A Review of New Things I've Tried #41 (Vegan Proteins Edition)

There are really a lot of vegan proteins out there. Some of what I've been trying lately isn't new at all, but I've just never ventured out to try them. There is some great stuff here, and some not-so-great stuff, but I'm glad I tried all of them, regardless!

1. Jack & Annie's Classic Jack Meatballs

Like all of the Jack & Annie's products, these meatballs have jackfruit, but these also have a good amount of protein (mostly from soy flour, it seems). These had the best texture of any vegan meatball I've tried yet! I would unquestionably have these again. I bought them on sale, but I might even be willing to pay full price. Utterly delicious.

2. La Preferida Vegetarian Refried Beans

Although I can't find these easily, I'm so glad to know they exist, because my quest for reasonably good prepared refried beans can, at last, be fruitful! I still generally sauté some onions to mix with these, but they're actually good rather than just edible. Although I will try new brands when I find them, I will also be extremely happy to buy these when I see them.

3. 88 Acres Pumpkin Seed Butter

This was one of the seed butters I had ordered to try out. I loved the pumpkin seed butter! It's a pretty green and it tastes delicious. This has been sweetened, so it's best with fruit or drizzled over a breakfast porridge or smoothie bowl. I will be buying this by the jar when I can.

4. Field Roast Mushroom & Balsamic Deli Slices

My local market was out of my usual deli slices (Tofurky, Yves, etc.), so I took a slightly pricier adventure with these Field Roast slices. They don't mock meat, instead flavoring the seitan with veggies. I liked these, but they're better warm than cold--delicious in a grilled cheese (vegan of course).

5. SoyBoy Tofu Lin

You can make your own baked tofu, of course, but you may not always have time. This is a good, basic, could go with practically anything tofu. I would say the flavor is most reminiscent of ham--a bit smoky and salty. It's firm enough to slice or shred, and I really like it. I wouldn't have this all the time, but it's definitely a good one to keep in my arsenal.

6. Good Catch Plant-Based Fish Sticks

These are pricey, but amazingly convincing--they smelled, felt, and tasted just like I remember fish sticks did. Whether that's what you want them to be like or not is probably a matter of whether you have good memories of eating fish sticks or not. I'd be more likely to grab Gardein fishless filets, but I'm excited that we're getting more options for replacing seafood.

7. 88 Acres Sunflower Seed Butter

Though sunflower seed butter is tasty, I think for me it takes some getting used to, kind of like soy milk did, long ago. It has a kind of aftertaste to it I can't describe. But if you're needing allergy-friendly options, this is a great one. I generally would use it on toast with something else--banana slices, jam, etc.--and that solves the aftertaste problem, so that it's just tasty that way.

8. GoMacro Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Macrobar

Speaking of allergy-friendly options, here's a vegan protein bar without nuts, gluten, or soy. Although the GoMacro protein bars have that distinctive protein powder taste, I really like them as an option out in the world. I usually carry one in my bag just in case, though I hardly ever actually need one, so I have been trying the flavors extremely slowly. I can't even remember if I tried this one before, so if I have, this is a fresh review from an evening I had too many errands after work and needed to tide myself over until a 10:00PM dinner at home. For that purpose, this is a godsend.

9. Mission Plant Powered Protein Tortillas

These were an impulse buy, because they cost significantly more than regular tortillas do. But they're possibly worth it if you're having trouble getting protein in. Are you protein-source-averse at times like I am? This could entice you to get a bit more. The tortillas taste like regular tortillas, and oddly enough stay much softer than regular flour tortillas. They're explicitly labeled as vegan, which I appreciate. I wouldn't give up normal tortillas altogether, but these definitely have a place in my arsenal of proteins now.

10. Upton Naturals Traditional Seitan

I found this seitan a bit on the tough side, and some of the chunks somewhat too large. But if you, like me, are not always prepared to make your own seitan, this might work for you sometimes. I think for me this was really a miss, though, unfortunately.

Have you tried any new protein sources lately?