Well I know I've hit my halfway point when I get the email from Nutrisystem that my next month is getting ready to ship. Well I popped on over there to upgrade my account from Favorites Pack (where they make your food selection) to the Custom Pack (where you make your choices).
Luckily I did because after popping around looking at food I realized they were going to send me a lot of food I wasn't in favor of. Not that these things weren't good, but for example:
I have a ton of lunch bars and I don't eat those. I'm unemployed! I don't need food to be in a hurry. I will be holding on to those because I assume I might need them in the next month or two, and I will eat them when they do fetch my fancy, but I definitely don't need any more sent to me.
Secondly, they were going to ship me like 8 breakfast cereals. I am lactose intolerant and though I can have some dairy once in a while, frequent breakfast dairy is not an option.
Third, the beans! I've already posted about how I dislike beans. But man, they were going to send me A LOT of bean lunches and dinners. Like 2 of every one. No thank you!
Lastly, the red sauce. Yes, the soft canned-in-packets, tomato sauces are not great. I should start off by saying I've found Chef Boyardee to be some of the grossest things I've ever come across, even as a child when everyone thought spaghettios were the bomb. It's not the flavor--it's the smell. I can't stand that tomato smell. And of course, MANY of the Nutrisystem lunches and dinners are heavily laiden with that particular tomato sauce smell.
So, I went through and picked out my favorites and a few things I've not tried that sound good:
Breakfast
(2) Banana Nut Muffin
Tried--A bit spongy but fun to eat and filling.
(1) Biscotti Bites
Not tried--I like coffee though and I know these will work well with my current employment
status.
(2) Blueberry Muffin
Tried--Again, a bit spongy but filling.
(1) Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar
Not sure if I've tried--all the bars kind of blend together. But I like a bit-o-chocolate in the
morning and this is a sure fire way of filling that occasional void.
(1) Chocolate Biscotti Bites
Not tried--sounds good? Like I said; chocolate in the morning = awesome and biscotti
complements coffee well.
(2) Chocolate Chip Baked Bar
Not tried--sounds good!! Love me some chocolate and the Cinnamon Baked Bar had a really
good texture.
(3) Cinnamon Bun (good)
Tried--It has a pretty bad rap on the internet for not being as good as the frozen version. But
how can you pass up something frosted? You can't, that's why you are here with me lol in the
same boat. I thought it was pretty good.
(3) Cinnamon Bun Bar
Tried--I thought it was lovely but again I love anything with frosting. I thought this was a diet?
(1) Cinnamon Raisin Baked Bar
Tried--Decent, and I can't just get all chocolate everything (wait till you see my snack
choices... lol).
(2) Cinnamon Streusel Muffin
Tried--decent though it has a goofy texture.
(2) Double Chocolate Muffin
Tried--more "dark chocolate" then I would like but still awesome just cause it's chocolate.
(1) Honey Wheat Bagel
Not tried--Everyone online says this is tasty. Maybe it's because they've been carb deprived
while on this diet, not sure. Willing to give it a try.
(1) Oatmeal Cranberry Bites
Not tried--everyone needs a change of scenery once in a while. The thing I like the most about
Nutrisystem is that I don't 50 of the same thing, so obviously I needed to order at least a bit of
a selection.
(2) Peanut Butter Granola Bar
Not sure if I've tried--looks good? probably is good... right? I guess we'll see!
Breakfast--Things I DID NOT Order and Why
Granola Cereal
Not tried--lactose intolerant.
Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal
Not tried--oatmeal is oatmeal is oatmeal. My SO buys oatmeal and if I wanted oatmeal, I
would just eat one of theirs for 1/5 the price as a flex breakfast. I figure if I'm going to go
through all this effort to order a diet system, I might as well get foods that feed my eyes too.
Harvest Nut Bar
Not tried--I'm kind of done with the bars unless they have chocolate in them.
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Not tried--see Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal comment.
Apple Strudel Bar
Tried--I actually ate this this morning. It's OK. I don't love it. Like most overweight people,
fruit is more like a punishment lol. I like fruit and all but I have half an apple tree of dried
apples in my pantry right now that are just waiting to be baked into something... I don't need to
order an apple flavored breakfast bar.
