Review: Gardein Golden Fishless Filets

It seems that Beyond Burgers have spoiled me and my expectations were too high when I tried Gardein Fishless Filets. Too be fair, it's easier to imitate the texture of ground beef than fish.

These were not bad, but the texture was too obviously processed. They would probably be better in tacos than by themselves. I think I would have also liked them more if I tried them blindfolded, because I was too distracted by how the texture looked on the inside.

These might be ok for people who are less texture sensitive, or people who are used to eating faux meat and not expecting the texture to be like real fish. But for people who are not fully vegan and trying to choose more vegan options, this is not what I would recommend.

Gardein Fishless Filet ingredients: Water, Canola Oil, Textured Vegetable Protein Product (Soy Protein Concentrate, Color Added), Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Methylcellulose, Yeast Extract, Degerminated Yellow Corn Flour, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Salt, Wheat Gluten, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Paprika, Soy Flour, DHA Algal Oil, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Spice, Sugar, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Spices, Turmeric. Turmeric Extractives.

Review: Gardein Golden Fishless Filets
First impressions: They smell more like fish than I thought they would, and the breading looks good. But when I cut one in half, the inside looked more like processed chicken nuggets. 
Taste: It tastes better than I expected, and it does taste more like fish than chicken. 
Texture: The outside crunch is good but the inside is too mushy and not flaky. It might be better if it was thinner. 
Can you tell it's vegan? Yes, the texture gives it away. 
Better than other vegan versions? I haven't tried any other vegan fish yet. 
Worth buying again? I probably won't buy these again.
Overall: 3 out of 5.

Faux Meat: Friend or Foe?

When it comes to faux meat, there are now more options than ever before. Gardein, Boca, and many other companies offer a wide variety of plant-based alternatives to most traditional meat favorites. And new faux meat products like the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger are making it even more convenient and accessible to choose vegan options. The popularity of some of these products has also sparked curiosity in those who might otherwise not have tried faux meat.

For people who are not already vegan or vegetarian, this wide availability makes it easier to try these products and possibly choose them more often. And for kids and picky eaters, having more options that are closer to their favorite foods is always advantageous.

As faux meat gets closer to imitating real meat, some vegans might be turned off by how much it resembles real meat. But I feel this is outweighed because tasting more like real meat will help more non-vegans try it.

"But it's so processed," you might wonder. While I'm not making nutritional claims on this blog, it's common knowledge that it's generally better to eat less processed food. I personally prefer to replace meat in most dishes with more vegetables, but this doesn't work for everyone, or for every recipe.

Take burgers for example. On my journey to eating vegan more often, burgers were my last holdout for land-animal meat products. Until I tried the Beyond Burger. I still crave burgers, but the Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger are close enough for me that they satisfy my craving without needing to eat beef. I haven't had a beef burger since.

To be fair, it's not like non-vegans don't eat their share of processed food too. Yet for some reason the nutritional aspect is questioned more when it's vegan. I wouldn't recommend eating faux meat every day, the same way I wouldn't recommend eating any heavily processed food every day, but that's up to each person to decide for themselves.

And are all processed foods equally "bad" for being processed? I would guess that some vegan faux meat options are more nutritious than some of their fast food, "real meat", counterparts. Consider chicken nuggets, which are highly processed whether they're made from meat or plant-based protein.

So is the rising trend of faux meat products a good thing or a bad thing? While it's up to individuals to balance the amount of processed food in their diet, having more plant-based options is always a good thing in my opinion - and it benefits everyone from vegans to vegan adjacents, and even carnivores.

Have you tried any plant-based meat alternatives? Which is your favorite?

Review: Beyond Sausage

I love the Beyond Burger, so I was excited when I heard that Beyond Meat came out with Beyond Sausage.

You can find this plant-based sausage at Whole Foods and it's also served at some restaurants. Beyond Sausage is available in 3 varieties: Brat, Sweet Italian, and Hot Italian. I tried the Sweet Italian.

Like the Beyond Burger, it's soy and gluten-free. The main ingredient is pea protein and the casing is made from algae.

I didn't like these quite as much as the Beyond Burger. They are really big, and that draws more attention to anything that gives away that they're vegan. The texture is a little soft, so I grilled them and then cut them in half and grilled the insides too. That helped to keep the texture crispy. I don't know if I would like it hot-dog style though.

Review: Beyond Sausage - Sweet Italian
Taste: It tastes like pork sausage but is missing something I can't put my finger on. 
Texture: It was nice and crispy on the outside when I grilled it. But I think the inside would be too soft if I hadn't cut it in half. I don't know if I would like it whole in a bun. 
Can you tell it's vegan? Yes, but I might be tricked if it was prepared differently. It would be good to try with a sauce. 
Better than other vegan versions? I haven't tried any others. 
Worth buying again? I'm not a big sausage eater, but if I was craving sausage I would buy this again. 
Overall: 4 out of 5.

