Whole & Simple Korean Inspired Beef Grain Bowl
Whenever I see a certain style of white box emblazoned with the Whole & Simple logo in the Aldi freezer aisle, I know it’s a product worth taking a look at. The Whole & Simple private label — an Aldi exclusive — features meals made mostly with easily recognizable ingredients that aren’t ultra-processed.
In particular, a lot of Whole & Simple products feature frozen, single-serving, microwavable bowl meals perfect for healthy, quick meals. I’ve found tahini & chickpea protein bowls, pad Thai, and enchilada bowls, to name a few.
One of the more recent Whole & Simple meals to show up at Aldi is this Korean Inspired Beef Grain Bowl.
The Whole & Simple Korean Inspired Beef Grain Bowl is an Aldi Find. That means it’s only in stores for a short time. Each store gets one shipment, and it’s gone after that sells out. Aldi does not offer online ordering for products that are out of stock at your local store.
We buy Aldi products to review with our own money. I paid $3.99 for a 10-ounce package at my local store in January of 2025. That comes out to about 40 cents per ounce.
This is a product of Canada.
If you’re looking out for allergens, this contains soy, wheat, and sesame.
One bowl has 320 calories, 6 grams of total fat (8% DV), 1.5 grams of saturated fat (8% DV), 520 mg of sodium (23% DV), 49 grams of total carbohydrates (18% DV), 6 grams of dietary fiber (21% DV), 9 grams of total sugars, 6 grams of added sugars (12% DV), and 17 grams of protein.
This has a carbs-to-fiber ratio of 8.17:1, making it decent, if not the lowest-carb meal on the market. It does have a bit of added sugar.
The box has directions for cooking this from frozen in the microwave (recommended) or in a conventional oven.
To microwave, remove the bowl from the carton. Do not pierce or remove the film. Heat on high for 3 minutes. Peel back the film and stir thoroughly. Replace the film and cook on high for an additional 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the microwave, stir, and let stand for 1-2 minutes before serving. The bowl will be hot, so use caution and support the bowl when removing it from the microwave.
To cook in the oven, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the bowl from the carton. Do not pierce or remove the film. Place the bowl on a baking sheet on the middle oven rack for 25-30 minutes. Halfway through cooking, peel back the film, stir, and replace the film for the remaining cooking time. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. The bowl will be hot, so use caution and support the bowl when removing from the baking sheet. Remove the film and stir thoroughly. Let stand for 1-2 minutes before serving.
We cooked this in the microwave. In addition to seasoned beef, it has plenty of veggies, including carrots, kale, spinach, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and peppers. It also has brown rice, red quinoa, and pearl barley. It features soy sauce and various seasonings that give it good flavor. Overall, this has lots of different flavors and textures that all combine to make a pretty good meal.
The Verdict:
We’re big fans of the Whole & Simple boxed frozen meals at Aldi. The Whole & Simple Korean Inspired Beef Grain Bowl is another good option in this lineup. Featuring long grain brown rice, barley, red quinoa, carrots, shitake mushrooms, kale, spinach, bamboo shoots, and sesame seeds, this heats quickly in the microwave for a convenient meal.