Nutriflakes Cereal
Not tried--again, lactose intolerant.
Blueberry Lemon Baked Bar
Tried--I ate this my very first day on the diet because, again, fruit feels like a punishment. The
bar has really good texture and was sensibly sweet and decent. But of all the bar choices, this
just didn't really make the cut. I might change my mind in a future month.
Sweetened O's Cereal
Tried--ate this two days before my last interview and my belly was still making sounds during
the interview. Like I said, I'm lactose intolerant. Fat-free milk actually has a heckton more
lactose than full-fat and my belly can definitely tell. I also don't want to have to keep a gallon
of fat-free milk in the fridge just for a half a cup at a time.
Lunch
(2) Arroz con Pollo
Not Tried--Need to try new things and there are very few lunch selections I actually liked.
(2) Cheddar Broccoli Rice
Not Tried--hopefully good. This will likely go good with vegetables.
(2) Cheese Tortellini
Not Tried--doesn't look that good. I have low hopes, but at least it's not a soup. I'm kind of
done with soups. I go through soup phases every few years, but I am currently not in one so no
thank you.
(2) Creamy Beef Alfredo
Not Tried--Looks like it will go well with vegetables. Didn't love the chicken alfredo, but I also
might have overcooked it. We will see.
(2) Red Beans & Rice
Not Tried--Yes I know, I said no beans, but this has sausage, and I love sausage.
(3) Spicy Kung Pao Noodles
Tried--I actually liked these despite what the online reviews had to say. This is basically
sweet-ish ramen noodles. If you add a bunch of stir fry vegetables and some red pepper, it's
really really good.
(3) Sweet BBQ Sauce with Pulled-Style Pork
Not Tried--Wow I haven't really tried much. I will say, most of the lunches I have had were
terrible, sans three. I do think I'm going to love the heck out of this though.
(3) Three Cheese Chicken
Tried--Really good with vegetables. The sauce goes far and this is a good lunch.
(5) Tuna Salad
Tried--A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I love tuna, and I love lettuce wraps. I took this tuna, added more
green onion, more water chestnuts, and julienned carrots into a lettuce wrap. Really, really
good.
Lunch--Things I DID NOT Order and Why
Double Chocolate Carmel Bar
Not Tried--I seriously considered ordering more of these because I'm sure it's good, but I still
have two in my first box and like I said before, I don't need go-go bars... yet.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar
Not Sure if I Tried--it's probably good? I guess all the bars I have tried have all kind of
blended into one. Tastes good? but isn't really the "point" of lunch. Done with bars!
White Bean Chicken Chili
Not Sure if I Tried--it's probably decent for a chili, but I'm done with soups/chilis too. I just
don't like beans!
Fudge Graham Bar
Tried--this was good. It was a bit chewy for texture but still good. But like I said, I'm done
with bars!
Homestyle Chicken [Soup]
Not Tried--I don't like soup, and I especially don't like chicken noodle soup. I like chicken
broth, I just can't stand noodles in broth... always has just seemed like a waste to me. I'm sure
it's good though.
White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Not Tried--I've heard this is terrible. I almost ordered some but as I haven't tried it, it didn't
seem like a good idea. I do have one in my possession I will eat soon and might order in the
future.
Loaded Potato
Tried--terrible! Absolutely terrible. When you are actually allowed to eat potato for your one
daily carb or for a flex meal, it seems like such a waste to have this "potato substitute" of a
meal. Horrible texture. I have one or two of these still in my possession. I'm going to take the
powder and blend it in my spice blender, then I'm going to cook it by just adding boiling water
and letting it sit for five minutes (how you normally make instant potatoes). One girl on the
internet said, "I wanted to like it..." and I agree, I very much wanted to love the potatoes,
especially when I was missing carbs so very, very much. I will definitely not order again.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Not Tried--See Homestyle Chicken [Soup].
Tortilla Soup
Not Tried--I have one of these from my first order, and it looks like it could be good, but it is
both a soup and has beans. I will retouch on this once I do get to eat it.
