Trader Joe's Spinach and Kale Bites

The pros:  Trader Joe's Spinach and Kale Bites make for a tasty side, appetizer, or single vegetarian meal.

The cons: Mine were stuck slightly to the paper box.

The verdict:  Every so often, a reader writes in and makes a request. The email went something like this, "Have you reviewed the Trader Joe's Spinach and Kale Bites? I looked but I couldn't find one. They are a great healthy snack or appetizer."

Up until recently, I had not tried these. And yes, I do take requests. I might not get to them as quick as I would like to. I have gotten to a decent number of vegetarian or frozen items. But this is one item that I had walked past at least several dozen times. However, I won't be walking by this one any more. Odds are that this will end up in my weekly run.

Now, when Trader Joe's debuted their Carrot & Pea Patties and the Cauliflower and Broccoli Patties I was a bit underwhelmed. It wasn't that they weren't good, but I was expecting a bit more in terms of flavor. They tasted like the advertised veggies in patty form, but nothing more.

The Spinach and Kale bites are delicious on their own, but absolutely tasty with a bit of lemon or even a bit of hot sauce. Here you are getting the flavors of both kale and spinach. In one serving you are getting your days worth of vitamin A. But you are also getting quite a few other elements as well. You have egg being used as a binder. You have the texture of the panko, but also a the salty cheesiness from the Parmesan here.

Each bite is tender and soft with just a touch of firmness on the baked outside. I made them from the directions on the box using the oven. Out of the oven, I had a few plain. I added lemon and sriracha. They were a solid choice plain or with some add ons. My only complaint was they seemed to stick

Dagmar, who also wrote in the suggestion also added the following, "If you do get these bites and decide to use them as appetizers I have a suggestion to make that makes them even more yummy. I roll them in a little butter & then in TJ's grated parmigiano reggiano romano blend. I have air fried as well as baked them in the past. Both work well. Even nuking works if you want to use them as a soft veggie side dish. You can thaw them & make veggie burger patties out of them." As soon as I pick up a few more boxes of these, I'll give those suggestions a whirl. But I can see all of them working out just fine.

For $3.99 these are worth picking up. I have yet to try to other suggestions, but hope to in the future. None of these went to waste, nor were any left behind to experiment. Thanks for the great suggestion Dag!

Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:

The box of Trader Joe's Spinach and Kale Bites:

The nutritional information:

The ingredients and how to prepare:

Out of the package you get:

After being cooked you get:

Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe's Spinach and Kale Bites again. They are tasty as a side, appetizer, or eat the whole box as a meal. They are tasty and well done. Thanks for the recommendation Dagmar!

Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.

Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!