Review: Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread

When I first started swapping out animal products with vegan alternatives, butter was one of the easiest for me. 

I tried Earth Balance Buttery Spread a few years ago and haven't gone back since. It's made from vegetable oil, but to me it tastes like real butter. They say their "proprietary blend of oils" is the reason for its buttery taste and texture. 

It works for spreading on toast and also holds up to cooking and baking.  I've used it in everything from cookies to making a roux and have not noticed a difference. It's also available in sticks that make it easier to use for baking. 

A small number of people have told me they think it has an aftertaste that they don't like. Personally I don't pick up on that though. 

Earth Balance makes a few different varieties: original, soy free, whipped, olive oil, omega 3, coconut, and a new European style. I haven't seen that one in stores yet but it will be interesting to try. 

The original spread is made with vegetable oil, and a few of the varieties are organic. Most of them are pretty easy to find. All of the grocery stores near me have at least the original spread and some have more varieties.  

Review: Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
Taste: I don't notice a difference between this and real butter. Maybe someone who likes to eat sticks of butter would notice. 
Texture: When cold, it's a little softer than real butter and a little firmer than margarines like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. It melts like real butter. 
Can you tell it's vegan? No.
Better than other vegan versions? Yes, but I haven't tried very many. Some people have told me they prefer Miyoko's. I haven't tried that one yet. 
Worth buying again? Yes, I always have it in my fridge. 
Overall: 5 out of 5

Review: Impossible Burger vs Beyond Burger

Impossible Burger

Beyond Burger

You might have heard a lot of buzz about the latest wave of veggie burgers - the Beyond Burger and the Impossible Burger. But do they live up to the hype? 

Absolutely. 

These aren't your average veggie burgers. They manage to go beyond that and somehow impossibly taste like real beef. (Has that already been done by every blogger who's written about this?)

I've seen both of these popping up all over at different restaurants lately. Find locations for the Impossible Burger here, and Beyond Burger here. You can also get the Beyond Burger at Whole Foods. The Impossible Burger is not currently available by retail. 

So what are these actually made out of? 

The main ingredients of the Impossible Burger are textured wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein, and heme. The heme is made from soy and is the secret ingredient to making this burger taste like real beef. Heme is a molecule found in animals (hemoglobin) and plants (leghemoglobin). It naturally occurs in much higher concentrations in animals than plants, and is what makes meat taste like meat. 

[UPDATE: The new version of the Impossible Burger, Impossible 2.0,  does not contain gluten]

The protein source in the Beyond Burger is pea protein. Unlike the Impossible Burger, the Beyond Burger is gluten free. It also has beet juice which give it a red color that looks like beef. It's made by Beyond Meat, a company that makes a variety of vegan meat products available in stores. But in my opinion the Beyond Burger tastes much better than their Beyond Meat Crumbles.

Impossible Burger Cut in Half

Beyond Burger Cut in Half

If I had to choose, I would say the Impossible Burger has a better flavor and the Beyond Burger has a better texture. But they're both delicious and I would eat them both again. In fact, I haven't had or craved a beef burger since I first tried the Impossible Burger (although it helps that I have easy access to both). These even beat my previous favorite meat substitute, Boka Spicy Chik'n Patties.

Also worth noting is that how the burger is cooked makes a difference. If it's overcooked it can be too dry. But it also needs to be cooked enough to give it the caramelized grill flavors. If you try it once and don't like it, that could be why. 

Have you tried either or both of these? Which is your favorite? 

Impossible Burger Review

First impressions: "Woah it looks like a real burger and not a veggie burger!"
Taste: To me, the Impossible burger does a better job tasting like actual meat because of the heme. It has a fuller umami flavor. 
Texture: When you look closely it doesn't look as much like real meat compared to the Beyond Burger. It also falls a part a little bit when you eat it. 
Can you tell it's vegan? Yes, but only when you look closely. I was surprised how much it tastes like beef. 
Worth buying again? Definitely! I'm going to try it at other restaurants and see who prepares it the best. (Photo above at Bruski Burgers & Brew)
Overall: 5 out of 5

Beyond Burger Review

First impressions: "Is this the Beyond Burger or did I accidentally get a beef patty?"
Taste: It does taste more like beef than I expected, but when comparing directly to the Impossible Burger, it's missing that extra flavor from the heme. 
Texture: Before you cut it open, it looks just like a beef burger. The beet juice makes it look red like beef. The texture is also closer to beef than the Impossible burger. 
Can you tell it's vegan? Like the Impossible burger, I was surprised that it really does taste and look like beef. 
Worth buying again? Yes, I've been getting this for lunch about once a week. (Photo above at my work's cafeteria)
Overall: 5 out of 5