As much as I love to create in the kitchen sometimes life just gets totally nuts and you have to rely on pre-made meals. As a vegan that’s not always easy. So I was hella excited when I spotted this 365 Organic Vegan Lasagna in Whole Foods recently. Lasagna was always one of my favorite things as a vegetarian, so yay for veganized versions!
Last week life was kinda hectic. I was prepping for my yoga finals, and working, and trying to get back into a post-vacation work schedule. Needless to say time was not on my side. So I was happy I’d thought ahead and got something I could bake and forget! Quick and easy should be the name of my kitchen because that’s how I like to cook.
365 Organic Vegan Lasagna
Whole Foods isn’t somewhere we normally shop. So when we do go, it’s definitely lives up to it’s moniker of “whole paycheck”. The 365 Organic Vegan Lasagna was actually competitively priced so I didn’t mind spending dollars for convenience. The lasagna looks pretty damn unappealing uncooked. So much so that I didn’t even take a photo.
At 320 calories per package/serving it’s an acceptable entree with salad. The 10g of protein comes mostly from wheat gluten. The dish is soy free, and contains no dairy or eggs. As always the image on the package is totally different to reality.The package looks totally FULL of veggies and a thick sauce. In reality.. not so much. It was pretty flat.
Taste Test
The eyes were not convinced this was a lasagna because it lacked substance. So I put the taste buds to the test. The lasagna pasta sheet was… chewy. Perhaps because it’s a frozen ready meal? The vegetable sauce was actually quite nice. It was just thin, and lacked any consistency. What did strike me as soon as I took it out of the oven was the fat. With 9g of fat, it’s clearly visible in the sauce and on the pasta. Honestly they could reduce that by half and I’d be happier.
In all with the salad it didn’t taste TOO bad. However it didn’t really remind me of lasagna. I liked the blend of the marina and cheese sauce together. But I’d have liked more vegetable filling. It was less a lasagna and more a floppy pasta pizza. If I had to score it out of 10 this would get a 5/10. I would buy again if I needed a ready meal for quick and easy dinner. While it had some flavor it had no real substance for the calories/fat. It was tasty though so it had that going for it.
Questions
What’s your favorite quick and easy meal?
Do you use frozen ready meals?
Are you a lasagna fan?
Building Confidence …. in 60 days!
Brian Block
OK, we do 90+% of our shopping at Whole Foods. I grabbed a box of this vegan lasagna our last time there and I just had it for lunch at work.
Please understand, I am not especially prone to hyperbole or exaggeration, and I have been a vegan* since 1994, so I am certainly not new to any of this.
This is a total disaster. It needs to be completely redesigned. Not one redeeming aspect of this in regard to the taste and consistency. Watery, bland sauce. The non-dairy cheese disappears into the marinara “sauce”, and you’re left with thick, chewy, lasagna noodles and little else.
I have no complaints about the nutritional content, but that does not matter because this is on my permanent DO NOT EVER BUY AGAIN list (unless they dramatically change this product).
How the reviewer gave it a 5/10 is beyond me. Simply terrible.
*we have backyard chickens and eat their “happy eggs”.
Di Hickman
I agree that it needs redesigning completely BUT it is vegan and in an absolute pinch it’s at least… edible. I liked the thicker lasagna sheets, mine weren’t chewy at all?
Like yours my cheese and marina merged. My friend suggested throwing some extra cheese on and throwing it under the grill but honestly like you I’m steering clear until it’s reformulated.
Nichola - Globalmouse
Oh what a shame. I adore Whole Foods so it’s disappointing that it wasn’t a decent lasagna 🙁
Di Hickman
It was tasty enough for a quick and easy meal, but not to put on a regular “menu plan”
Laura Dove
Oh this looks lovely! Im not vegan but I am trying to introduce a few more vegan dishes into my diet.
Di Hickman
yeah it was ok, wouldn’t put it on a regular menu plan, but as an emergency frozen meal it’s fine.
Nayna Kanabar
How disappointing that the lasagne was not up to scratch . I guess it all stems down to mass production. I suppose ready meals are ok on occasional use when you are on in a hurry and need a quick meal.
Di Hickman
Yep exactly when we use the frozen meals, super busy days
Kara
Such a shame it didn’t live up to expectations. I love lasagne but could not imagine a vegan version
Di Hickman
I’ve actually had an AMAZING vegan lasagna at Whole Foods hot food bar, way better than the frozen version.
Natalie
These lasagna look really tasty. Ingredients are good too. Far better than other store bought packaged meals. Thanks for this review.
Di Hickman
I was “ok”… would have liked more veggies and less fat.
Emma Raphael
I am always disappointed by the serving suggestion image and what a dish usually looks like! Having said that, this sounds tasty and I love that it’s vegan as we are trying to eat less animal products…
Di Hickman
hahaha I know right! it’s like fast food images vs the real thing: never the same!
jill conyers
I love Whole Foods. I don’t buy frozen meals but I do buy some of the 365 products.
Di Hickman
I’m not usually a frozen ready meal fan but was swayed by the VEGAN label lol!
Penny Golightly
What a thorough review – thanks for being so honest about the pros and cons of this one. Very helpful.
Di Hickman
No problem!
Kate
Thanks so much for such an honest review. Hopefully the company will take some of this on board and reduce the fat and increase the veggies.
Di Hickman
Yeah I that would be amazing!
Carolin
I’ve slaved in my kitchen for hours making a vegetarian lasagna for my dad’s friend once. This would have definitely saved me some time 😉
Di Hickman
I’d take homemade ANYDAY!
Elysia | Haute & Healthy Living
It’s always helpful to know what these products are all about before purchasing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Di Hickman
No problem!
Emily @Sinful Nutrition
Great review! Frozen meals can be so convenient during the hectic weeks too!
Di Hickman
For sure! That’s when I usually fall back on them honestly!
Abbey Sharp
Thanks for the review!
Di Hickman
welcome
Rachel
Duly noted. I’ve wondered if it was any good!
Di Hickman
It was “ok”. I would eat it again in a pinch, but wouldn’t go out of my way to put it on menu rotation.
Ttrockwood
I like the *idea* of frozen meals much more than the reality- there seem to be texture issues or seriously questionable ingredients/nutrition in a lot of them. That said i do buy trader joe’s frozen jackfruit curry and the vegan tikka masala on occasion- after heating i add it to a bowl of baby spinach which gets slightly wilted and catches the extra sauce.
Di Hickman
OMG I do the same with the VTM but use broccoli!!!! LMAO! We’re like sisters!
Kelly
Thanks for the honest review. It’s so hard to find healthy and quick dishes for dinner!
Di Hickman
I really wish it looked better. I like a big hearty lasagna not a weak shallow layer.
Rebecca
good to know, I haven’t tried this lasagna before, and now probably won’t 😉
Di Hickman
Yeah, it was a little dissapointing. I’d eat it again if I was stuck in a pinch though!