As a self-employed writer and editor who often eats lunch alone at home while the rest of my family is at work or school, I count on keeping a supply of lunch foods that are easy, fast to prepare, and relatively healthy.
I make a lot of salads, either from a la carte ingredients such as lettuce or spinach, sliced cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes from my garden, or I like a lot of the salad kits Aldi sells.
I also enjoy eating some of the Whole & Simple bowl meals that Aldi stocks either as year-round Regular Buys or as limited-time specials. This private label focuses on healthier freezer meals that consist of mostly whole, easily recognizable ingredients. I’ve been reading more recently about the importance of limiting ultra-processed foods, and the Whole & Simple brand at Aldi seems to check the right boxes in that area.
In the Regular Buy freezer, I’ve found Whole & Simple Southwestern Style Chicken Quinoa Bowls and Mediterranean Style Chicken Quinoa Bowls. At different times of the year, I’ve found short-time specials such as shrimp bowls and street corn bowls.
Most recently, Aldi sold some Whole & Simple enchilada bowls in pork or chicken varieties. I picked up one of each to try with my husband.
Whole & Simple Pork Enchilada Bowls and Whole & Simple Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Bowls cost $3.49 for a 10.6-ounce bowl at the time of publication.
These are Aldi Finds, which means they’re only in stores for a short time. Each store gets one shipment, and after that sells out, they’re gone unless Aldi decides to bring them back at some point. Aldi does not offer online ordering for products that are not in stock at your local store.
These are a product of Canada. They advertise a half cup of veggies per serving and 34-39 grams of whole grains per serving.
As mentioned above, most of the products in the Whole & Simple line have few to no processed ingredients. These particular bowls do contain a small amount of more processed ingredients. The pork enchilada bowl contains some dextrose and natural flavor in the pork, while both the pork and chicken enchilada bowls contain corn tortillas that include guar gum.
Both of these bowls contain their share of sodium, coming in at more than 30% of your daily sodium allowance, but it can be challenging to find low-sodium ready-to-heat frozen meals.
The boxes have directions for heating these bowls either in the microwave or in a conventional oven.
To microwave, remove the bowl from the box and pierce the film. Microwave on high for 4.5-5 minutes, cooking thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Let stand 1 minute in the microwave before serving.
To heat in the oven, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the outer packaging and pierce the film. Place the bowl on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 35-40 minutes to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Use caution when removing the bowl from the microwave or oven, as it will be hot. Refrigerate any leftovers promptly.
Keep reading for more about each enchilada bowl flavor.
Whole & Simple Pork Enchilada Bowl
Pork enchilada bowl.
The package states this contains tender pulled pork, spiced brown rice and red quinoa, corn tortilla, tomato, cheddar cheese, black beans and corn.
This is my favorite of the two bowls here. It has a good, mildly smoky flavor and a nice balance of pulled pork, grains, veggies, and cheese. The corn tortilla is a nice touch, making me feel more like I’m eating a regular enchilada. The pork is maybe a bit well done in places, but overall it’s not bad. This has a medium spice level, and it’s less spicy than the chicken enchilada bowl.
Pork enchilada bowl nutrition information, ingredients, and heating directions. (Click to enlarge.)
If you’re looking out for allergens, this contains milk.
One bowl (one serving) has 370 calories, 14 grams of total fat (18% DV), 4.5 grams of saturated fat (23% DV), 740 mg of sodium (32% DV), 42 grams of total carbohydrates (19% DV), 2 grams of dietary fiber (15% DV), 4 grams of total sugars, less than 1 gram of added sugars (0% DV), and 18 grams of protein.
Whole & Simple Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Bowl
Chicken enchilada bowl.
The package states this contains white meat chicken, spiced brown rice and red quinoa, tomatillos, corn tortilla, black beans and cheddar cheese.
This has the most spice of the two enchilada bowls, and I’d classify it on the upper end of medium spicy. I didn’t have any sour cream in my fridge, but I kind of wished I’d had some so I could drop a spoonful on to help cut the heat.
Otherwise, this is a good bowl meal, with plenty of chicken (maybe a tad on the well done side, similar to the pork in the bowl above), and lots of good veggies, grains, and cheese. Similar to the pork enchilada bowl, I like how this chicken enchilada bowl also has a corn tortilla so it feels more like an authentic enchilada. The corn tortillas in both bowls are soft enough that we could easily cut them into bite-sized pieces with a fork.
Chicken enchilada bowl nutrition information, ingredients, and heating directions. (Click to enlarge.)
If you’re looking out for allergens, this contains milk.
One bowl (one serving) has 370 calories, 13 grams of total fat (17% DV), 3.5 grams of saturated fat (18% DV), 750 mg of sodium (33% DV), 43 grams of total carbohydrates (16% DV), 3 grams of dietary fiber (11% DV), 2 grams of total sugars, no added sugars, and 20 grams of protein.
The Verdict:
Whole & Simple Pork Enchilada Bowls and Whole & Simple Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Bowls feature seasoned meat along with spiced brown rice and red quinoa, corn tortillas, tomatoes or tomatillos, cheddar cheese, black beans, and other veggies. They contain minimal processed ingredients, although keep in mind they’re not necessarily low-sodium meals. These are both medium spicy, although the chicken bowl is the spiciest of the two. We like how both of these taste, although the chicken one could use a little added sour cream to help tame the spice. If you want a lunch you can make at work, or a quick and tasty meal when you’re eating alone, these will fit the bill.
