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!

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Quorn

In case you didn't know, I am a vegetarian.  Lots of reasons why, but I won't bore you with that now.  It is sometimes hard for me to get enough protein in my diet.  I eat a lot of protein bars, nuts, and protein powder, but sometimes I want some "real food".  I was browsing the aisles at the wonderful Target when I stumbled across some products by Quorn.

They looked fantastic! I was a little hesitant to buy because usually meatless products are kinda pricey.  

I emailed the company and they sent me some coupons so that I could pick out a few products to try and review!

I went to the store that day!!  I picked up the Chili, Chik'n Tenders, and Chik'n Cutlets.  Quorn makes lots of other products, but these were the only ones in stock at my local grocery store.  

Since it was about lunchtime when I got home, I decided on a chik'n sandwich to start the tasting.  I figured the Chik'n Cutlets would be perfect for this.  

I will admit, it didn't look too appetizing yet, but I was ready to get cooking.

 Now that is starting to look pretty tasty!!

I wanted to get the true taste of the cutlet, so I didn't add any spices or seasoning.  I simply browned it  in a pan with nonstick spray.  

I used a nice big roll, some sweet BBQ sauce, and a slice of fat free cheese.  

I bet I could have fooled my carnivore husband with this creation! 

I absolutely loved the texture! A lot of meatless options tend to be rubbery but this wasn't at all.  

It has been about 15 years since I had a bite of real chicken, but this seemed pretty close to the real thing! On it's own, the cutlet didn't have a ton of flavor, but with the BBQ sauce and cheese, it was a fantastic sandwich! 

Paired with a side of Popchips...perfection! 

Each cutlet is 80 calories 2.5F 5C 11P.  Those macros are awesome!! Enough to make a huge sandwich!

My husband and I like to eat dinner together, but it is hard to find something a carnivore and an herbivore can share.  We both enjoy salads so we decided on Chik'n Salads! He used real chicken while I tested out the Chik'n Tenders.  

 Each serving is just 90 calories 2F 9C 10P.  

 I wanted to add a little more flavor to the chik'n this time, so I used a little Mrs. Dash.  

I actually really like that these products don't have a ton of flavor, because this way I can add whatever seasonings I like! 

Looks pretty awesome to me! 

These cooked up so quickly!

I tossed the tenders on top of a beautiful salad! 

Homegrown tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumber.  Store bought carrots and balsamic dressing...

Once again, these had a great texture! Not chewy or rubbery at all.  

The little bit of seasoning I added was just enough to make this an amazing meal. 

This is the best meatless product I have tried so far.  I will absolutely buy the Chik'n Tenders again. 

I can't wait to try them in a stir fry! And a wrap!

Last up was the Chili.  Each box is one serving.

I was thinking these would be great to toss in my lunchbox for work.  

 Macros are pretty great for a big bowl of chili! 

Low fat and lots of protein.  

I have to warn you...I am not really a fan of chili...I usually just don't like soup, chili, or anything like that.  My husband was actually very shocked that I even got it to try. 

It was super easy to make.  Microwave and done!

 It had a great chili flavor.  Not too spicy which is good for me! 

Lots of beans, ground "meat", and big chunks of tomato.  

It was not my favorite, but if you are looking for a meatless chili, I think you would love this! Like I said, just not a huge chili fan overall.  

 I decided to try it with a little sprinkle of cheese.  That is how people usually eat chili right?! See...not a big chili consumer...

This was quite tasty! 

 I probably wouldn't buy this again, but I did enjoy this quick and easy lunch.  

Ah, I was missing the cornbread!! Maybe I will try it one more time when I have some cornbread for dipping :)

 Overall thoughts?! Quorn has some really amazing products!! I absolutely loved both chik'n options, and the chili was a quick and easy lunch! 

The best part is that they have so many other products!! Things like spaghetti & meatless balls, turk'y, burgers, and lots of breakfast items too.  

You can find their products in most grocery stores and I have seen them in Whole Foods too.  If you are vegetarian, or just looking for some healthy meal options, I highly suggest giving Quorn a try :)

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