We are taking the guess work out of whether or not these Good Plant Olive Oil Cheeses are worth it in our review (and taste test!)

It’s always hard to know where to spend your money when you’re vegan. So many packaged things cost a lot of money compared to their non-vegan counterparts.

You don’t have to worry! We give our 100% honest review ever single time!

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Watch our Good Planet Olive Oil Cheese Review:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Good Planet Olive Oil Cheese Review

Good Planet Olive Oil Cheese Blocks Review

Good Planet Olive Oil Greek Style Feta Ingredients: Filtered Water, Food Starch – Modified (Tapioca and Potato), Olive Oil*, Kalamata Olives (Kalamata Olives, Water, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lactic Acid, Calcium Chloride), Faba Protein, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors (Vegan Sources), Potato Protein, Spices, Oregano, Tomato Powder, Dehydrated Vegetables (Garlic, Onions), Maltodextrin, Yeast Extract

Good Planet Olive Oil Italian-Style Mozzarella Ingredients: Filtered Water, Food Starch – Modified (Tapioca and Potato), Olive Oil*, Faba Protein, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors (Vegan Sources), Potato Protein, Dehydrated Vegetables (Red Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Garlic, Onions), Spices, Maltodextrin, Parsley, Sugar, Yeast Extract

Good Planet Olive Oil Mexican-Style Monterey Jack Ingredients: Filtered Water, Food Starch – Modified (Tapioca and Potato), Olive Oil*, Faba Protein, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors (Vegan Sources), Potato Protein, Red Bell Peppers, Red Jalapeños, Green Jalapeños, Maltodextrin, Dehydrated Vegetables (Tomatoes, Green Bell Peppers, Onions, Garlic), Spices, Yeast Extract, Sugar, Paprika, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Paprika Extract (Color)

Allergens: There are no top allergens in any of the cheese blocks.

Good Planet Olive Oil Shredded Cheese Review

Good Planet Olive Oil Cheddar Cheese Shreds Ingredients: Filtered Water, Olive Oil, Potato Starch, Tapioca Starch, Faba Protein, Natural Flavors (Vegan Sources), Sea Salt, Calcium Citrate, Dextrose, Carob Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum, Paprika and Beta Carotene (Color), Powdered Cellulose Added to Prevent Caking

Good Planet Olive Oil Mozzarella Cheese Shreds Ingredients: Filtered Water, Olive Oil, Potato Starch, Tapioca Starch, Faba Protein, Natural Flavors (Vegan Sources), Sea Salt, Calcium Citrate, Dextrose, Carob Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum, Annatto and Turmeric Extracts (Color), Powdered Cellulose Added to Prevent Caking

Good Planet Olive Oil Mexican Cheese Shreds Ingredients: Filtered Water, Olive Oil, Potato Starch, Tapioca Starch, Faba Protein, Natural Flavors (Vegan Sources), Sea Salt, Calcium Citrate, Jalapeño Peppers, Dextrose, Carob Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum, Paprika and Beta Carotene (Color), Powdered Cellulose Added to Prevent Caking

Allergens: There are no top allergens in any of the cheese shreds.

Does Good Planet Olive Oil Cheese Shreds Melt?

Yes! Very nicely I might add! It spreads out and is really gooey, but not that stick on your mouth feel that many non-dairy cheeses have. We put more on the mozzarella side and less on the cheddar side when melting.

What we found is that less is more. You don’t need a lot to get good coverage and good melt. The more you put on the more that you might have to cook in order to get a good melt.

