strong intensive to add this sucker to your basket.
3. It's healthy. The meal offers a simple spread comprised of a heaping helping of mixed whole grains with a side of grilled eggplant and BBQ seasoned tofu strips, which pretty much assures an adequate nutritional boost, unlike most fast food options.
4. It's convenient. The packaging is airtight and microwave safe so all you have to do is poke a few holes in the plastic film, nuke it for a few minutes and dig in!
And finally:
5. It's colorful. It's amazing how much color plays a roll in whether or not something comes off as appetizing. If something looks as though it should be spilling out of a cornucopia as part of a Thanksgiving Day spread, it has to taste at least halfway decent… right?
Wrong.
This meal is a trap and you know it as soon as the airtight seal is broken. The smells alone is enough to put you off your lunch. To be frank, it's like getting a good whiff of a compost bin.
It's also tastes as bland as its name sounds, except for the daikon seeds which add a vaguely tannic and inedible quality to the rice. Perhaps it's being surrounded by the fabulous hot foods bar that pumps up one's optimism, but unless you've got some soy sauce handy, you had better prepare yourself for the ultimate stereotype of tasteless vegan food.
That said, you're better off building yourself a meal at the hot foods bar or grabbing a bite at any of the kiosks that offer quick and freshly prepared meals to go. Compared to the disaster that is the grilled tofu and eggplant meal, it's well worth the few extra bucks!
