Review of Tasty Bite's 'Channa Masala'

Tasty Bite -- Channa Masala (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: great spice blend, but the chickpeas were not cooked enough for my liking. It should have been more tender. I also would have liked a greater tangy flavour. Overall, a good entree that I would buy again and that I do recommend. It has a great nutritional profile and simple, nutritious ingredients.

Where to buy: shop online, US (Harris Teeter, Whole Foods)



Ingredients: Onions, Water, Chickpeas, Tomatoes, Sunflower Oil, Coriander, Salt, Spices, Chilies, Bay Leaf, Turmeric

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size:1/2 pack
Calories: 180
     Calories from fat: 80
Total fat: 8g
     Saturated fat: 1g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 400mg
Total carbohydrate: 20g
     Dietary fiber: 6g
     Sugars: 5g
Protein: 6g
Vitamin A: 4%
Vitamin C: 4%
Calcium: 6%
Iron: 10%

For 180 calories, the nutritional profile is great. It is low in saturated fat, high in fiber and protein. It does have a bit of a high sodium content, which is good to pay attention to.

Other 'Tasty Bite' Entrées:

• Aloo Palak (vegan)
• Beans Palak (vegan)
• Bengal Lentils (vegan)
• Bombay Potatoes (vegan)
• Jaipur Vegetables
• Jodhpur Lentils (vegan)
• Kashmir Spinach
• Madras Lentils
• Mushroom Masala
• Paneer Makhani
• Peas Paneer
• Pubjab Eggplant (vegan)
• Spinach Channa
• Spinach Dal
• Vegetable Korma

Brand:

• Supports The Hunger Project
• Launched in 1995
• Pouches are free of BPA
• Factory is in India, ISO-9001-2000, HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), ISO14000 (environmental management), BRC (British Retail Consortium) certified, and FDA audited
• Provides amongst the best health insurance available in both the US and India to employees
• Provides scholarship fund for the education of the children of factory workers
• Has a disaster relief program, where food is moved to provide relief in the case of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, the Asian Tsunami and the earthquake in Haiti
• Unique programs in energy and agriculture: 80% of the energy used in the Tasty Bite factory comes from renewable sources such as sugarcane byproducts and food and crop waste
• The Tasty Bite farm is used as a demonstration farm to educate community farmers on high yielding, sustainable agricultural methods
• Actually includes ecosystems in their philosophy on contribution to community development!