If you’re short on time but still want a home-style meal, Enzo’s At Home might be your new favourite choice.
I recently visited my local IGA to see what ready-to-eat meals they had on offer. Having tried the common name brands such as My Muscle Chef and Youfoodz, I was keen to explore something different.
Available at IGA and select independent grocers, Enzo’s At Home has built its reputation on hearty, Italian-inspired classics that promise a “just like Nonna made it” experience. Their ready-to-eat meals are designed to go from fridge to fork with minimal effort, making them a convenient option for busy weeknights or workday lunches.
Who are Enzo’s At Home?
Enzo’s At Home brings a family-rooted approach to ready-to-eat Italian meals. Founded in 2004 as an extension of Enzo Fazzari’s beloved Enzo’s Ristorante, the brand was born out of a desire to bring “Nonna’s kitchen” straight to your table. Run today by Enzo’s sons, Matteo and Alessandro, the brand has flourished into a nationally recognised name, celebrated not only for its convenience and authentic, flavourful recipes, but also for its commitment to sustainability and quality ingredients.
Enzo’s At Home Ready-To-Eat Meals
My local IGA had 10 different meals to choose from within the Enzo’s At Home range. Think Italian classics – Spaghetti Bolognaise, Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu and Beef Lasagna – yum! Of this selection however, only 3 meals were vegetarian and pescatarian. I picked up the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese (330g), Crab Linguine (330g) and the Spinach, Pumpkin and Ricotta Lasagna (360g). Whilst my IGA was lacking in options for vegetarians, the full Enzo’s At Home range available online includes 7 vegetarian options, 2 vegan options and 1 gluten free option.
How Much do Enzo’s At Home Meals Cost?
Each meal cost $10.99 which is on par with most supermarket-ready meals. Given my expectations around the quality of meals, I felt this was a very reasonable price.
A Nutritionist Review of Enzo’s At Home Meals
Meal 1: Truffle Macaroni and Cheese
Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese? Throw in some truffle and I am in foodie heaven!
Whilst this is clearly not what I would classify as a ‘healthy’ meal, or an everyday meal, it is an excellent comfort food meal. The flavour was 10/10 – deliciously creamy, with the perfect balance of cheese and truffle. It was rich, but not overly rich, and tasted just like those fancy truffle macaroni and cheese dishes you would order at a restaurant.
Ingredients:
Given these ready-to-eat meals are marketed as quality meals, I was surprised to see such a long list of ingredients on the packaging. Colours, additives and preservatives in the form of salts, thickeners, coagulating enzyme and vegetable gum are listed. When choosing ready-to-eat meals, my advice is always to choose meals with short ingredient lists, and to make sure the ingredients are wholefoods first. Whilst the macaroni pasta makes up 53% of the total of this meal and is made from durum wheat semolina, the majority of the remaining ingredients that make up this meal, mainly dairy products, include preservatives and additives. Dairy products often have a shorter shelf life, so preservatives enable this meal to last longer on the shelves, yet it does take away from the quality of ingredients.
This meal has 759mg of sodium per 330g serving, which when compared to some more conventional ready-to-eat meals, is lower. It is important to consider however, that this meal still contributes to nearly half of our daily recommended intake (RDI) for sodium. If you are following a low sodium diet, this meal may not be suitable.
Fibre is not listed in the nutritional information panel (NIP). As there are no vegetables included in this meal, one can assume the fibre content would be low. If you are unsure how to read a food label, check out our guide on How to Read a Food Label in Australia.
Macronutrients:
Per 330g serving this meal provides 20g of protein, 21g total fat and 83g of carbohydrates. Whilst this meal is higher in fat, with 10g of fat coming from saturated sources (predominantly found in dairy products), the contribution of 20g of protein is an adequate amount. If you are highly active in the gym, or looking ‘bulk’, this would a suitable meal due to its high carbohydrate and protein content.
Packaging:
The front of the meal sleeve clearly identifies the name of the meal, along with the serving size. A use by label was also added to the front of the label, so I knew when I needed to consume the meal by. Unlike other ready-to-eat meals, no macronutrients callouts are listed on the front. However, a vegetarian logo is included in the bottom left corner.
The back of the meal sleeve includes the heating instructions for the microwave and the oven, along with the ingredient list, made in Australia percentage, NIP, storage instructions and a QR code for more information. The heating instructions are clear and easy to follow. I heated this meal in the microwave and found it was perfectly heated through.
Recycling instructions clearly define which parts of the meal tray can be disposed of. Both the sleeve and the tray are recyclable, whilst the meal film must be disposed of in the trash.
Star Rating Truffle Macaroni and Cheese:
I rate this meal a 4/5 stars.
With no vegetables included in the meal and a list of additives, preservatives and colours, this is not an everyday meal. Yet as a comfort meal, the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese is a 10/10 when it comes to flavour! And who doesn’t love it when one of their favourite meals also provides 20g of protein per serve?
Meal 2: Crab Linguine
Pasta and seafood – match made in heaven? For me this is a winning combination and personally, a meal I love to order when eating out at restaurants. Whilst this is another meal that doesn’t tick all the nutritional ‘boxes’, the flavours and textures in this meal, were fantastic. The sauce was rich in tomato flavour and coated every length of linguine. There was not a huge amount of crab in the meal, yet you could still taste the crab in every bite. This meal tasted as good as a seafood pasta you might order at a restaurant.
