I like food. Nah. Scratch that. I don’t just like food. I love food. I love food so much, I have replaced 80% of my human interactions with food.
Food never disappoints:
Don’t get a text back – eat food.
Bank overdraft – eat food.
Co-workers getting on my last Black nerve – eat food.
My son is driving me crazy – eat food.
#45 said something super stupid – roll eyes, eat food.
But that behavior can’t be doing my waistline or my thighs any good so what am I going to do about it? Nothing. I love food and I love myself – at 110 lbs or 350 lbs. I 👏 am 👏 going 👏 to 👏 eat. You can’t shame me into changing my eating habits.
But.
I do have high blood pressure. I can be fly at any size, but there is nothing dope about having a stroke. My health is my wealth so when my obsessive eating habits are doing more than making me shop for bigger clothes, there is a problem. I certainly have a problem: high blood pressure. My high blood pressure causes migraine headaches that have brought tears to my eyes. That is not a good look… especially not after meticulously winging my eyeliner.
I had to take control. I needed to change. But how do I start and where can I find healthy food that is inexpensive and doesn't taste like cardboard? I began scouring the internet and stumbled upon Neilly’s Foods. Upon further review, they also happen to be headquartered a few cities over. Can we say, “winning”? After visiting their website, I also found Neilly’s Foods is carried at my local grocery store. I diddy-bopped my way to make my purchase, supporting yet again, another family-run Black owned business.
*I am spelling it out for you - Neilly's Foods is Black Owned*
I purchased the Zesty Rice and Red Beans Mix as well as the Brown Rice Jambalaya Mix – both are vegan options free of sugar, msg, and preservatives.
Now, let me say this: I am no fan of pre-packaged foods. I love to eat because I love to cook. I can make both red beans and rice and jambalaya from scratch. For those who like to throw down in the kitchen, any type of “ethnic” food sold in a box, can, or container may feel like an insult. As my son would say, “ain’t no love in any food that comes out of a box.” Well, if you feel the same, I would say you probably also have Uncle Ben's, Velveeta Mac & Cheese, Ramen noodles and long list of other pre-packaged foods in your cabinet right now! If you can feed your family those products, why not give Neilly's Foods a try, witcho boujee self??
I am pretty sure Neilly's would say their target audience is anyone with a stove. But I see them differently: Neilly’s Foods are for people who can’t cook like "us". And believe it or not, there are plenty of people who enjoy ethnic food, have a global palate, but can’t recreate Afro-Caribbean and Latin dishes if their life depended on it. Neilly’s Foods is here to fill in the gap and assist those who are kitchen-culturally impaired, making it easier and healthier to serve your family dishes from other parts of the world.
Yes it does, B*
Does it taste good? YASSS… I was pleasantly surprised. Knowing my own cooking is BOMB, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy the Neilly’s Foods rice mixes. The rice is pre-cooked. The seasoning, spices and herbs are present, but the onion, tomatoes, pepper, and beans are dried. It does lack the “homemade, vegetables fresh from the garden” taste so I had to manipulate it but cooking it in sodium free vegetable broth instead of water.
Did I enjoy it? I enjoyed it so much, I had to write about it for you. I’m a lil heavy handed with my spices when I cook; I searched and found Neilly’s Foods to be a healthier option for me. I haven’t gone full blown vegan, because you can’t just replace bacon (you can’t) but I am working my way up to it! It's almost impossible to put words like "ethnic food" and "healthy food" in the same sentence, yet here we are. Because I want both, I choose Neilly's Foods. Neilly’s Foods has become a staple in my house and I hope it will be in yours – for your health’s sake.
Neilly’s Foods offers a variety of other food products that I am anxious to try: appetizers, sauces and frozen meals. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They are also in stores!