Review of 'Gardein' Meatless Meatballs

Gardein - Meatless Meatballs (vegan)
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Summary: juicy, huge "meatballs". I really enjoyed these...they aren't reminiscent of any meat flavour, but were really good, nevertheless. I used these in a pasta...Classico sauce and whole wheat spaghetti and mmmm, very nice. The nutritional profile is very strong in fiber, protein, and iron, though a tad high on sodium. Still, I really enjoyed this product and will definitely buy it again.

Where to buy: Whole Foods, Fortinos



Ingredients: water, soy protein concentrate, vital wheat gluten*, soy protein isolate*, expeller pressed/canola oil, enriched wheat flour* (niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), modified vegetable gum, spices, dehydrated onion, yeast extract, malted barley extract, sea salt, organic cane sugar, dehydrated garlic, natural flavors (from plant sources), vinegar, molasses, pea protein, carrot fiber, beetroot fiber, wheat starch, soy lecithin, extractives of paprika and turmeric, extractives of annatto. *Non-genetically engineered soybeans and wheat.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 3 meatballs
Calories: 150
     Calories from fat: 60
Total fat: 6g
     Saturated fat: 0g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 390mg
Total Carbohydrate: 10g
     Dietary fiber: 4g
     Sugars: 1g
Protein: 17g
Vitamin A: 2%
Vitamin C: 2%
Calcium: 6%
Iron: 15%

So the ingredients are very nutritious. You can see this clearly in the nutritional profile with 4g of fiber and 17g of protein. It's relatively low-calorie and low in fat. I highly recommend this product.

Brand:

• 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..."
• Contains 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)."