These delicious dumplings solve the dinner dilemma
Come Friday evening, dinner is often the last thing many of us want to think about. We’re tired, the fridge is looking bare and the thought of rustling up a nutritious dinner feels overwhelming. Quick, convenient and tasty is what we’re after.
If quick, convenient and tasty is what you’re after too, then the Leanne’s Kitchen Dumpling range won’t disappoint. My family and I tried both the vegetarian and chicken and prawn options and loved both. You can find the full range in most mainstream supermarkets for around $4 a pack or 2 for $7.
Let me admit, I didn’t expect to be wowed by the ingredients list or nutritional content, but I love being surprised. Firstly the vegetarian option contains more than a third of mixed vegetables, significantly higher than I’d expected.
The rest of the ingredients include flour, water, oil and a mix of seasonings. As an alternative to takeaways, they stack up quite well as they are low in saturated fat (0.3g/100g) and contain only a moderate amount of sodium (441mg/100g).
The back of the packet suggests you can cook them three ways: steamed, pan-fried or boiled. From a nutritional standpoint steaming or boiling is your best option as this doesn’t use any extra oil. Regardless all three methods take less than 12 minutes which is a win-win.
To make more of a balanced dinner option, I suggest pairing with either a bag of mixed frozen vegetables (you are in the freezer section of the supermarket after all) or rustle up a quick stir-fry or salad with the leftover veges hiding at the bottom of your fridge. As the dumplings are low in fibre (1.8g/100g) and protein (5.1g/100g) the added vegetables will help fill you up and keep you satisfied too.
Full disclosure – this product review was suggested by a client and I can’t thank them enough. No more Friday night dinner panic around here – I’ve got dumplings in the freezer.
All nutritional values are for the Leanne’s Kitchen Vegetarian-Vegan Dumplings.
– Emma Ternouth is a NZ Registered Dietitian