Austin-based Snap Kitchen is new to Dallas and they asked me to help spread the word that they provide "all the flavors of a fully stocked kitchen with the convenience of a perfectly portioned, nutritionally balanced, grab and go meal." That's a motto I can appreciate. "And if you are on a special diet," their website states, "we offer everything you need - gluten free, plant powered, paleo and more." Let me preface this post by admitting right up front that I am the least healthy person I know. I eat Taco Bell at least once a week and I am on a first name basis with all of Pizza Hut's drivers. I haven't been to the gym since before I got married and I am addicted to Coca Cola. It's not that I don't want to eat healthier. I really do... but I also like food that tastes good (i.e., loaded with fat, butter and salt). I'm a Southern girl and you cannot make me give up my casseroles and cobblers. No way. Not happening.
So, when Snap Kitchen asked me to give them a try, I warned them. I said their food would have to be good - like really good - to impress me. I could care less about calorie or fat count. Trendy buzz words like quinoa and gluten mean nothing to me. I am 100% about TASTE. And packaging. I'm a marketer by profession so I can appreciate good packaging. I recently stopped by Snap Kitchen's Snider Plaza location in Highland Park and they loaded my bag with assorted breakfast entrees, main dishes, snacks and a couple of juices to take home and try. After grazing my way through their offerings, here's my take on the good, the bad and the tasty:
- stores are bright and airy with a clean, contemporary design
- foods are arranged by genre: breakfast, salads, snacks and sides, main dishes, desserts and juices making things easy to find
- items are clearly labeled with nutritional information, cooking/microwave instructions and an expiration date
- packaging is BPA free, microwave safe and recyclable
- they offer meals that are gluten free, vegan, paleo, plant powered, carb conscious, dairy free and sodium conscious
- meals can all be microwaved in 60-120 seconds so they are super quick and easy
- the Jalapeño Hummus totally rocked
- another big hit was the Caveman Quickie granola packages
- they claim their meals are "perfectly portioned" based on calorie-count. But when I placed an entree in front of my husband he looked at me and said, "Where's the rest of it?" It took two large entrees to satisfy my husband and teenage son. At an average price of $7.50 a meal, a visit here could get expensive real fast.
- when you take out fat you have to find something else to get flavor in there. They use onions. Lots of them. Which I am fine with but my boys can't stand them. This meant they basically wouldn't touch 3/4 of the entrees because there were tons of onions visible throughout the entrees.
For me, Snap Kitchen probably won't be a regular stop but I've turned several of my friends onto it who have thanked me profusely for the introduction. OSC Contributor, Ashley Powell, is training for a marathon so I gave her a free juice coupon form my swag and told her to go in and check it out. She texted me after her visit to say, "Snap Kitchen is probably my new fav place!!! Loved it. Everything is healthy & proportioned. I fell in love!" What I can fully support is the brands desire to provide Dallas diners with healthy options that are fresh and tasty. For those with food allergies or sensitivities, Snap Kitchen will be a welcome oasis in a sea of bad choices. They have three Dallas locations for your healthy eating pleasure and two more in development. Click here to find the Snap Kitchen closet to you.
Photos taken from Snap Kitchen's Facebook Page.
Photos taken from Snap Kitchen's Facebook Page.
