A Review of New Things I've Tried #26 (Vegan Proteins Edition)

 It's a world of proteins, some faux meats, some not. Here is my latest round up, which includes nut butter, burgers, and pasta sauce--the trifecta of the refusing-to-cook, emotionally distraught among us all.

1. Smucker's Natural Chunky Peanut Butter

This came by mistake. I actually ordered creamy/smooth peanut butter, but I kept it in part because this was in someone else's order that I piggybacked on and I didn't know if it was their mistake or the store's. I am usually a no-stir peanut butter kind of person, but for some reason lately I'd been having longings for the more rustic sort of spread--after all, I know I prefer the runny almond butter to the no-stir sort! I've been pretty loyal to Skippy Natural for a long time, but it's not been that easy for me to get sometimes, so I branched out. I don't think "chunky" is so nice a descriptor as "crunchy" would be, but nobody asked me. This is good peanut butter, but it is more than just chunky--the smooth part has little bits in it, too. I don't know if the creamy/smooth version of this does, but since I ordered that in the next go-around, I'll tell you when I'm ready to open that jar. (I go through a lot of peanut butter around here, so that's no big deal.)

2. Pure Farmland Plant Based Burger Patties with Dairy Free Cheddar

I had already had the "simply seasoned" version of these patties, so I knew they'd be meaty (which they were). They were not cheesy in any way at all. I liked them just fine as burgers, but if you want a cheeseburger, you'll need to just add cheese.

3. Prego + Plant Protein Roasted Garlic & Herb

This is one of the more unusual items I've found in my sequestered life: pasta sauce with pea protein in it. It's not that much protein--4 grams per serving--but it's a tiny bit more protein than you'd normally get in a basic tomato sauce. Since I was exploring ways to get more protein, it was worth a shot. It tastes about like regular pasta sauce would. I think I prefer adding some TVP or something to my pasta sauce, but I'm glad I tried this out.