It's generic chili not any particular type or style. Just a little bit of beef and a few very hard pebbles, otherwise known as beans. It is as good as your ability to doctor it up. When I ate it, I let it soak up the water for hours and I added habanero or scotch bonnet hot sauce after heating. If you expect it to taste anywhere close to real chili of any style I fear you will be disappointed. It is not bad, it is just not like homemade chili.
If you like it meatier, add a bit of beef from your lean and green for the day. Add whatever spices, hot sauces or herbs you like to make it more flavorful...
Well, hey - it's not like any of the food is "good". I mean, there's not a single Medifast food I would pick over a non-MF option. But my taste buds are adjusting and I'm enjoying many things just fine. It's also helping me view food as fuel, not as entertainment or comfort. So the bland generic over-processed thing is a benefit in some ways..
Lots of people talk about adding salsa to the chili as well as hot sauce. And definitely soaking it. I never do any Medifast soup w/o Tony Chachere's..
Good luck, let us know what you think!..
It's not bad if you know the secrets.....
1. You MUST allow to soak long enough to soften the soy and beans in it. If you are not patient you will not only wind up with hard bits in the soup, but you may get some killer gas pains as your body tries to process the unsoftened pieces. You can either soak overnight, or you can heat according to the instructions, allow to cool completely, then re-nuke it for a minute or two. This seems to do the trick for me..
2. Add hot sauce.
3. Make it with 4 ounces of tomato juice and 2 ounces of water. This REALLY helps the flavor! Just be sure to count the tomato juice as 1 of your veggie servings for the day. You can also use low-sodium or hot n' spicy tomato juice..
Hope this helps!!..
I just think it's plain GROSS I sent mine back to Medifast and got a box of brownies instead.
Started: 4/5/10.
WEEKS (1 - 4): -7, -4, -3, -6 (-20 lbs.)(-9.2% body fat)(-8").
WEEKS (5 - 8): -2, -3..
I always soak mine overnight; it really helps. I usually chop up a chipotle chile or use a little bit of diced green chile in it; it makes it immeasurably better..
You'd be better off not to think of it as chili so much as "southwestern soup". But it's only southwestern if you add the chiles. :-D..
Freya11 - OMG, I feel EXACTLY the same only I didn't know it until you put it into words: food is fuel, not entertainment!.
Wow... that's good stuff...
On another note, I've been wanting to try the chili, too, but haven't yet. I'll definitely use the suggestions of soaking overnight and using hot sauce. ~Stacey..
I dont soak my chili I add a little water then I put it in the microwave. I stir it. add a lil more water put it back in microwave about 4 times ikeep adding water to it as it gets dry. the heat cooks it and it is no longer hard..
Chili is probably the only Medifast food I've added something to. I will on occasion, add 1tbsp of salsa (1 condiment) to it. I find it really helps the flavor. Otherwise I don't like to play with my "medicine"...
AWFUL, AWFUL!!! And I enjoy Medifast food!! I cannot even think about it!..
Honestly, I would have to say the chili is by far the worst item by MF. This is just my personal opinion. I do realize everyone has different tastes. If you can doctor it up to make it yummy Kudos to you!! I do remember reading a post a while back about using the chili to make tacos. But I don't remember the recipe. Good Luck!..