Marketside…A Great Solution for Busy Moms

Last week I had the opportunity to review Marketside’s Meal Solutions, Walmart’s ready to eat line of food items. There was only one problem. After I accepted the review opportunity, I found out I had to go out of town unexpectedly. At first I stressed about not being home when the food arrived. But stress turned to relief, when I realized I wouldn’t have to worry about what my husband and children were eating while I was away! I made my husband promise to save me a little bit of food from each day, and told him to feed the rest to the kids and himself!

I needn’t have worried about not having any left over food to try. There was a TON of food in each delivery.

Tuesday’s food delivery included five 12” Marketside pizzas and a variety of salad kits. According to my husband, the family polished off two pizzas the night the pizzas arrived, and the kids ate another the next night. By the time I arrived home, there was only one pizza left to try. I can see why. It was really good!  I didn’t think I’d like the thin crust, but it was really good!

To save room in the refrigerator, my husband froze the pizza for me. You’re supposed to take the Marketside pizzas straight home from Walmart’s deli to cook, but the pizza tasted great after being frozen. Pizza and a salad made for a quick and semi nutritious meal after church!

Wednesday brought a variety of soups and breads. My kids don’t like soup much, but they devoured the bread! My husband, on the other hand, loved the chicken tortilla soup. Fortunately he left my personal favorites for me to eat when I got back. For three days I feasted on Loaded Baked Potato soup and Broccoli Cheese soup. It was the perfect lunch for a rainy Oregon day. And the breads made a great side dish.

Thursday’s delivery included a variety of fresh pasta, sauces, and microwaveable veggies. Over the last couple of days we’ve tried the cheese ravioli (the kids loved it!), and the Italian Sausage Borsellini (my personal favorite). We served the cheese ravioli with microwaved butternut squash, and it was delicious!  Easy, too!

Friday brought a variety of dips: ranch, chipotle, dill, several varieties of hummus, vanilla bean/cream cheese fruit dip, and a couple of varieties of guacamole. We picked up some apples, crackers, and chips for dipping and also used some of the fresh veggies from Thursday’s delivery. All of the dips were good, but my husband especially liked the chipotle dip and spicy guacamole. I, on the other hand, prefer sweets, and I am absolutely addicted to apples dipped in vanilla bean/cream cheese dip. I also loved the spinach/artichoke hummus. That disappeared quickly!

Though it was difficult trying to do a review on time when I wasn’t home to initially inspect the products, I learned an important thing about Marketside products. They are so easy to prepare, it’s a great mealtime solution when my non-cooking husband needs to be in charge of dinner! Marketside products are also a fabulous meal idea when mom is having a busy day and needs something quick, easy, and fairly nutritious for dinner. It’s much easier on the wallet than stopping by your local fast food place…and it’s healthier, too!

Now that I’ve been introduced to the Marketside brand, I’m sure I’ll be using it frequently for busy nights. And I must buy more of that vaniila bean/cream cheese dip. I’m almost out!

*Disclosure: I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program.  Marketside provided me with meals last week in exchange for my honest feedback.  Participation in this program is voluntary. All opinions are my own.