Ingredients:
59% of the meal is made up of linguine pasta (durum wheat semolina). The crab sauce and crab then contributed next to the total volume of the meal. The crab sauce is made with wholefood ingredients including tomato, onion and carrot and garlic, which is a good inclusion of wholefood ingredients rather than fillers. In terms of total contributions to our daily vegetable intake however, this meal provides limited quantities. My recommendation would be to add a side salad or add some frozen vegetables, to increase the fibre content of this meal.
Similar to the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese, preservatives and additives are used as result of the inclusion of dairy products – cream, butter, and béchamel sauce. Thickeners, stabilisers, and acidity regulators (like citric acid, xanthan gum, and glucono delta lactone) are also used and are common in ready-to-eat meals to preserve texture and freshness. Whilst these are safe to consume, it does indicate that these meals are processed, despite the focus on quality ingredients.
The total sodium content of this meal is 778mg. Whilst not exceedingly high, I would typically aim to choose a ready-to-eat meal with 500mg or less sodium per serving. Check out our top recommendations for low sodium ready-made meals here.
Macronutrients:
Per 330g serving, there is 16g of protein, 14.3g total fat and 59g carbohydrates. This meal is lower in protein compared to the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese. This is due to only 21% of the meal including crab and basa. As the protein content was lower, I found myself feeling hungry within an hour of consuming the meal. If you are prioritising protein in your diet, I would aim to choose another meal from Enzo’s At Home range which has more protein. Due to less dairy products included, this meal is lower in saturated fat compared to the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese, with only 3g of saturated fat, making this more suitable for those following a low saturated fat diet.
Packaging:
Like the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese, the front sleeve clearly lists the meal type, serving size and use by date. There are no macronutrient callouts or other dietary callouts on the front. The back sleeve provides information on heating instructions, made in Australia percentage, ingredients, storage and allergen information, along with the NIP and recycling instructions. I also heated this meal in the microwave for 3 minutes as instructed, and the meal heated through very well.
Star Rating Crab Linguini:
I rate this meal a 4/5 stars.
The flavours of this meal were fantastic. With the inclusion of some wholefood ingredients, alongside preservatives and additives, this is not an everyday meal, but a delicious choice if you are looking to change up your workday lunch.
Meal 3: Spinach, Pumpkin and Ricotta Lasagna
Lasagna is one of my all-time favourite comfort foods, and as a vegetarian, a vegetable lasagna can be a great way to get your veggies in! Like the other meals I tried with the Enzo’s At Home range, this meal was flavourful, but it wasn’t my favourite out of the 3 I selected. The meal left a salty taste in my mouth, and I felt the portion size, despite being larger than the other two meals, was not satisfying enough.
Ingredients:
This meal is largely built on a vegetable-rich tomato base (Napoletana sauce), which makes up almost half of the dish. The sauce is made with vegetables including tomato, onion, carrot, and herbs. However, thickener is also included, taking away from the quality. This meal would contribute roughly 1 serving of vegetables to our recommended 5 a day. To increase the nutritional quality of this meal, I would recommend adding a serving of vegetables on the side.
As with the other meals, the addition of dairy products adds flavour, richness and creaminess, yet additives in the form of stabilisers, thickeners, and preservatives (xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, sorbic acid) are also used, presumably to maintain freshness and texture. Whilst the dairy products contribute to the protein content of this meal, the use of preservatives and additives make this a processed meal, lacking nutritional quality.
The Spinach, Pumpkin and Ricotta Lasagna contains the most sodium per serve (1440mg) compared to the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese and Crab Linguine. This is well over half of our RDI of sodium (2000mg) and is not suitable for those following a low sodium diet.
Macronutrients:
Per 360g serving, there is 20.5g protein, 17g total fat and 44g carbohydrates. This meal provides an adequate amount of protein, particularly as a vegetarian option. 8.3g of the total fat comes from saturated fat sources (cheese and cream). There is a heavy reliance on dairy products across all meals. Whilst these can provide a good source of calcium, they are also sources of saturated fats which are not considered heart healthy. With 44g of carbohydrates per serve and 20.5g of protein, this meal may be suitable as a maintenance meal for those who are highly active. If you are interested in learning about macros for weight loss, check out our article on Are Macros Important For Weight Loss?
Packaging:
As with the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese, the front sleeve on the Spinach, Pumpkin and Ricotta Lasagna has a vegetarian logo in the bottom left corner, helping you to identify this meal as vegetarian. The back of the sleeve includes the same standard information on heating instructions, ingredient list, storage, allergen, NIP, and made in Australia information, as well as recycling instructions. Like I did with the other meal containers, I recycled the sleeve and tray, disposing of the film in the rubbish.
Star Rating Spinach, Pumpkin and Ricotta Lasagne:
I rate this meal a 3/5 stars.
The Spinach, Pumpkin and Ricotta Lasagna is a tasty meal that provides an adequate amount of protein. However, this is not a meal I would consume regularly due to the processed nature of ingredients and high sodium content.
Final Thoughts
Enzo’s At Home meals deliver on convenience and comfort food flavour, but how well they stack up nutritionally depends on the dish. While they’re a step up from fast food, it’s worth considering the sodium, preservatives, additives and fibre content before making them a regular in your weekly routine.