Beans & Ham Soup
Tried--I ate this the very first day on Nutrisystem because I made sure to spend my first day
eating the grossest food, instead of saving it all for the end. With [a lot] of pepper added, it
was actually good, though I hate beans. It didn't have the terrible bean texture bean foods
usually have, and the broth was tasty. Unless I went to the doctor and he said the one thing I'm
missing from my diet is more beans, then I won't be ordering this again.
Black Beans & Rice
Not Tried--Ugh looking at the picture all you can see are giant black beans. Agghh.
Chocolate Covered Cherry Bar
Not Tried--I think this might be new? I don't usually like fruit and chocolate, but I am
intrigued by this. I thought about ordering it, but reconsidered on the stance I am decidedly
not getting any more lunch bars and that is that.
Dinner
(1) BBQ Seasoned Chicken
Not Tried--looks good?
(1) Chicken Pot Pie
Not Tried--a lot of good reviews on how tasty this one is.
(2) Fiesta Macaroni and Cheese
Tried--really really good with sauted peppers. I ate the first half plain and it was good but the
second half I added peppers and it was AWESOME. There is a bit of a tomato smell though
(ick!).
(1) Hickory Smoke Flavored Beef Patty
Not Tried--meh? Not sure, don't know what to think. Looks versatile so we'll see.
(3) Italian Herb Flatbread Pizza
Tried--really good with cooked tomatoes on top. Tastes just like a pizza!
(1) Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Not Tried--I like me some lasagna though and I'm willing to at least give it a try.
(2) Mac & Cheese with Turkey Sausage
Not Tried--love me some sausage though. Totally looks awesome and who doesn't love cheese.
(1) Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes
Not Tried--this one is in high demand and could be good?
(1) Mushroom Risotto
Not Tried--this looks really really good and I've almost eaten it a few times.
(1) Penne Bolognese with Meat Sauce
Not Tried--I know I said no more tomato sauce but who doesn't like penne?
(1) Sante Fe Style Chicken
Not Tried--looks good and I like to have a tex-mex flavor once in a while.
(2) Sesame Ginger Chicken
Tried--pretty good but I should have added some vegetables. Not tomatoe-y which is a plus!
(3) Thick Crust Pizza
Not Tried--obviously pizza is awesome. All reviews online say both the frozen and non-frozen
pizzas are hands down the best dinners of all.
(1) Tuna Casserole
Not Tried--I like tuna and I'm betting this will be decent.
(2) Turkey Sausage & Bacon Rigatoni
Not Tried--um sausage? yes please!? plus bacon? whaa?
(1) Vegetable Lasagna
Not tried--again, lasagna is good and I'm willing to give this one a try.
Dinner--Things I DID NOT Order and Why
Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
Not Tried--Though this looks versatile, I just have never been a "meatball" person.
Rotini & Meatballs
Tried--good, but I still have a lot of red sauce foods left and the noodles in packets are hard to
get just "right".
Chili with Beans
Not Tried--oh I pray I don't have any of these in my stash right now. Maybe it's just the picture
but Jody Grody! Beans, beans, and more beans.
Ravioli with Meat Sauce
Not Tried--I have one of these in my stash. I considered buying more but to tell you the truth, I
have a freezer full of about 100 homemade raviolis that I've been trying to figure out how to
both (A) calculate the calories and (B) add these into a flex meal sometime. Hence, I don't
need "more" ravioli.
Pasta Fagioli
Not Tried--it is described on the label as "a vegetarian soup... with beans...". I'm good.
Hearty Beef Stew
Tried--this is good, tastes like a normal can of stew. I might buy this in the future but I just
don't need any more stews/soups right now.
Vegetarian Chili
Not Tried--I don't want any more beans!!
Bean Bolognese
Not Tried--bean is literally in the name. No. More. Beans.
Chicken Pasta Parmesan
Tried--I didn't really like this. The tomato smell was awful and the noodles were meh.
Chicken Alfredo
Tried--Didn't love it, the sauce was not great. Also, this has a pretty low rating on the website.
Chicken and BBQ Beans
Not Tried--Gah I hate beans! I especially hate baked beans.
Tuscan Inspired Pasta
Tried--One of the first things I ate was this to get the awful foods out of the way. It was OK but the beans were huge and there wasn't much flavor.
