Overall Rating: 2.5/5
Summary: the texture of the 'beefless tips' was spot on and as was the aromatic basmati rice. The flavour of the sauce and the beef was a no-show! The sauce was light and tasty, however it was missing diversity in veggies and only the carrots added some colour. I won't be buying this one again, since I do personally prefer brown rice and missed the abundance of veggies that I would normally have with my meals.
Where to buy: Fortino, Freshco
Ingredients: water, vital wheat gluten*, soy protein isolate*, expeller pressed/canola oil, organic ancient grain flour (kamut®, amaranth, millet, quinoa), onions, natural flavors (from plant sources), modified vegetable gum, malted barley extract, yeast extract, garlic powder, onion powder, potato starch, organic cane sugar, sea salt, pea protein, carrot fiber, organic beetroot fiber.
Burgundy sauce: water, carrots, tomato paste, onions, Burgundy wine reduction, roasted garlic, mushrooms, sea salt, organic cane sugar, natural flavor (from plant sources), expeller pressed canola oil, corn starch, malted barley extract, vinegar, konjac, xanthan gum, soy lecithin, white pepper, ground rosemary.
Rice: water, basmati rice, sea salt.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 1 container
Calories: 360
Total fat: 7g
Saturated fat: .5g
Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 640mg
Total Carbohydrate: 52g
Dietary fiber: 4g
Sugars: 3g
Protein: 24g
Vitamin A: 15%
Vitamin C: 4%
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 35%
For the 640mg sodium...where was the salt? It seemed like less salt than other ready-to-eat products I've bought before. Save for this, I love the nutritional profile of this meal (a whopping 24g protein and 4g fiber is pretty awesome for me, especially on a workout day!).
It was bland...it was like eating nothing, I swear. I was initially so pumped that I could have a full, easy meal with high protein and good fiber....but then I had a bite. After boiling the packages on the stovetop for about 5 minutes, the texture of the rice and beef was perfect.
The flavour....I could definitely make something better myself with the spices I have at home (and I am a horrendous cook). The mushrooms and carrots were a plus because they added some interest and texture, but dang, it still falls flat. I had my mom taste it as well and she was so unimpressed that she is now motivated to make her own version. So...at least something good will come out of this -- a nice mommy-cooked meal for me!
Bought this on sale (thank god, cause it certainly was worth paying full price!) from Metro.
Well, that's it for me...I gotta go find something else to satisfy my lunch appetite.
***UPDATE***
Soooo, I decided to give this product a second chance because I do love Gardein as a trusted brand.
This time around, I changed the initial rating to 2.5/5. I still wouldn't buy it again, *however* I did appreciate the meal a lot more this time around. I didn't find it so bland! I did note that it would have been better with more colour (add more veggies!) and texture in the sauce.
Other Trio flavours (all vegan):
Brand (quoted from gardein.com):
- The majority of gardein ingredients come from North American farms.
- Uses non-MSG yeast extract to enhance gardein™'s flavor.
- "...wherever possible, we use the best organic and certified non-GMO ingredients..."
- "...we like to diversify our proteins by using wheat, soy and pea proteins..."
- Ccontains no preservatives or artificial flavors.
- "Our soy is grown in the United States and Canada."
- "...our suppliers ensure that all our ingredients do not contain pesticides or herbicides - in line with all federal, state/provincial, and municipal regulations."
- "... we only use 'identity-preserved' soy protein (which basically means, it helps to ensure us that our soy protein is not genetically modified)."
No comments:
Post a Comment