Good Planet Olive Oil Cheese Cubes Review

Good Planet Olive Oil Tuscan Herb Mozzarella Cheese Cubes Ingredients: Filtered Water, Food Starch – Modified (Tapioca and Potato), Olive Oil*, Faba Protein, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors (Vegan Sources), Potato Protein, Dehydrated Vegetables (Red Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Garlic, Onions), Spices, Maltodextrin, Parsley, Sugar, Yeast Extract

Good Planet Olive Oil Spicy Monterey Jack Cheese Cubes Ingredients: Filtered Water. Food Starch – Modified (Tapioca and Potato), Olive Oi*, Faba Protein, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors (Vegan Sources), Potato Protein, Red Bell Peppers, Red Jalapeños, Green Jalapeños, Maltodextrin, Dehydrated Vegetables (Tomatoes, Green Bel Peppers, Onions, Garlic). Spices. Yeast Extract, Sugar. Paprika, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Paprika Extract (Color)

Good Planet also have Sharp Cheddar cheese cubes, but we did not try those.

Allergens: There are no top allergens in any of the cheese shreds.

Overall Thoughts

There’s a few things that we want to call out.

• Overall, we love the taste and flavor of this new olive oil non-dairy cheese from Good Planet. We think they have done an amazing job!
• The cheese cubes and blocks have different names, but they taste and appear by ingredient to be the exact same products. We prefer the look of the blocks over the cubes, so like would purchase blocks in the future and cut ourselves.
• The shredded cheese melted really well. Less was more. It also didn’t leave a weird sticky texture to your mouth which is great.
• There was no weird after taste with any of the products.
• There are no top 9 allergens in ANY of the new olive oil cheese products which is AMAZING for our friends who need allergen friendly options.
• The blocks taste great with crackers. As someone who doesn’t like olives, I enjoyed the olive feta with crackers.
• The feta doesn’t crumble like dairy feta.
• These products would be amazing additions to vegan charcuterie boards.

Have you tried these products? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Other Vegan Cheese Reviews to Check Out

The post Good Planet Olive Oil Cheese Review + Taste Test appeared first on Make It Dairy Free.

We are taking the guess work out of whether or not these Daring Foods Frozen Meal Entrees are worth it in our review (and taste test!)

It’s always hard to know where to spend your money when you’re vegan. So many packaged things cost a lot of money compared to their non-vegan counterparts.

You don’t have to worry! We give our 100% honest review ever single time!

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Watch our Daring Foods Frozen Meals Review:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Daring Foods Frozen Meals Review

Daring Foods Harvest Plant Chicken Bowl Review

Ingredients: Daring™ Original Plant Chicken Pieces (Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower and/or Canola), Salt, Natural Flavor, Spices), Cooked Brown Rice (Water, Brown Rice), Sweet Potato, Kale, Onions, Canola Oil, Seasoning (Sugar, Dried Onion, Maltodextrin, Salt, Spices, Dried Garlic, Parsley, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Green Onion, Natural Flavor).

Allergens: Soy.

Daring Foods Spicy Fajita Plant Chicken Bowl Review

Ingredients: Cooked White Rice (Water, White Rice), Daring™ Cajun Plant Chicken Pieces (Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower and/or Canola), Spices (Including Paprika), Lemon Peel, Onion, Garlic, Dextrose, Salt, Natural Flavor), Seasoned Onion & Pepper Blend (Onion, Green and Red Bell Pepper, Contains less than 2% of: Citric Acid, Dehydrated Garlic and Onion, Natural Flavors, Olive Oil, Salt, Spices, Sugar, Yeast Extract), Canola Oil, Seasoning (Spices, Salt, Sugar, Dried Garlic, Dried Onion, Natural Flavor).

Allergens: Soy.

Daring Foods Teriyaki Plant Chicken Bowl Review

Ingredients: Cooked White Rice (Water, White Rice), Daring™ Teriyaki Plant Chicken Pieces (Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower and/or Canola), Sugar, Contains less than 2% of: Caramel, Spices, Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Tomato Powder, Vinegar Powder), Broccoli, Teriyaki Sauce (Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Salt, Sugar), Water, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Dextrose, Corn Starch, Caramelized Sugar Syrup, Garlic Powder, Sesame Oil, Distilled Vinegar, Onion Powder, Spices), Sesame Seeds, Salt.

Allergens: Soy, Sesame.

What do Daring Foods Frozen Meals Look Like cooked?

We wanted to share what the bowls looked like once cooked and stirred according to the direction.

