~*~*Reviews of Prepackaged Vegetarian and Vegan Foods*~*~

[Tonksyjellybean]

Me too
Im in dorset
theres bugger all here either.....
we just lost our two decent eateries too

[minowisbitt8lo]

morning star sausage links


pretty tasty, and rather convicing tasting as far as i can remember sausage tasting.... today for lunch i sliced some up and threw them in with the potatoes and peppers i was frying up.... nom!

  Easily my favorite, and IMO best meat-sub for me.  I like them with my pancakes, right in the maple syrup, and I like them on toast with onion and farmer's cheese from the lady upstream of us.  (she uses strong nettle tea instead of rennet!!  does make the cheese kinda green... )

[Geniale]

I love, love Nutrela High Protein Soya Chunks (by Ruchi)! I was a little sceptical when I prepped them the first time, but they're really juicy and there's no added salt, fat, or anything - it's 100% soya; so they take on the taste of whatever you serve them with and can be used in sweet dishes as well. They also make them in Mini-Chunks and Granules (though I haven't tried either).

Another product I love are the vegetarian burritos sold individually in the freezer section. All you have to do is stick them in the microwave! Don't remember what brand they are though (Amy's maybe?).

Another fav are Tofurkey products - especially Italian sausage and the Hickory-Smoke "cold-cuts" which are sliced really thinly.

There's another company that makes marinated "cutlets" but I can't remember the name. It's sold in the refrigerated section, along with all the fake deli meats, burgers, etc. I find they taste great, though they are a little on the expensive side (for my budget anyways). Most grocery stores have them.

There's this log-shaped "ham" sold in Asian markets that tastes truly amazing. I don't have the label anymore because I usually slice it up into 1 serving-sized pieces, which I wrap individually. That way, I can just thaw a portion for myself when I want it.

Le Commensal used to have incredible lasagna - it's still good, but it's not what it used to be

Okay, this isn't a pre-packaged food, but it's a suggestion for those who haven't tried it... kasha (roasted buckwheat groats). It's my favourite way to substitute ground beef in recipes (especially Shepard's pie); and it's gluten-free!!!

-Yves chicken souvlaki skewers!  I usually find them at Safeway but they're a rare hit or miss deal
-veeeeegan (with 15g of protein and 1g of fat!)
-about $5 CD for 2 skewers, once I found them for $2 on sale and stocked right the eff up
-the only yves product that gets a 5/5

The best way to eat it is with a little hummus and balsamic vinegar and a salad with black olives, can be microwaved but best grilled to get it a little crispy *drool*

I hate to disagree, but Yve's skewers are tough and rubbery. I don't mind chewy foods, but you've got chewy and chewy... even barbecued.

[kaleidoscope_eyes]

Upton's Naturals Chorizo Style Seitan

I give it 5 out of 5 stars. Wow, I ate this in a breakfast burrito and was knocked out. I really didn't know what to expect but, I was impressed. Vegan, free of GMO's and incredibly tasty. It was not made primarily of soy, which was a plus for me but, it did contain wheat so that may be limiting for some. Great texture and taste. The crumbles did not become soggy when cooked (like some meat alternatives.) This is exactly what I look for in pre-packaged veggie foods.

I got it at Whole Foods for 4.99 (or something like that). Upton's also has a recipe blog which I look forward to using some of their recipes.

[Feast Your Eyes]

I haven't read the whole thread yet, but I will! There's good info here! I am currently eating low fat, low carb, and avoiding dairy and wheat gluten. I'm only supposed to eat a little meat, so I've been getting some of my protein from alternative sources. I've also been trying to take care of some of my dairy cravings. So far:

Silk Pure Almond milk, original flavor
-5/5 stars
I love this stuff. It is not quite as smooth as real milk, but it has a mild almond flavor, which I enjoy. I will probably continue to use it even after I can have dairy again.

Galaxy Nutritional Foods Veggie Slices American Flavor
-3/5 Stars
Texture very similar to real plastic cheese (Kraft slices) but not salty enough.

La Tortilla Factory Gluten Free wraps
-1/5 Stars
Tough. I won't buy them again. Luckily corn tortillas are also gluten free.

Rice Dream Vanilla flavor
-4.5/5 Stars
I could tell it wasn't real ice cream but pretty tasty nonetheless.

Morning Star Sausage links
-2/5 Stars
I've never been a fan of the softer texture of chicken sausage, and that's what these remind me of.

I used to live very near a Trader Joe's and miss it dearly now! I would often get the prepackaged Indian food (usually palak paneer) and the heat & eat brown rice from the freezer. Not as good as restaurant food, but quick and easy.

[schnerby]

Has anyone else tried out Asian grocers catering for vegetarians, usually Buddhists?

I live in an area with a great concentration of Asian folks, and found a great Asian vegetarian grocer. I got some lovely veggie pattes and some soy chunks that were a little too much like chicken for my liking. The food was very reasonably priced, and had a huge range!

I don't know that it's worth sharing the specific brands, but I will defo be back there for shopping!

They also had vegetarian curry paste, a must for me since I'm allergic to prawns/shrimp.

[astrangeone]

Well, I usually don't do vegan or veggy foods - unless I make 'em myself...but here goes.

(Oh yeah, I'm Canadian, so....)

Yves Veggy Hot Dogs
$5.95 @ Zehrs (but I'm currently stuck in my arse ended university town, so yeah)
4/5 - The texture can get a bit gummy, but boil them (don't slice 'em up as all the sodium content leeches out), and then grill 'em.  Texture's a bit off skin-wise - a good hot dog should have a skin that "pops" when you bite into it, but it really tastes like the real thing.

Yves Ground Round
$3.99 @ Zehrs
3/5 - The texture is really there, but the package is tiny.  I can probably eke two servings out of it, if I toss it into a pasta sauce.

Oh, and if you are in a neighbourhood with Asian food markets, drop by for their soy milk.  (I find that the texture and flavour is much better than anything else!)

[Geniale]

Canadian here too. If you can find them, I recommend Tofurky products, especially the sausages and the sliced 'meat'. They are way superior to Yves products and the price is usually about the same, sometimes a little higher. I don't like tempeh or seitan so I haven't those Tofurky products.

I usually buy my tofu from Asian stores, it cost peanuts. Also, in lieu of ground meat, I recommend trying kasha (roasted buckwheat groats), it's especially good in Shepherd's Pie. It's a little more work than buy prepackaged, but less expensive and worth the effort.

[astrangeone]

Canadian here too. If you can find them, I recommend Tofurky products, especially the sausages and the sliced 'meat'. They are way superior to Yves products and the price is usually about the same, sometimes a little higher. I don't like tempeh or seitan so I haven't those Tofurky products.

I usually buy my tofu from Asian stores, it cost peanuts. Also, in lieu of ground meat, I recommend trying kasha (roasted buckwheat groats), it's especially good in Shepherd's Pie. It's a little more work than buy prepackaged, but less expensive and worth the effort.

Oh?  I actually haven't had Tofurky in ages.  I should find it in Canadian stores - for some reason, Loblaws/Zehrs doesn't stock that brand. 

Yeah, tofu/soymilk from Asian markets is much better than anything else.

[Geniale]

Oh?  I actually haven't had Tofurky in ages.  I should find it in Canadian stores - for some reason, Loblaws/Zehrs doesn't stock that brand. 

The only big grocery chains I find it at are IGA and in the bio section at some Loblaws. Otherwise a lot of smaller fruit stores sell them.