Welcome to the inaugural post of our “Taste Tester” series in this year’s Vince’s newsletter. Every month or so, we’ll be diving fork-first into some of our more intriguing and sometimes unusual food items. And who’s doing the tasting? Regular folks like you and me!
Here’s the deal: I’m no high-and-mighty food critic, and won’t find me turning up my nose at a humble packaged item. No snooty critiques here – it’s all about keeping it real and relatable. My taste buds, along with the trusty (and equally unpretentious) palates of my family, and/or colleagues will be your guides. We’ll munch, crunch, and occasionally scrunch up our faces to bring you the lowdown on whether these edibles are a hit or a miss.
Last week we tested a couple of plant-based items from Gardein, a line of meat-free foods – including meatless chicken, beef, pork and fish – that are an option for vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians. They are available in our frozen aisle.
Among the many varieties, my choices were meatballs and seven-grain “chicken” tenders. These items may be meatless, but a quick scan of the package reveals that plant-based doesn’t necessarily mean weak on protein with 15 grams of it in three meatballs and 18g in a serving of tenders – all delivered with less fat than a comparable meat product, and with no cholesterol.
Meatball prep is simple, and can be done a variety of ways: conventional or toaster oven, frying pan, or microwave. Ditto for the chicken tenders, except for the frypan.
Let’s start with the meatballs, which we did in the oven, ignoring the advice on the package that states “Best in sauce: Place frozen meatless meatballs into lightly simmering sauce in last 15-20 minutes of cooking. Simmer until hot throughout.”
While the meatless meatballs had the right texture, their lack of animal fat provided a different mouth feel and left them less juicy than a traditional beef or pork meatball. Dunk them (or better yet simmer them) in a tomato-based sauce, and you’ll be happier with the result.
The seven-grain tenders were lightly spiced and had a taste and texture consistent with a proper chicken finger or nugget. My family preferred them to the meatballs – especially my vegetarian daughter! The tenders are great with a plum sauce, although I find that chicken strips (meatless or otherwise) work with just about any kind of dip from red pepper to guacamole. And with only 250 calories per serving (five tenders), a few calories in the dip shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
So there you have it – Gardein’s meatless wonders, flipping the script on plant-based eating. Whether you’re a full-time herbivore or just veggie-curious, these may be a tasty option for your next meal.
Until next time, stay hungry my friends!
— Neil
