Barilla Microwaveable Meals {Review & Giveaway}

A great deal of a mom's day is spent thinking about food.

Not for herself, mind you, but for her kids. Did they have enough to eat for breakfast so that they'll be fueled for the day? Are they getting enough in their lunchbox to keep them going? Does tonight's dinner include enough vegetables? Vitamins? Whole grains?

Needless to say, Mom's concept of three-meals-a-day for herself tends to get lost along the way. Whether we stay at home, work at home or work outside of the house, who has time to stop and plan a healthy lunch when we're beyond busy with 100 other things (and thinking about our kids' eating habits)?

That's where Barilla comes in with a lunchtime solution that keeps you satisfied without slowing you down. For eating at home or on-the-go, Barilla Microwaveable Meals are a quick, nutritious way to look forward to lunchtime again.

Delivering the Italian taste and quality people have come to expect from Barilla, Barilla Microwaveable Meals have turned Italy's #1 brand of pasta into a single serve offering. Made from the same 100% natural ingredients as Barilla dry pastas and jarred sauces, they are shelf stable, less than 320 calories, portable and ready in just 60 seconds.

As my daily routine often has me wishing there was a way to add more hours to the day, it isn't uncommon for me to feel the need to sacrifice taste and nutrition and instead grab a quick lunch in order to get back to work, get the kids to their next activity, or simply move on to my next obligation.

We don't tend to eat fast food all that often (being a vegetarian limits the options available immensely), but I still know full well that I'm not setting the best example for my girls when I serve them a balanced lunch... and then I eat whatever is leftover in the fridge and maybe a handful of chips.

Fortunately, the five varieties of Barilla Microwaveable Meals arrived and I suddenly had no reason to miss out on eating healthy while enjoying the comforting taste of homemade pasta that is ready in one minute.

Including all of the taste and quality your family expects from Barilla, their Microwaveable Meals are available in:

• Mezze Penne with Spicy Marinara Sauce
• Mezze Penne with Tomato & Basil Sauce
• Mezze Penne with Traditional Marinara Sauce
• Whole Grain Fusilli with Vegetable Marinara Sauce
• Whole Grain Mezze Penne with Tomato & Basil Sauce

As I looked over the different meals, I was glad to see that Barilla had indeed only included 100% natural ingredients. Instead of seeing a list of preservatives and jumbled letters that I couldn't pronounce (and really didn't want to eat), these contain things like flour, olive oil, diced tomatoes and Oregano. Now those make me hungry.

When it comes to actually eating Barilla Microwaveable Meals, I appreciate that Barilla not only made the heating process quick and easy, but that the pasta and sauce are kept separate inside each 9 oz package.

Along with keeping them both fresh and delicious, this allows each person the ability to customize their meal to include just the right sauce-to-pasta ratio that they prefer.

While I didn't have the highest hopes for these meals (they were, after all, microwaved pasta), I was happy to find myself thoroughly impressed after my first bite. Delicious!

These taste just as good as the high quality, all-natural meals my family is used to enjoying from Barilla... but now able to fit even easier into our fast paced lifestyle!

Whether you are most attracted to the two whole grain options, the fact that each meal provides between 9 and 11g of protein, that all five only contain 320 calories, or just that Barilla has given all of us a healthier option for a quick-fix lunch, their new Microwaveable Meals are just the thing to have on hand.

It has never been easier to have your favorite Italian recipes right at your fingertips and ready in the amount of time it takes to fill up your glass and grab a fork!

With a suggested retail price of $3.29 each, Barilla Microwaveable Meals are available in major supermarkets throughout the country. To find out more about the five varieties as well as download a coupon for $1 off, visit the Barilla website and connect with them on Facebook.

And, thanks to their generosity, one person will soon be able to try out each and every new meal as well, because...

One lucky person will win FIVE free product coupons for Barilla Microwaveable Meals!

(Enter with the Rafflecopter form below. If you have any questions or problems entering, there is a video tutorial found here that can help.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Barilla and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.