There is a healthy amount of the vegan chicken inside the bowls which is a welcomed addition compared to most of the options on the market.

Overall Thoughts

There’s a few things that we want to call out.

• The Teriyaki bowls have the highest amount of sodium; whereas, the Harvest bowl actually has way less and for a frozen option may work for many people who have to have less sodium.
• We love how much vegan chicken is included in the bowls; however, it does seem like based on that you are left sometimes missing the other ingredients included like the rice or vegetables.
• The vegan chicken tasted great even in these bowls. We hope that Daring continues to expand their line. Andrew specifically called out how nice it would be to see family style skillet meals.

Have you tried these products? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Daring Foods Frozen Meals Review + Taste Test appeared first on Make It Dairy Free.

Learning how to make vegetable stock is one of the key essential things you can do when you are learning your way around the kitchen.

Not only will it save you money, but it can help you reduce waste and the flavor is superior to anything that you can buy in stores.

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Why you’ll love this recipe

• Zero Waste – You can save the tops of your onions, bottoms and tops of your celery, and more to reduce the waste from other recipes in order to create this one
• Cost Savings– while a quart of stock typically only ranges from $1-5 depending on the type and brand you use, those savings can add up quick, especially during the cooler months if you make a lot of soup
• Easy – This recipe is mostly letting the ingredients simmer in a pot which makes your effort minimal

🥘RECIPE INGREDIENTS

Gather your ingredients!

• Vegetables– carrots, celery, and leeks are great additions to a vegetable stock. They hold up well and provide a lot of flavor.
• Herbs– we use a variety of fresh herbs to add in more flavor to this recipe.
• Aromatics- garlic and onions are key in any vegetable stock. Not only for the flavor but the base of the dish

See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

Recipe FAQs:

Other Vegan Sauces and Condiments to Make:

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How to Make Vegetable Stock

Learn how to make vegetable stock with this quick and easy recipe! You will love how simple it is to make your own vegetable broth at home any time you need it!

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 2 quarts

Author Andrew Bernard

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 2 Yellow onions, skin on, roughly chopped
• 4-5 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 4-5 stems Fresh Parsley
• 3-4 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
• 3 Green onions, greens and whites, chopped
• 3 Bay leaves
• 1.5 teaspoon peppercorns (or 2 ¼ teaspoon ground pepper), more or less to taste
• 2 Celery stalks, with leaves, roughly chopped
• 3 large Carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 Leek, cleaned throughly, roughly chopped
• 1 bulb Garlic, smashed to open, with peel
• 10 cups Water
• salt, to taste

Instructions

• In a large heavy bottomed stock pot with a lid, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 5-7 minutes or until softened and a golden huge starts to develop*.
• Add in fresh herbs, green onions, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Stir together. Add in celery, carrots, leeks, and garlic. Stir again.
• Add water and using a wooden spatula, scrape off any browning at the bottom. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes (up to 2 hours for less stock but richer flavor).
• Let cool then strain the stock from the vegetables*. Store in air tight containers in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Video

Notes

*You can cook your onions longer to develop more caramelization if desired.  This will give a deeper oniony flavor in the end.

*You can repeat this process one more time with the same vegetables noting that the flavor and color will be less than the original batch.

Slow Cooker: You can add all your ingredients to a slow cooker and let cook on high for 8-12 hours. 

The post How to Make Vegetable Stock appeared first on Make It Dairy Free.

We are taking the guess work out of whether or not these Lindt Lindor non-dairy oatmilk truffles are worth it in our review (and taste test!)

It’s always hard to know where to spend your money when you’re vegan. So many packaged things cost a lot of money compared to their non-vegan counterparts.

You don’t have to worry! We give our 100% honest review ever single time!

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Watch our Lindt Lindor Oatmilk Non-Dairy Chocolate Review:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Lindt Lindor Oatmilk Non-Dairy Chocolate Truffles Review

Lindt Lindor Non-Dairy Oatmilk Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients: Sugar, vegetable oil (coconut, palm kernel), cocoa butter, chocolate, oat extract powder*, rice extract powder, almond butter, soy lecithin (emulsifier), natural and artificial flavors.

