I received no compensation for this review.

 

When I need a quick lunch out, I avoid the fast food drive-throughs and even “quick” serve restaurants.  To me, it’s not worth the money or time it takes to eat high sodium food that has been precooked then microwaved or – like quick-serve restaurant soups – warmed up from a giant frozen bag. Now that carbs have become as precious as jewels, I’m darn picky about what I eat.

This is the reason I stash a box of Go Picnic Traditional Hummus & Multiseed Crackers in my car. Basically, the Go Picnic brand consists of cute little boxes that contain cute, little picnic type meals. There are several versions, but I always stock the hummus-and-cracker version because it has the best nutritional profile of the bunch – 15 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber and, with a tweak, 30 grams of carbs and 340 calories. As far as sodium:  This Go Box has 310 milligrams – drastically lower than any typical quick service lunch.

  I buy Go Picnic Traditional Hummus and Multiseed Crackers at Target for $3.99. I also have seen the boxes for sale at the snack area at my local Regal Cinema.

Go Picnic Traditional Hummus and Multiseed Crackers box contains several tablespoons of Wild Garden brand hummus. It’s a very mild hummus, fluffy in consistency. I generally like my hummus creamy with much stronger seasoning but  this one is fine for hummus  that needs no refrigeration.

There’s also a package of small seeded crackers, a package of Baja Blend (habanero almonds, sweet and salty peanuts and a few dried mango cranberries) and a package of Power Play  (roasted edamame, pepitas and sunflower seeds.) Dessert is an uneventful chocolate rice crisp. I painlessly save 10 carbs and 10 grams of sugar by not eating it –  bringing the lunch down to 30 grams of carbs.

The Go Picnic box has 20 grams of fat, but only 3.5 grams are saturated and it contains no hydrogenated oils. The fat helps the meal feel more filling and doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes, so I’m good with it. Most nutrition experts are all about processed carbs now anyway, giving a green light to healthy fats.

The Go Picnic box passes my “normal food” test;  if I pull one out, it does not scream  SPECIAL DIET. It’s palatable, nutritionally balanced and is great to eat on the run. I’d say it’s good for a motley crew of eaters: the gluten frees, the kosher keeping and the vegetarians, as well as those of us who watch carbs and calories.