I'm sure a lot of people are bothered by the same concern as I do: wanting to stay fit but being an absolute foodie. Other than working out, your diet has an even bigger impact on your health and body shape. I do not avoid eating good fats, but aside from avocados, grass-fed beef, and free-range chickens, I try to keep it low-fat. I'm not strict on counting macros, but during the cutting phase, I still need to stay in a calorie deficit. In order to maintain my 16-17% body fat, I work really hard on keeping my cheat days as healthy as possible as often as I can.
But I simply love noodles and dumplings. I can easily replace noodles with konjac noodles or chickpea pasta, but to make low-calorie dumplings on my own is so time-consuming that it is simply not worth it. Recently, I saw the low-calorie high-protein dumplings from Sensefood on Facebook. They detailed the nutritional value and calories of each macronutrient. And you can maintain a low-carb diet even after eating a whole pack of their dumplings. They put a lot of effort into keeping the recipes light and low-calorie, each dumpling is also hand made without MSG, meat extract, and preservatives. There are no health concerns and you definitely don't have to worry about the insulin resistance and constant thirstiness created by MSG.
SenseFood Low-Calorie Frozen Dumplings–Sriracha Red Quinoa and Salmon
NTD$180/pack of 10|495kcal|Protein: 30g/fat: 11g/carbs: 69g
Now that I have been freed from my seafood allergies, this became the flavor that I was most looking forward to!
Usually, well-done salmon becomes really dry and flakey. I was surprised the the low-calorie Sriracha Red Quinoa and Salmon Dumplings from Sensefood had an amazing texture. They're low-calorie, but extremely soft and juicy. Which proves what I always say: you don't have to starve yourself or eat disgusting food to be eat healthy.
These dumplings definitely contain more fats than the other flavors, but don't worry. Sensefood uses selected Norwegian salmon fillets that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Eating good fats can actually help reduce fat build-up. At the same time, omega-3 fatty acids help metabolize omega-6 fatty acids, which in turn lowers your bad cholesterol. Don't just take fish oil and krill oil capsules, start from improving your diet.
The fillings contain baby corns which are low-calorie and fat-free, the abundant dietary fiber not only helps with digestion and give you sustained satiation, it also helps lower cholesterol. Baby corns are also rich in vitamin A, B, C, and E. There's also Taiwanese red quinoa. Aside from all the dietary fiber it contains, it's also a super food that is protein-rich and has lot's of anti-oxidants.
The baby corns a red quinoa does not just make the filling look prettier and more colorful once you bite into the dumplings, they also help create different layers of texture. Soft and creamy salmon with some crunchiness inside, plus the low-calorie Thai sriracha that has a hint of sweetness and spice creates such a great combination of texture, color, and flavor.
SenseFood Low-Calorie Frozen Dumplings–Cabbage and Pork
NTD$110/pack of 10|379kcal|Protein: 27g/fat: 3g/carbs: 61g
Cabbage and pork is the most common dumpling flavor, so you can easily compare this one to other brands. Though SenseFood uses a low-fat recipe for their cabbage and pork dumplings, the dumplings are still tender and juicy. There is no residue of inedible cartilage or tendon in the meat filling. From the texture and appearance, you can very clearly tell that the filling was beaten and mixed until it reaches an amazing paste-like consistency in order for them to have such a great mouthfeel. Even when I make dumplings myself, I dream of reaching such standards but very rarely have the patience to do so.
The filling uses fresh cabbages that are crunchy, fresh, and sweet even after being cooked. Since there are no MSG and meat extract, they taste lighter than other dumplings, and you can clearly taste the flavor of the fresh ingredients and feels very light on the stomach.
I personally find that the cabbage and pork dumplings taste amazing when you put them in the slow-cooked tomato beef soup and make your own beef soup dumplings.
SenseFood Low-Calorie Frozen Dumplings–Chinese Chives and Pork
NTD$110/pack of 10|405kcal|Protein: 28g/fat: 5g/carbs: 62g
SenseFood was not stingy with their Chinese chives and pork dumplings. As soon as they are cooked, you can see the dark green of the Chinese chives through the skin. When you bite through it, you can see a whole lot of Chinese chives being mixed in the pork.And they taste so aromatic, I think they taste even better when you make potstickers out of them.
