Lunch: April 15

Today's lunch: Zatarain's Jambalaya flavored with sausage.

Package versus reality.

Lunch: March 29

Simply Asia Sesame Teriyaki Noodle Bowl.
Package versus reality
Beginning to realize that this just upgraded ramen.

Belated lunch post

Zatarain's Red Beans & Rice with Sausage package:

Reality:

Two Lunch Posts: Package vs. Reality

Lean Cuisine Mushroom Tortelloni. I think I ate this February 3.

From Drop Box

Reality has more peas.

From Drop Box

A lot more peas.

From Drop Box

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers: Whiskey Steak. I ate this February 8th.

From Drop Box

I wonder if potatoes get as much subsidy as corn?

From Drop Box

If I wasn't so lazy I could probably prepare something better from scratch.

Today's Lunch: Package vs. Reality

Lean Cuisine Sweet & Spicy Ginger Chicken. It was quite good. I didn't taste any water chestnuts.

The package:

From Drop Box

Reality from roughly the same angle as the package:

From Drop Box

The reality from above:

From Drop Box

I like how these photos turned out. Used natural light.

Today's Lunch: Package vs. Reality

Today's Lunch: Central Market Pad Thai. Central Market is the HEB store brand of organic foods.

The package:

From Drop Box

Need to work on the glare on the package photos.

The reality:

From Drop Box

It's not you, the reality photo is a bit out of focus.

Bonus photo:

From Drop Box

This particular type Amy's Burrito is only available at HEB. Wal-Mart doesn't carry the yellow ones, just the red and green. Makes me wonder about grocery distribution agreements.

Today's Lunch: Package vs. Reality

Lunch for 1/12/2011: Healthy Choice Portabella Marsala Pasta

The package:

The reality photographed from the approximate angle of the package. I don't keep a bottle of olive oil on my desk.

The reality photographed from above.

The general layout is similar but the noodles are different. Not bad for a microwave meal.

Today's Lunch: Package vs. Reality

Today's Lunch: Healthy Choice Lobster Cheese Ravioli.

The product on the package:

The product in reality after cooking:

To be fair, I should have photographed from the same angle but then the picture would be mostly black plastic container.

It tasted pretty much how it looks, not nasty but bland. It was a source of carbohydrates, protein and fat. I kind of feel sorry for the lobsters that were killed for this.

I also ate some yogurt and a pineapple product from Dole.

Lunch 9/9/09

Healthy Choice Grilled Chicken Teriyaki - the package. Nice design with the exclamation point.

The reality after microwaving:

The apple stuff always splashes into the broccoli. Piece of broccoli invaded apple stuff compartment. No pineapple. Sauce off target.

Today's Lunch

The package: Healthy Choice Honey Ginger Chicken

The reality after two minutes of microwave heating:

It tasted good.

Package v. Reality: the backlog

A backlog of package vs. reality. The backlog exists because the memory card in my cell phone that stores photos is a bit of a pain to remove from my phone. I will receive a new phone this month. Hopefully one with a more accessible card.

I actually ate these things for lunch. Not too much deviation between package and reality with this lot.

Amy's Bowls Santa Fe Enchilada - package:

Reality after microwaving:
Amy's is named for the daughter of the founders. They wanted good, easy to make organic food. I hope they do not feed their daughter the amount of sodium in their meals. Not as much as non-organic foods but still the numbers seem a bit high.

I'm slowly coming to realization that the only way to cut back my sodium intake is to prepare all my food myself. I found the time for exercise and tracking my calories so I should be able to find some time to prepare meals. The only sign I show so far of excess sodium consumption is slightly swollen ankles.

Lean Cuisine Traditional Roasted Vegetable Pizza - the package:

The reality:

Amy's Bowls Pesto Tortellini - the package:

The reality:

I take in 2,500 - 5,000 mg of sodium a day. The recommended max is 2,300 mg. My doctor noted the ankles and asked about my sodium intake.

