Alpha Burritos: Easy Appetizers for Late Family Dinners
My family has become accustomed to knowing that their Mama is not a Michelin star chef, nor am I June Cleaver or Martha Stewart. I have a tendency to do the same meals over and over, and honestly when I say “do,” it really means my hubby does it because I requested it! I love meals that are quick and easy, doing the job of nourishing bellies and souls. Unless I am in the kitchen cooking with my hubby or kids, I’d prefer not to be in there. However, as my mindset of wellness and clean eating continues to change and I learn more and more, I realize the importance of making our eating and health a priority but also giving ourselves grace in knowing that we will never be perfect and sometimes we need to warm something up in the microwave!
We had my parents over for dinner the other night, and the menu was homemade enchiladas, black beans and rice, so I thought having burritos as an appetizer would hold them off until the real meal was complete. You see, we are a bit more flexible with meal times at our house, while we typically have a meal plan, we don’t really have a “meal time” and it varies by day. My parents on the other hand are a little more scheduled, because while we can eat at 7:30 pm (kids are late risers), they’re ready to go by 5:00pm!
In typical fashion, I was running around with my daughter and mom perusing estate sales and thrift stores during the day, then more errands in the afternoon and totally forgot to thaw the organic ground turkey for the enchiladas for dinner, so let’s just say we already were having a late start for dinner. I also forgot to delegate the task, so there’s that otherwise someone would have done that for me. Enter the idea for a pre-meal snack, aka appetizer!
Thankfully I knew that I was going to be doing a taste test with the family for Alpha Burritos this weekend so I ended up whipping together some fresh salsa and firing up the panini press! These burritos are so easy to make, you warm them in the microwave for about 80 seconds (always check your wattage and read the label) and then use the panini press to add a light grill mark. I like to brush a dab of butter or ghee on the outside so it gives the burritos a nice little crunch. Alpha Burritos are GMO Free and each contain 11grams of protein per burrito. Additionally, they contain anywhere from 300-320 calories.
Taste Test
I wasn’t sure how my family would take to the Alpha Burritos since they are plant-based and most of us are not vegan or vegetarian, but I wanted them to try them due to the clean nutrition label and high levels of protein. We are really trying to limit our processed food intake, but sometimes when we are traveling and only have a microwave available for heating food I am always looking for new products that have clean ingredients.
Sadly, I had to leave ALL the taste testing to the family since the burritos are not gluten free and contain soy, something that I personally do my best to stay away from. Gluten aside, I think if the burritos were without the soy I would buy them more often for my crew, but with a family history of soy being an issue sometimes to our current health ailments, I honestly don’t see myself purchasing these consistently. For my family members that are Vegan and Vegetarian, these will be nice go-to’s in the freezer when they visit and we need some appetizers, snacks, or side dish!
First response from my testers was that they really liked them, my dad loves meat, and is always hesitant about what I try to feed him, but he seemed to enjoy the fresh salsa topping the Chick’n Fajita burrito! My mom had the Philly Sandwich, and she added her own salsa on top (I thought salsa on Philly Cheesesteak was a little interesting, I would have opted for sautéed mushrooms and swiss myself, haha). My hubby ate the Pizza flavor. While they all said they liked the overall texture and flavors, they felt it still wasn’t seasoned enough, and kind of bland. This opinion was amplified when I revealed that it was 100% plant-based and had no real meat in the burrito. Perhaps it was in their heads, because they couldn’t tell at first. I found that interesting, but again, could not taste it myself so I have to share their opinions with all of you!
I think if there were more garnishments and varied toppings for them it would have added more flavor. But these would do the trick for a quick bite at the hotel while we travel!
About Alpha Foods
Based in Glendale, CA, Alpha Foods is committed to animal welfare, a healthy planet and healthy humans. They offer burritos and hand pies as plant-based convenience foods. There are four burrito flavors, Mexicali, Philly Sandwich, Chick’n Fajita and Pizza! I was able to find three of the four flavors, unfortunately my local Walmart was out of Mexicali - but I bet that would have been a hit! Being in Northern CA, I found Alpha products at Walmart, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Safeway. You can find a store near you » here.
Another fun thing I love about Alpha Foods is that they have a recipes tab, showcasing some great pairings of food and drinks for their burritos and hand pies! OH, yes, hand pies. I sure hope they add in some gluten and soy free options to their product line up, soon!
How do you satisfy the initial hunger of your family when you’re running late? Want to jazz up your party food? These would make great appetizers, just add guacamole, salsa sour cream, and/or marinara (for Pizza) on the side!
Disclaimer: As a blogger for Moms Meet, I was sent a panini press, veggie chopper and complimentary vouchers to try Alpha Burritos and share my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
