On April 5, 2007, I wrote an article about Angel Food Ministries. I won’t go into too much detail about the organization itself since I already wrote about previously. To read more about it, you can read my article “Angel Food Ministries, a Godsend to Some”.
Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization which offers food to everyone at discounted price. Their site says that the food includes restaurant grade meats, frozen vegetables, fruits, dairy products, etc. which they receive producers/vendors of high quality, name brand foods.
The price is $25 per box of food. Then box contains a diverse menu of mostly raw foods such as meats, noodles, dinner kits, condiments, and more. The menu changes monthly. The program, along with the $25 menu, offers a few specials costing around $18 each and features mainly meats such as NY strip steaks and thick-cut pork chops.
Angel Food says that each $25 regular box menu has a retail value of approximately $42 to $78. One box should to feed a family of four for about one week or a single senior citizen for almost a month.
People, who want to buy a box, go to their nearest church host site, place their orders and pay for the food with cash or food stamps by the month’s posted registration deadline. Near the middle of the month, at a posted date, the food arrives and is distributed at the host site.
For more Information, visit the Angel Food Ministries website.
We bought one box. It is not the best tasting food. About 25% was very good, another 25% was acceptable, 25% was barely acceptable, but the other 25% was not good at all. Their meat has a bit of preservatives that ruin much of the taste. It’s really hit or miss.
Here is the $25 menu I received:
(6) 4 oz. Hamburger Steaks with Bacon
(1) 2 lbs. Salisbury Steak Entree w/ Gravy
(4) 6 oz. Pork Chops
(1) 2 lb. Breaded Chicken Breast Filets
(1) 1 lb. Ground Beef
(1) 2 lb. Breaded Chicken Fritters
(1) 12 in. Tostino’s Pizza Rolls
(1) 16 oz. Corn Dogs
(1) 20 oz. French Fries
(1) 16 oz. Corn
(1) 15 oz. Pork & Beans
(1) 16 oz. Bean Soup Mix
(1) 16 oz. Rice
(1) 6 oz. Pancake Mix
(1) 16 oz. Green Beans
(1) 30 oz. Apple Pie
Now a run by run review of what I received.
(6) 4 oz. Hamburger Steaks with Bacon
This was one of the strangest burgers I’ve ever eaten. I thought the bacon would’ve been wrapped around the burger, but it wasn’t. Apparently the bacon and beef was ground together into a rubbery texture in a nitrite solution that isn’t very pleasing. These get a 2/10 rating from me.
(1) 2 lbs. Salisbury Steak Entree w/ Gravy
This is your standard En-Cor dinner that usually sells for $1.50 at most stores. This was nothing special but probably one of the better-tasting items on the menu. 7/10
(4) 6 oz. Pork Chops
Your standard pork chops but the nitrite solution is present again. The meat was a bit softer than regular meat. The softer texture was good but the nitrite made it taste a bit vinegary. It might be cheap but stick to higher-priced pork chops. 3/10
(1) 2 lb. Breaded Chicken Breast Filets
These tasted slightly better than the pork chop but it didn’t taste as good as store bought chicken. Though it tasted like chicken, it was a tad off – probably the nitrite again. The meat was stringy and the breading was bland. I had to smother it in gravy to finish it. 4/10
(1) 2 lb. Breaded Chicken Fritters
These tasted like the filets with a seasoned breading. The chicken was thin and the breading was crispier. 5/10
(1) 1 lb. Ground Beef
This was probably the best meat item on the menu. If it was in a nitrite solution, I didn’t taste it. I used it in a meat sauce with spaghetti and it tasted fine. 9/10
(1) 12 in. Tostino’s Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
This can be bought in most stores for under $2-3, so nothing special here. 6/10
(1) 16 oz. Corn Dogs
These were acceptable. I believe the brand was Country Fair – not a great brand. My family didn’t like them but most frozen corn dogs don’t taste great. The hot dogs tasted low-grade, like Armor or Hy-grade dogs. The breading was grainy and sweet as expected but the corn taste was weak. 4/10
(1) 20 oz. French Fries
I don’t remember the brand but it wasn’t any brand I heard of. The same can be bought in most stores for $0.99. Nothing great and a little freezer burn. 4/10
(1) 16 oz. Corn
Another brand I never heard of. Tasted a bit soggy. These were frozen in a bag. 4/10
(1) 15 oz. Pork & Beans
These were a brand I never heard of – it had some guy’s name on it, like Tom’s Wagon Beans. They tasted okay but not as good as Campbell’s or Bush’s. 6/10
(1) 16 oz. Bean Soup Mix
These were bagged beans like you can buy in stores for under $3. It had a mix of navy, pinto, and a few other beans. Not a name brand. I suppose they tasted as good as the stores. 8/10
(1) 16 oz. Rice
This was your standard white short-grain rice. 6/10
(1) 6 oz. Pancake Mix
Another brand I didn’t recognize. My mother ate this herself because it only made 2-3 pancakes. She said the batter was too watery and the pancakes a bit dry. She said it’s not close to Aunt Jemima. 1/10
(1) 16 oz. Green Beans
These were your standard frozen green beans. They tasted okay. 6/10
(1) 30 oz. Apple Pie
This was some freshly baked apple pie, like supermarkets put up for sale for about $4. It tasted about as good but the crust seemed a bit dry and apples a bit raw – not unlike the store brands. Not too bad. 6/10
Conclusion
The Angel Food Ministries food is not the best tasting food. They say that the food is high quality and name brand. I don’t see how much of this food is high quality. It tasted more mediocre quality. The name brand is a stretch too. I only recognized a few brands. The rest are all names I’ve never heard of. They were comparable to store brands. On the positive side, the food didn’t taste as bad as the generic quality food that used to come in those black and white boxes.
The food is good for people with financial problems that need a little extra food for nourishment. If you’re looking for great tasting food, you shouldn’t look here. Most of the non-meat items were as good as store brands but a majority of the meat wasn’t very good due to the nitrite solutions added as a preservative.
Angel Food Ministries is a good idea but not the best of foods. My advice is to try one $25 box and see how you like it before deciding.