Package v. Reality and other Photos

When I was in college InterVarsity Christian Fellowship were the nerdy, kind of goofy people who happened to be Christians (I was turned on to Star Trek while a member) and often befriended nerdy, kind of goofy seekers while Campus Crusade took everything a bit more seriously. InterVarsity members would have appreciated the humor in the room schedule. I'm not sure how Campus Crusade members would have reacted.

I've been contacted via mail by the current InterVarsity staff person to provide support as an alumni and join an alumni organization. I'm curious but also afraid to send in the post card. I wonder if InterVarsity still attracts the nerdier students.

Some bonus Loki photos. It was a rare moment with good lighting and contrasting flooring. These were taken in the exam room while we waited for the vet.

That tongue is about 3 inches wide. Thankfully, Loki is not much of a kisser.

Loki waits for the doctor to enter. He surprised the tech that walked in. She saw the name on the chart and expected to find a Lhasa Apso who is a frequent patient. My Loki is the complete opposite of a Lhasa Apso.

The Texas Hall of Fame had a dessert theme in its concert bookings.

Today's lunch (these were part of a special - buy four and get a bunch of other food free). The package:

The reality out of the microwave:
My boss' dog followed me to my office after I cooked this thing. The smell of peanut sauce was too tantalizing for a Jack Russell Terrier to ignore. I let her lick the plate. With all the people in the office feeding her bits of food she will gain five pounds by the end of the semester.

Lunch - 5.6.2008

Central Market Pad Thai. The package:
The reality:
I poured the peanuts. This was quite tasty. I did have a problem with the tails on the shrimp. I know it's an Asian thing but I prefer my shrimp without the tails. I picked up the shrimp and pulled the tails off.

Kang Phed Goong

Today's Lunch: Central Market Spicy Curry Shrimp - Kang Phed Goong. Central Market is HEB's brand of natural and organic foods.

The package:
The reality after microwaving:
More of the reality after being poured onto a plate:
This is a product of Thailand. It was good and spicy. I like Thai food because of the taste and the names sound Klingon.

I've added a Mary Worth watch to track the number of days Mary disappears from her comic. I don't think I can take the Amalfi drama for 32 days. Mary will need back up to meddle in a train wreck of this magnitude.

Sylvia and Baked Ziti

If this were a real t-shirt line, I would have my Christmas shopping finished very early.

Other warning t-shirts:

• Easily offended
• Incapable of looking at things from an other's point of view
• Does not know how to extrapolate facts to other situations
• Willfully retarded
• Political and socio-economic views formed by Carlos Mencia
• Does not retain information
• Thinks it's unfair that only black people can use the n-word without negative repercussions
• Pins responsibility for own feelings on you
• Doesn't really want your opinion even if solicited
• Only wants what is on the test
• Won't STFU, ever

Feel free to play along in the comments.

Today's Lunch: HEB Classic Lean Selections Baked Ziti
The package:
The reality:
Reality looks a bit better than package. Canadians can prepare a mean frozen entree. Yay, Canada!

Lunch - 4.29.2008

HEB Classics Lean Selections - Chicken Parmesan or Pollo Parmensano. Hecho en Canada. I can learn Spanish while eating lunch.

The package:
The reality after microwaving:
The zucchini hides in the corner in an attempt to escape its fate.

I have trouble believing that making this meal in Canada and shipping it is more cost-effective than making it in Texas or Mexico where it is distributed. I don't grasp the economics unless this Canadian factory produces the same meals for other grocery store chains throughout the hemisphere but in different packages.

Lunch - 4.28.2008

HEB Classics Lean Selection - Ginger Glazed Chicken. For Spanish speakers, Pollo al Jengibre. HEB is a regional chain of grocery stores based in San Antonio, Texas with stores located in Texas and Mexico. More information about HEB can be found here, including why the company opted to use the founder's initials rather than full name.

The package:
The reality after microwaving:
In English and Spanish the box says that this is a product of Canada. NAFTA food.