Review of 'Gardein' Mandarin crispy chick'n

Gardein -- Mandarin crispy chick'n
Overall Rating: 3/5
Summary: medium sweet sauce is quite nice, but not so orangey; I didn't really get that Asian flavour. The texture is actually very close to that meatyness of chicken and I love that it gets crispy with a slight chew. However, I would not recommend this product because of the use of modified corn starch, which is said to be indicative of trans fats. The nutritional profile is not as fiber-rich as I'd like. The soy, wheat, and canola are all non-GMO. The nutritional profile indicates only 1g of sugar but that doesn't seem consistent with the ingredients.


Where to buy: Freshco, Fortinos



Ingredients: gardein: water, soy protein isolate*, vital wheat gluten*, expeller pressed/canola oil, yeast extract, organic cane sugar, natural flavors (from plant sources), sea salt, onion powder, pea protein, carrot fiber, beetroot fiber, extractives of paprika and turmeric. batter: water, wheat flour, modified corn starch, wheat gluten, sugar, cream of tartar, salt, onion powder, spice, baking soda, garlic powder. sauce: water, organic cane sugar, less sodium soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt, alcohol*), fruit puree (water, mandarin and tangerine juice concentrate, chopped orange peels, natural flavor), salted sake (water, rice, salt), rice vinegar, thai chili sauce (sugar, water, chili paste, garlic, vinegar, modified food starch, salt, fermented wheat protein, cayenne pepper, citric acid, xanthan gum), corn starch, ginger, canola oil, garlic, spice.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 76g
Calories: 150
     Calories from fat: 60
Total fat: 7g
     Saturated fat: 0g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 260mg
Total carbohydrate: 6g
     Dietary fiber: 1g
     Sugars: 1g
Protein: 17g
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 20%

The ingredients are fine, except for the modified corn starch , which is an indication of trace amounts of trans fats. The nutritional profile is good on its own. It's low fat, low sodium, and high protein. Unfortunately, it's not very fiber-rich, unless you stir fry it with some veggies. I know it's yummy, but until the link to trans fats has been confirmed or denied, I prefer to stay away.

Other Gardein chick'n products (all vegan):

• 7 grain crispy tenders
• Chipotle lime fingers
• Marinara chick'n filets
• Teriyaki chick'n strips
• Chick'n scallopini
• Chick'n sliders
• Barbeque wings

Recipes using this product:

• Orange poppy seed chick'n lettuce wraps
• Mandarin broccoli stir fry
• Mandarin orange stir fry
• Chick'n spring roll

 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..."
• 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)."