Allergens: Soy, Coconut, Almonds.

Lindt Lindor Non-Dairy Oatmilk Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients: Sugar, vegetable oil (coconut, palm kernel), chocolate, cocoa butter, almond butter, oat extract powder*, rice extract powder, soy lecithin (emulsifier), natural and artificial flavors.

Allergens: Soy, Coconut, Almonds.

Lindt Lindor Chocolate Truffle Inside

We wanted to share what the inside of the chocolate truffles looks like. There is a harder outer shell and then a creamier inside center that melts in your mouth.

Overall Thoughts

There’s a few things that we want to call out.

• We both thought this is the some of the best vegan chocolate that we have had to date. You almost miss nothing compared to the dairy version.
• The dark chocolate doesn’t take very dark at all. In fact, we thought that it might taste sweeter than the non-dark version.
• It melts on your fingers and has a super creamy inside. Just like the original ones.
• We hope they come out with more products. This is the second Lindt product that has turned vegan that we love.

Have you tried these products? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Lindt Lindor Oat Milk Truffles Review and Taste Test appeared first on Make It Dairy Free.

We are taking the guess work out of whether or not these Vitalite vegan cheese products are worth it in our review (and taste test!)

It’s always hard to know where to spend your money when you’re vegan. So many packaged things cost a lot of money compared to their non-vegan counterparts.

You don’t have to worry! We give our 100% honest review ever single time!

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Watch our Vitalite Vegan Cheese Review:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Vitalite Vegan Cheese Review

Vitalite Plant-Based Creamy Original Spread

Thoughts: Pros are that this didn’t immediately melt on a hot bagel and it was really creamy. That’s where our pros really end though.

There was a sour taste that we didn’t care for, making us think with the soft texture and taste this wouldn’t be great in sweet things.

It’s also just kind of there and melts in your mouth leaving us with just feeling like we were tasting the bagel we tried it on, instead of being a texture on it’s own.

Overall: It is edible, but wouldn’t be our first choice of a vegan cream cheese product.

Ingredients: water, coconut oil, soy protein concentrate, salt, sugar, calcium citrate, lactic acid, carrageenan, natural flavor.

Allergens: Soy, Coconut.

Vitalite Plant-Based Grated Parmesan Cheese

Thoughts: We enjoyed this. We ate it straight from the bag.

It has a good parm taste, no real aftertaste that some other vegan products have, and the texture was great.

Ingredients: water, modified potato starch, coconut oil, oat fiber, yeast extract, cornstarch, salt, modified cornstarch, carrageenan, guar gum, calcium citrate, natural flavors, lactic acid, sodium lactate, beta carotene (color).

Allergens: Coconut.

Thoughts: We enjoyed this as well. We used both options and put them in a tortilla shell and made cheese quesadillas.

There’s a buttery taste to them which we really enjoyed and we think that they did really well with both the taste and texture.

It actually melted without any extra work on our end unlike some other products and there was no grainy texture that some other vegan cheese products have.

We did say that we’d like to try this on pizza and something like tacos or mac and cheese so we could really tell everything, but this could be a contender for something we buy all the time.

Cheddar Ingredients: water, coconut oil, modified potato starch, cornstarch, oat fiber, modified cornstarch, carrageenan, guar gum, salt, calcium citrate, yeast extract, natural flavors, lactic acid, sodium lactate, beta carotene (color).

Mozzarella Ingredients: water, coconut oil, modified potato starch, oat fiber, cornstarch, salt, modified cornstarch, calcium citrate, carrageenan, guar gum, natural flavors, lactic acid, sodium lactate, beta carotene (color).

Allergens: Coconut.

Thoughts: We enjoyed this the same as the shreds. It’s pretty much the same product. For this, we made them with grilled cheese.

Same texture and taste; however, we did have to use a microwave to get these fully melted, but it didn’t take long and melted beautiful.

