Product Review - Hormel Compleats- Beef Steak Tips

My family has recently experienced the need for portable lunch menu items that do not have to be refrigerated. I spotted Hormel Compleats at the local grocery store and decided to give them a try. Here's my assessment of the Hormel Compleats Beef Steak Tips with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Product Nutritional Information:

Calories 270
Calories from Fat 80

Total Fat 9g (14%)
Cholesterol 40mg (13%)
Sodium 950 mg (40%)
Total Carbohydrates 29g (10%)
Protein 17g

Overall for the 10 ounce package the nutritional value is not terribly bad with the exception of the sodium count. Those who must monitor sodium intake should consider whether Hormel Compleats are the right lunch item for them. The amount of protein is a plus considering the size of the meal.

Taste and Quality:

I was surprised the meal was rather tasty. I have had my share of packaged meals and anticipated this one would be similar. I was wrong. The meat was tender and there was plenty of gravy. However, there is no sectioning to this dish so if you do not like your meat, gravy and potatoes mixed together, this meal is not for you. Personally I prefer them all mixed so this was a good selection for me. The gravy and meat heated well in the amount of time the Hormel Compleats directions provided. The potatoes were a bit grainy and needed a little extra cooking time after mixing with the gravy to have a texture which was acceptable. Your microwave may vary in power from mine so it is best to follow the Hormel Compleat instructions.

Volume of Meal:

Was it enough? For me, the answer is yes. However, when my preteen boy had his, the answer was different. He would need two of these to satisfy his for a meal.

Price:

Because these are new in my area they have been on sale for $1.89 in some stores, and 3/$7.00 in others. More than $2.00 seems a bit pricey to me, but there are few non-perishable meals of this size and quality available.

Packaging:

Hormel Compleats's packaging is my main area of complaint. From a parent perspective I look at how easy the Hormel Compleat Beef Steak Tips was for my child or teen to prepare without assistance. For this product, the plastic seal is very difficult to remove when the Hormel Compleat has been cooked. It is hard to get the cover to begin separating from the dish and if you are not careful, when it does you will have the hot food pouring on your hand. You can use a knife to cut the plastic off the Hormel Compleat but for a preteen this is not acceptable to me. For this reason, Hormel Compleats will only be eaten when I am available to remove the cover.

Additionally for packaging, I bought a number of these to add to a deployment care package. The Cardboard wrapper which protrudes past the plastic container cause these to take up much more space in the box than necessary. If it were square and more easily packed in a box, I would buy more to ship.

Overall Assessment for Hormel Compleats Beef Steak Tips:

I'd rate this as a good product. I will buy more. Sure I'd like to change a few things but all in all it satisfied the need of a prepackaged meal. I would recommend it to someone who had a similar need.