Snacks
(2) Carrot Cake
Not Tried--looks good and has good reviews?
(1) Cheese Puffs
Not Tried--almost ate many times and I think it will be a good Cheetos fix.
(2) Cheesecake Flavored Bar
Not Tried--call me crazy but I'm crazy for cheesecake. I'm sad I haven't had one yet, and if
they are amazing I see many, many more in the future.
(1) Chocolate Cake
Tried--this is ok. The chocolate baked goods are always decent, but not as good as you hope.
(1) Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tried--this is ok. The small cookies are surprisingly hard. If you like a crunch cookie that is
ok, but I personally worked at a bakery so it's hard not to expect the best from baked goods.
(1) Chocolatey Nougat Bar
Not Tried--sounds like a candy bar.
(1) Chocolatey Pretzel Bar
Not Tried--sounds also like a candy bar?
(1) Fudge Brownie
Not Tried--wasn't in my first box and wasn't going to be in my second box. I assume it is
something that is more worth the money so they don't give it out unless you order it, hence I
expect it's pretty good, but we'll see.
(2) Golden Pound Cake
Tried--was ok. The baked goods, again, are a bit spongy but was decent. Very filling.
(3) Milk Chocolate Flavored Pretzels
Tried--really, really good. Not many pretzels but very tasty.
(1) Nutrichocolates
Tried--texture was super weird but it definitely tied me over for straight chocolate.
(1) Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Not Tried--soft chocolate cookie yay!
(1) Peanut Butter Cookie
Not Tried--soft cookie that looks good.
(1) Snickerdoodle Cookie
Not Tried--another soft cookie; hopefully good?
(1) Sweet and Salty Snack Mix
Not Tried--heard good things. Good if you need a nut fix.
(1) Thin Mint Crisp Bar
Not Tried--hmm thin mints anybody? Definitely worth trying.
(1) Toffee Crunch Cookies
Not Tried--hear they are OK but I am willing to give them a try.
(1) Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Tried--not as good as other reviewers said. Very tough/hard. Tasted buttery and sweet
though, not diety.
(1) White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Not Tried--likely hard like the other cookies but it's white chocolate so it has to be good, right?
Snacks--Things I DID NOT Order and Why
Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Nut Bar
Not Tried--Just doesn't sound that good. I don't like dark chocolate.
White Cheddar Popcorn
Not Tried--I have one of these in my stash still, but I heard some bad reviews.
Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Not Tried--If I was just going to get cookies, I would not get the ones with nuts, that's all.
Smoky BBQ Snack-A-Rounds
Not Tried--heard these weren't very good, plus I'm a sugarholic.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Not Tried--no thank you grandma!
Salt and Vinegar Snack-A-Rounds
Not Tried--I like sugar too much.
Chewy Peanut Bar
Not Sure if I Tried--all the bars kind of blend together, but the word "chewy" just doesn't sound
appetizing in this scenario.
Popcorn
Not Tried--heard bad reviews.
Chocolate Caramel Bar
Not Tried--doesn't look very good in the picture. I know, I'm sorry!
Honey Mustard Pretzel Bits
Not Tried--I know, but I really like sweets!
Garlic Parmesan Snack-A-Rounds
Not Tried--heard bad reviews.
Coconut Almond Bar
Not Tried--coconut, gross!
Apple Pecan Bites
Not Tried--like I said before, fruit feels like too much of a punishment lol.
Zesty Pizza Snack-a-Rounds
Not Tried--heard bad reviews.
Creamy Ranch Snack-A-Rounds
Not Tried--heard bad reviews.
Zesty Herb Snack Mix
Not Tried--looks decent enough though, might try in the future.
Pretzels
Not Tried--pretzels and? Oh just pretzels? I'm good. I plan on turning my fat-free greek
yogurt into a few dips though and a nice spinach dip for a protein might pair well with these.
We'll see!
I'm a little disappointed I have to make my choices this soon, when I have barely made what feels like a dent in the food I already received (so I don't really know what's good and what's not so good yet). Obviously after reviewing all my food, I realize I really haven't tried much at all!