We think that added on top of something like a burger would melt pretty instantly, but on the cold bread it doesn’t get enough heat intially.

Cheddar Ingredients: water, coconut oil, modified potato starch, cornstarch, salt, modified cornstarch, carrageenan, guar gum, calcium citrate, yeast extract, natural flavors, lactic acid, sodium lactate, beta carotene (color).

Mozzarella Ingredients: water, coconut oil, modified potato starch, cornstarch, salt, modified cornstarch, calcium citrate, carrageenan, guar gum, natural flavors, lactic acid, sodium lactate, beta carotene (color).

Allergens: Coconut.

Overall Thoughts

There’s a few things that we want to call out.

• We didn’t care for the cream cheese.
• Other We enjoyed all the other vegan cheese options from Vitalite. And once we have a chance to try it in other ways, we have discussed this becoming the primary cheese brand we use.
• It melts well and is gooey.
• We hope they come out with more products like other cheese varieties, as well as vegan cheese sticks (like string cheese) as we feel like that area is lacking in the vegan market. We also know there’s a Vitalite butter in the UK and would love to try that in the US.

Have you tried these products? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Vitalite Vegan Cheese Review + Taste Test appeared first on Make It Dairy Free.

We are taking the guess work out of whether or not these Hershey plant-based products are worth it in our review (and taste test!)

It’s always hard to know where to spend your money when you’re vegan. So many packaged things cost a lot of money compared to their non-vegan counterparts.

You don’t have to worry! We give our 100% honest review ever single time!

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Watch our Hershey’s Plant Based Review:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Hershey’s Plant Based Review

Hershey’s Plant Based Oat Chocolate Almond Bar

Thoughts: The chocolate is smooth and the almonds are tiny which goes well together. We did both agree that it seems to be a hint more dark chocolate than milk chocolate than we can remember, noting that it has been years since we had a normal Hershey’s chocolate bar.

We also agree that the $4 we paid at Hersheypark for the bar was a bit steep, considering that a dairy based bar is under $1.50.

Ingredients: SUGAR, COCOA BUTTER*, CHOCOLATE*, ALMONDS, OAT FLOUR, RICE FLOUR, LECITHIN (SOY), SUNFLOWER OIL, SEA SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR.*RAINFOREST ALLIANCE CERTIFIED

Allergens: Soy, Almonds.

Hershey’s Plant Based Reese’s Cups

Thoughts: We liked these better, but also liked them better pre-veganism.

Again we said the same thing about the dark chocolate vs milk chocolate taste and the price.

For Larisha, this didn’t taste as good as what she remembers because of that taste difference, but Andrew said that he doesn’t think he’d be able to tell them apart.

Ingredients: SUGAR, PEANUTS, COCOA BUTTER, CHOCOLATE, OAT FLOUR, RICE FLOUR, DEXTROSE, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SEA SALT, LECITHIN (SOY), NATURAL FLAVOR, ROSEMARY EXTRACT.

Allergens: Soy, Peanuts.

Overall Thoughts

There’s a few things that we want to call out.

• We enjoyed these. It’s nice to be able to pick up a name brand product and be able to enjoy the normalcy of it.
• They are priced a bit high and we would love to see them come down in the future.
• They aren’t available everywhere yet and we really hope they push to bring more and more products to a larger market in the future.
• Overall, it’s a nice product to have once in awhile.

Have you tried these products? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Plant-Based Hershey Bars Review (Taste Test) appeared first on Make It Dairy Free.

We are taking the guess work out of whether or not these Beyond Chicken products are worth it in our review (and taste test!)

It’s always hard to know where to spend your money when you’re vegan. So many packaged things cost a lot of money compared to their non-vegan counterparts.

You don’t have to worry! We give our 100% honest review ever single time!

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Watch our Beyond Chicken Review:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Beyond Chicken Review

Beyond Chicken Fillet Original

Thoughts: We like the flavor and mouth feel of the breading. There is a nice meaty texture to the chicken and overall it’s a great products. We do like the amount of breading on Gardein more, but the flavor here is better.

