Being a huge fan of ready-to-eat meals all my life, I am always on the look out for new products to try. Just the other day, I was perusing the isles during my usual grocery shopping trip and came across a new ready-to-eat lunch box. Seeing that it was on sale, I was drawn to taking a look. After checking out the products within the gopicnic lunchbox, I was sold – and bought three flavors. Being familiar with the usual high amounts of sodium, fat, and sugars in other ready-to-eat meals, I was surprised to find a different quality (and taste) in the nutrition of these gopicnic products. Quite a pleasant surprise!

gopicnic brands

gopicnic ready-to-eat meals is an innovative company based out of Chicago, IL. First founded in 2006 to provide airlines in the United States with easier food for customers, gopicnic has thrived over the years and is now available in retail stores across the nation (gopicnic, 2012). Priding themselves in having “nutritionally balanced, shelf-stable, ready-to-eat boxed lunches… that require no refrigeration, heating, or preparation,” this company creates delicious meals for on-the-go. Another pride and joy for gopicnic brands is all their products contain “clean ingredients, no trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup, no added monosodium glutamate (MSG), and no artificial flavors or colors.” They are perfect lunches for those with special diets, such as gluten-free, vegan, and/or nut free diets; or simply for the busy consumer needing an affordable, quick, and healthy lunch source. (gopicnic, 2012)

There are many different flavors of these lunchboxes, and I have only to make my way through three of them – Sunbutter & Crackers, Turkey Slices & Cheddar, and Turkey Pepperoni & Cheese.

Sunbutter & Crackers

The sunflower seed paste was creamy and delicious, tasting exactly like sunflower seeds. It paired well with the salty crackers and multi seed and fruit mix. The seed and fruit mix had lots of sunflower seeds and raisins with some dried apple and other seeds. The fruit strip was quite enjoyable with a sweet and tropical flavor to it; and to finish it all off was some guiltless chocolate chip cookies. Four of the five pieces in this lunchbox were made in the USA, with the fruit strip from Canada. All five included foods are gluten-free and peanut allergy safe. My only disappointment is the chocolate chip cookies were a bit too dry for me (but that is just my opinion). Overall, this is my favorite of the flavors I have tried.

Turkey Slices & Cheddar

The turkey slices were not too strong in flavor (thank goodness), but were a bit salty for my liking (270mg of sodium per serving). The cheddar cheese is a dip, or spread if you prefer it, – gluten free and vegetarian, and tastes just like normal cheddar. Both paired well with the light and slightly sweet crackers, which had hints of honey. All three together tasted exactly like the typical lunchable you would buy in the store, but had healthier ingredient lists and nutrition facts. The side of applesauce was unsweetened (and yet still tasty), soft and smooth to the tongue, and even included a plastic spoon. I definitely enjoyed the fruit chews; which were gluten-free and sweet (they were even shaped like little jets). Overall, this was an enjoyable meal.

Turkey Pepperoni & Cheese

The turkey pepperoni slices tasted just like pepperoni slices (which is good), yet they were very slimy and high in sodium. They did pair very well with the asiago cheese dip/spread, which was not very overpowering in flavor. The crackers, whether enjoyed with the cheese and pepperoni or by themselves, were delicious. They had a good seed and sesame flavor and were very crunchy – not to mention, they were made in the USA and are gluten-free. Brownie points! The fruit and nut mix, also made in the USA, was sweet and slightly hot. It was a wonderful mix of flavor choices; and for the grand finale, a sea salt and caramel lollipop. Let me just say, “Wow.” Made in France this delectable pop is super sweet and salty. 53% of it is made from milk, and then sugar, leaving the ingredient list short and to the point. Surprisingly, no artificial flavors or colors for this sweet treat. Overall, this lunchbox had its good and bad parts, but certainly is on the top of my list for that salted caramel lolly.

 

In conclusion, gopicnic read-to-eat meals have been such an enjoyable alternative for my work lunches that I will certainly be going back for more! Everywhere I take these, people are curious. If you want my opinion, two thumbs up all the way! For more information on gopicnic brands and products, you can visit their online shop and website at: gopicnic.com.

I will leave you with a fun fact I found written in one of the adorable picnic-style, reclosable, gingham lunchboxes:

Did you know? … “Crackers were created in 1792 after a baker burned biscuits and heard the ‘cracking’ sound from the oven.” Enjoy!

References

gopicnic. (2012). About GoPicnic. Retrieved May 6, 2014, from gopicnic website