Other than using fresh ingredients, I find that they used the perfect amount of green onions and ginger. Unlike most pork dumplings out there, SenseFood's low-calorie pork dumplings does not have this gamey stink even when they get cold, yet you don't taste the sharp spice of ginger either.
The filling uses Taiwanese Iberico ham, which greatly reduces the fat in the filling. Chinese chives are also rich in Vitamin C, potassium, and iron. Not only are they fragrant and delicious, they are nutritious, too.
SenseFood Low-Calorie Frozen Dumplings–Italian Truffle and Chicken
NTD$160/pack of 10|435kcal|Protein: 34g/fat: 9g/carbs: 59g
I have been warming up to the special smell of truffles in the past few years. SenseFood really went all in on there Italian truffle and chicken dumplings. You can literally see the truffle in the filling, and you get a huge whiff of truffle as soon as you bite into them. The fresh and crunchy water chestnuts make them rich but not too heavy.
We usually dip dumplings in soy sauce and vinegar. So smart little me decided that the Italian flavor palette would go great with some olive oil and balsamic. Not only do they perfectly complement the thyme, rosemary, and oregano in the filling, but you can also get a lot of anti-oxidants from the unheated olive oil.
For the Italian truffle and chicken dumplings, SenseFood uses chicken breast from organic chicken that are all slaughtered and delivered on the same day. The truffle sauce is a combination of black and white truffles. It combines the stronger peppery taste of black truffles and the slightly sweet and garlicky taste of white truffles. The filling also contains milk and yogurt, making the dumplings even more creamy. They are the perfect fusion of Italian food and Chinese dumplings.
SenseFood Low-Calorie Frozen Soup–Slow-Cooked Tomato Beef Soup
NTD$200/pack of 440g|218.2kcal|Protein: 27.7g/fat: 5.3g/carbs: 15.4g
SenseFood's low-cooked tomato beef soup has such a strong taste of beef and comes with 5 big chunks of beef that are super tender. They fall apart from just the touch of your chopsticks. The sweet and sour taste of tomatoes and the natural MSG in them also makes it so refreshing. The tomatoes have a perfect balance of sweetness and sourness. There's a hint of sour but it does not take away from the original flavor of the beef soup; it's sweet but does not interfere with the umami and saltiness that a soup should have.
For the meat, they use U.S. Choice center-cut shank. The broth is slow-cooked with beef bones and fresh vegetables. From personal experience, in order to get beef to melt in your mouth like that, you have to cook it for at least 4-6 hours.
SenseFood Low-Calorie Frozen Soup–Bonito Sour and Spicy Soup
NTD$105/pack of 470g|117.6kcal|Protein: 7.2g/fat: 4g/carbs: 13.2g
Sour and spicy soup is my mom's favorite. Normally, sour and spicy food just does not taste sour enough and I'd have to add additional black vinegar. But I found the bonito sour and spicy soup from SenseFood to be just right. My favorite part about this soup is that it is not super starchy like most sour and spicy soup and taste much more natural. There are crunchy enoki mushrooms, julienned bamboo, and carrots, along with the smooth and soft eggs, tofu, and black fungus, the layers of texture and scrumptious ingredients are so satisfying.
To replace the the huge amount of starch used for velveting, SenseFood uses bonito as the base and slow-cooks it with kombu, then adds Taiwan Iberico tender loin along with the lavish selection of vegetables.
Also, the packaging of SenseFood's soup have all been tested to be able to sustain heat up to 100°C, so you can just heat it up in boiling water or microwave it after defrosting it, which is super convenient.
SenseFood Low-Calorie Frozen Dumplings and Soup–Taste Test Mukbang
Low-Calorie Meals–Product Info
Brand: SenseFood
Product name: Low-Calorie Dumplings, Soups (Detailed product names are listed above)
Official Website: https://www.sensefood1996.com/
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