Vegan/Vegetarian Packaged Food Reviews

MadamSarcastra

MadamSarcastra

MadamSarcastra, over & out.
Joined
Feb 1, 2016
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Age
50
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Mid-Michigan
Well, I guess I'll kick things off with the frozen Mac n' Chao (by Field Roast)....

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I liked it better than Amy's frozen vegan mac & cheese... but wowee, is this sh*t ever salty!! :argh:The flavor is great, they just need to knock off a few hundred milligrams of sodium. :confused:

However, if you're used to eating salty stuff (I am not), and if you're free & clear from any high blood pressure issues, I'd recommend giving it a try.... LOL :p
 
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I should add the canned chili beans from Hanover or Joan of Arc. Add a can of diced tomatoes and chilis, sauteed onions, celery and peppers, you've got a quick chili

Frozen Chinese veggies. Let the bag dethaw a bit before stir frying, add a can of drained pineapple and make a sauce with the juice. Add a T of corn starch, hot sauce, ginger, soy sauce or Braggs add at end.
 
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I think it goes without saying that most packaged foods, veg*an or not, tend to have way more sodium than necessary. It’s a shame, really, because they’re really handy in emergencies. When I was at Walmart last Thursday, I grabbed a Simply Asia Sesame Teriyaki noodle bowl to keep in my kitchenette cabinet in case I wanted a meal in my room and didn’t have anything else. It has too much sodium, but I like the taste.
 
Amy SF said:
I think it goes without saying that most packaged foods, veg*an or not, tend to have way more sodium than necessary. It’s a shame, really, because they’re really handy in emergencies. When I was at Walmart last Thursday, I grabbed a Simply Asia Sesame Teriyaki noodle bowl to keep in my kitchenette cabinet in case I wanted a meal in my room and didn’t have anything else. It has too much sodium, but I like the taste.
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It's mainly why I avoid a lot packaged foods and try to eat them only in a pinch. Some of them are really good, though.
 
Yeah, I hear that. I was doing so good for so long, making my own stuff, mostly from scratch... I guess I got tired of cooking every damn day. LOL :rolleyes:

Plus it's winter... I haven't been feeling very inspired or motivated lately. :pout:

But the last three nights of dinners have been either restaurant pizza or Mac n' Chao... that's quite enough pre-made sh*t for now.

Luckily, I now have fresh & frozen veggies! It's time for some low-sodium home cookin'.... ;)
 
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For lacto-vegetarians:

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<---- I used to looove these!! :drool:

If you need something quick in a pinch, I would recommend one of these. And they use cheese made without animal enzymes or rennet. :)
 
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I had a McDougalls lentil and a tortilla instant soups. They were terribly nasty!
Is that one that you add boiling water to rehydrate?
 
A local supermarket where I do most of my shopping has been sending out coupons, and one of them was for Gardein meat substitutes. I treated myself to their frozen soy-based Fishless Filets, which were expensive (as most convenience foods are) but quite good! I thought the taste and texture were convincingly fishy, although mild. A package includes 6 "filets", or 3 servings. As I recall, the "meatballs" (made largely of tofu and seitan) were a better buy, with more for your money... and I was thinking of making some nice hot meatball subs, with sauce and vegan cheese, but the fish won out. I think there were also Chick'n nuggets of some sort.

I microwaved some at work (even though the instructions say this is only a short cut and you're supposed to finish them in a pan or something to crisp them), and had the rest at home in my toaster oven. If I crave these again, though, I think I'll go back to a recipe I had which used firm tofu slices marinated in a dried seaweed broth.
 
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Tom said:
A local supermarket where I do most of my shopping has been sending out coupons, and one of them was for Gardein meat substitutes. I treated myself to their frozen soy-based Fishless Filets, which were expensive (as most convenience foods are) but quite good! I thought the taste and texture were convincingly fishy, although mild. A package includes 6 "filets", or 3 servings. As I recall, the "meatballs" (made largely of tofu and seitan) were a better buy, with more for your money... and I was thinking of making some nice hot meatball subs, with sauce and vegan cheese, but the fish won out. I think there were also Chick'n nuggets of some sort.

I microwaved some at work (even though the instructions say this is only a short cut and you're supposed to finish them in a pan or something to crisp them), and had the rest at home in my toaster oven. If I crave these again, though, I think I'll go back to a recipe I had which used firm tofu slices marinated in a dried seaweed broth.
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I love the fishless filets. They make excellent fishless tacos if you chop 'em up. The Gardein meatless balls are OK. I think I like my eggplant balls better, though. I do like the 7-grain chik'n tenders. I often chop them up and make vegan quesadillas with them.
 
We enjoy several of the Gardein products. We like the meatballs in spaghetti and sometimes make meatball subs. I like the burgers too. Though I prefer "home cooked", it is always good to have something quick to fix in a pinch. The new packaged meals Gardein has recently released are interesting. We tried one and it was pretty good.
Skillet Meals | Gardein. Meatless Meats.
 
Chryssie said:
We enjoy several of the Gardein products. We like the meatballs in spaghetti and sometimes make meatball subs. I like the burgers too. Though I prefer "home cooked", it is always good to have something quick to fix in a pinch. The new packaged meals Gardein has recently released are interesting. We tried one and it was pretty good.
Skillet Meals | Gardein. Meatless Meats.
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I was wondering about the skillet meals. I saw them at my store, but I chose the filets and tenders. I like the black bean burgers in a pinch, but I, too, would rather make my own.
 
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I like the idea of the skillet meals but they are pricey! Amy's makes some good ones too and they are the same price as the Gardein ones at my Publix.
 
PTree15 said:
I haven't seen the porkless bites in my area yet. I would like to try them.
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They're hard to find here too! I think I got them from either Target or Fresh Thyme. They're in a sauce like sweet and sour, but not so sweet. Maybe more teriyaki? Anyway, the texture and taste is very different from any other faux meat.
 
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