Thursday, September 11, 2014

Gardein

I like going out to eat with my husband, but I hate that I can never find much to eat from the menu...I love a good salad, but they always have chicken, steak, or fish on them.  Yes, I order one without it, but then I am paying $12 for a salad and not even getting my protein! 

I am so thankful for companies like Gardein! They have high quality, yummy tasting, and healthy meatless options for vegetarians.  I saw the products in Target for the first time and was intrigued! The company sent me some coupons to pick a few products to try and review.
I always love when they include a hand written note!

It was hard to choose, but I narrowed it down and finally picked three.
BBQ Wings, Beefless Grounds, and Crispy Chick'n.  

Before I got to tasting, I had to check out the nutrition facts.  
Everything looked great, but I really with they had the stats for the sauce.  I am pretty particular when it comes to my food so I usually like to know the macros.  It would have been nice if they had numbers without sauce, but then had numbers for the sauce as well.  

The good thing is that the sauce comes in a seperate packet.  
That way you can use all of it, none of it, or just a taste.  

I tried the Sweet & Tangy BBQ Wings first. My husband actually asked me if they were boneless...ha...last time I checked soy protein didn't have bones...silly silly carnivore...
Each serving is 120 calories 5F 5C 14P.  

The directions said to cook in 1 T of oil, but I ignored that part.  
I just used a little non stick spray and they cooked up perfectly!

The directions also said to cook the sauce in with the wings, but I decided to keep it on the side.
Looks good to me! Gotta have some celery with my wings!

I wanted to be sure to do a thorough review, so I did try the sauce.  
It was really really tasty! Nice and sweet! Not spicy at all which I love.  I thought it was great for dipping. 

The bag has 2.5 servings, but I ate them all for lunch! 
The texture of the wings was really nice.  Not rubbery or chewy at all.  I would be very happy if these were on the menu next time I went out to eat!

Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n was up next.  
These also came with a sauce packet which I decided to keep separate.  

I cooked them up the same way, omitting the oil.  
 These have a very light breading which got nice and crispy!  The chick'n had a really nice texture once again.  My husband even took a little nibble and said that it had more flavor than real chicken!! 

The orange sauce was very good as well.  
It was a thinner sauce with just the right amount of sweetness.  This would be great over some brown rice.  Vegetarian Chinese food!

I ate one serving just like this. 
It was a great little snack coming in at 150 calories 7F 6C 17P.  

I didn't have any rice on hand, but I wanted to try something else with the remaining Chick'n. 
Why can't restaurants have this Chick'n Salad on the menu!? I would pay $12 for this dinner!

I drizzled a little balsamic vinegar on top and dug in.  
This was a great lunch! I loved having all the added protein to keep me full and satisfied.  

Last but not least...
Basically ground hamburger meat.  Except it didn't come from a cow :)

I cooked up half the bag in a skillet on the stove just like before.  
Half of it went on this glorious plate of nachos for a movie snack!
Chips, salsa, low fat cheese, and lots of meatless grounds!

I like that the grounds aren't greasy like real meat would be.  
I am quite sure you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy this bite!

Breakfast wrap time!
This might have been my favorite creation.  Nice and simple.  Soft tortilla, fat free american cheese, and some grounds.  

Such an amazing breakfast! The grounds have a nice, mild flavor.  I like that because you can add whatever seasoning or sauce you want to fit your taste!
Each serving only has 80 calories 1.5F 5C 12P.

So what do I think of Gardein?! I think restaurants need to start using their products so I have yummy things to eat when I go out with my husband!!
They have lots of other products too! Fishless filets, Beefless tips, Crispy chick'n patties, Burgers, and more!! Check out all of their products here.  
I got my Gardein products from Target, but I have seen them at my local grocery store too.  Use their store locater to see where you can buy them near you.  Vegetarian or not, I suggest you give them a try!

Follow Gardein everywhere!

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