Bonnie: Earthbound Farm PowerMeal kits are something truly new. These three salad kits not only contain organic greens and dressings but also organic grains (wheat berries, quinoa, bulgur wheat), beans (black, garbanzo), sunflower kernels and veggies, turning these into nutritional powerhouse meals.
Each kit contains 360 or fewer calories, 3 grams saturated fat (of 21 to 23 grams total fat), 6 to 7 grams fiber and 5 to 9 grams plant-based protein. Great nutritionals. If you want to reduce the total fat, just don’t use all the included dressing. All three kits provide 40 percent of the 2 1/2 cups vegetables and half a whole-grain serving of the three the government suggests we get daily.
I really like the Tomatillo Black Bean variety, which we’re selecting as our FeaturedBite. It includes baby lettuces, black bean and corn blend (tasty and atypical for a packaged salad), sunflower kernels, corn strips (that provide a slightly crunchy 
topping and an unusual tomatillo verde dressing).
I highly recommend this for a quick nutritious meal — especially with the government currently recommending that half your plate be full of fruits and veggies. And the Cranberry Wheat — with its baby mixed greens, wheat berries, bulgur wheat, garbanzo beans, dried cranberries and a red wine vinaigrette — is a close second.
Bryan: I once had a friend tell me that nobody could be satisfied with a salad. Seriously, he told me this as I responded to his question, “What should we eat?” with “I could really go for a chicken Caesar salad.” He then asked whether I was on a diet. “Of course not,” I responded. “I just have a hankering for a salad.” He was baffled, and I am as well to this day.
Salad was just not a real meal to my friend, and I’ve found that more than a few people I’ve bumped into share this same opinion. I, on the other hand, like many other people, love a good salad. Crisp greens, a tangy dressing, some fruit or nuts tossed in… salads are a wonderful meal! That being said, while I can undoubtedly make a whole meal from a salad, I do understand that for many, a good meal contains a good portion of protein.
From this perspective, I can see how somebody might think that a salad cannot be a good meal. But that misses a major point: Protein is very simple to add to a salad, and delicious at that! CHICKEN Caesar salad — it’s right there in the name. Or how about a triple “S” salad of spinach, strawberries and steak? Protein is no stranger to the salad. But we don’t all eat meat, and even if we do eat meat, we don’t need to eat it at every meal.
Enter Earthbound Farm, the first company to package fresh, pre-washed salads more than 25 years ago. Yes, they’re originals, and while they do offer an overwhelming number of salad varieties (more than 40, actually!), it’s their newest addition that is the focus today… the PowerMeal.
PowerMeals are protein-heavy salads with different combinations of fresh organic greens, seeds, fruits and whole grains. A healthy and tasty combination of protein (without any meat), fiber and antioxidants. There are three PowerMeal salad varieties: Blueberry Quinoa Protein Balance, Cranberry Wheat Protein Boost and the wonderful Tomatillo Black Bean Protein Energy.
Each PowerMeal salad contains individually wrapped ingredients, so when you’re eating your Tomatillo Black Bean lunch, your organic baby lettuce doesn’t get mixed up with the black bean and corn salad or green tomatillo vinaigrette before it should. This is a great salad and a good source of protein (8 grams), so what’s not to love?
Eric: The Earthbound Farm PowerMeal salads have really redefined the pre-packaged salad movement. The funny part is, they’ve redefined what they originally _defined_ 25 years ago when Earthbound Farm was the first company to package pre-washed greens. It seems certain to me that they’ve learned to adapt to demand, and their new PowerMeal salads are a testament to that.
Each salad is packed with a variety of tasteful, healthy, protein-rich ingredients — quinoa, tomatillos, dried blueberries, black beans. There is nothing “skimpy” about the new line of Earthbound Farm PowerMeals. Omnivores will unite, some carnivores might cringe, but vegetarians will be ecstatic.
Where do you find the Earthbound Farm main course salads that you are recommending? Stop & Shop (in my zip code 06514) does not carry them.
Maria, it doesn’t look like the PowerMeals have made it into your area yet, except if they are in some independents that I don’t have direct access to. However…any store that carries Earthbound Farm products now could order the PowerMeal and if you ask, we find the produce managers will generally give new products a try.
Thanks!
Where can you buy these in Henderson, NV.? Does Costco carry them. I want to try them.
Louise, Costco does not carry them. Same story as for Maria, above. There may well be some independents carrying them in your area, but because we sell to distributors who sell to the indepdendents, I don’t have visibility to who might be taking them. My suggestion is that if there is a local store that carries other Earthbound Farm items, let the produce manager know that you’re interested in the PowerMeals. Generally, we’ve found that stores are very responsible when their shoppers specifically ask for items. Thanks!
Just had one of these for the first time and fell in love. And I don’t even like salads. Will definitely be buying again.
You have to just buy one of these salads to see what you are missing out on. I truly love this product line. I anticipate more variety. What an amazing concept. 😀
We so agree with you!
I miss these power meals. I can’t find them anywhere now. I’ve even asked some of the grocery store managers of the neighborhood grocery chains to bring them back. No success there. I’ll settle for the ingredients of the power meals and add them to my earthbound organic greens, that fortunately, I can still purchase.