Ingredients: Water, Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Faba Bean Protein, Natural Flavors, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, 2% or less of Pea Starch, Methylcellulose, Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Flour, CornStarch, Yeast Extract, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Pea Protein*, Titanium Dioxide (For Color), Sugar, Dried Yeast, Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Sunflower Oil, Spices, Canola Oil, Paprika, Dextrose.

Allergens: Wheat.

Beyond Chicken Fillet Spicy

Thoughts: Same as above with the original; however, we will add that this has a nice spice kick to it without being overbearing. We find the Gardein Spicy to be too spicy, but this Beyond one is the right amount.

Ingredients: Water, Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Modified Corn Starch, Faba Bean Protein, Corn Starch, Natural Flavors, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, 2% or less of Pea Starch, Methylcellulose, Salt, Refined Coconut Oil, Spices, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder,  Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda),  Pea Protein*, Rice Starch, Sugar, Paprika,  Yeast Extract, Titanium Dioxide (For Color), Vinegar. 

Allergens: Wheat.

Beyond Chicken Tenders Original

Thoughts: Again, we like the size, breading, and flavor of these. Larisha did say these had a little bit of a rubbery texture to her, but Andrew didn’t get that himself.

Ingredients: Water, Faba Bean Protein, Breading (Wheat Flour, Rice Flour, Salt, Corn Starch, Pea Proteinᵗ, Canola Oil, Wheat Gluten, Paprika, Spices, Dextrose, Leavening[Sodium Acid Phrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate], Sugar, Sunflower Oil, Dried Onion, Dried Garlic, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavors), Breadcrumbs (Wheat Flour, Sugar, Sea Salt, Dried Yeast), Vital Wheat Gluten, Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavors, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Pea starch, Methylcellulose, and 1% or less of Yeast Extract, Refined Coconut Oil, Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Sodium Phosphates, Spices, Titanium dioxide (for color), Sunflower Lecithin.

Allergens: Wheat.

Overall Thoughts

There’s a few things that we want to call out.

• We really enjoyed these. The overall flavor profile of each is well balanced. We would buy the Spicy one again over the others.
• These are high in protein (13-16g depending on the product), so it’s a great option if you are looking for that without soy.
• They did take double the amount of time to cook than what is listed on the products. Cooking at the recommended time, it was still cold. At double the recommended time, it was at the correct cooking temperature per listed on the packaging. This is based on using our Air Fryer.

Have you tried these products? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Beyond Chicken Review + Taste Test appeared first on Make It Dairy Free.

We are taking the guess work out of whether or not these Meati Foods Mushroom Root Protein products are worth it in our review (and taste test!)

It’s always hard to know where to spend your money when you’re vegan. So many packaged things cost a lot of money compared to their non-vegan counterparts.

You don’t have to worry! We give our 100% honest review ever single time!

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Watch our Meati Foods Mushroom Root Protein:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Meati Foods Mushroom Root Protein Review

Meati Foods Carne Asada Steaks

Thoughts: This is one of those products that if you don’t like how close vegan products can come to meat, it would confuse you.

The texture is so good and the flavor is really there too. The look of it after cooking doesn’t give a great appearance, but if you added something like chimichurri over it or steak sauce you’d be good!

Ingredients: Meati Steak (Mushroom Root [mycelium], Less Than 2% Of: Salt, Natural Flavor, Fruit Juice for Color, Oat Fiber, Vegetable Juice for Color, Lycopene for Color), Seasoning Blend (Dehydrated Garlic, Salt, Sugar, Spices, Paprika, Dehydrated Onion, Cilantro, Olive Oil, Natural Flavors, Extractives of Paprika).

Allergens: No top allergens.

Meati Foods Crispy Cutlets

Thoughts: This was probably the most realistic out of the three to a meat based product. It’s perfectly breaded. Has a great inside texture and a great balance of the crispiness on the outside.

Andrew did agree with Larisha when she said this more so reminded her of a fish sandwich from McDonalds that she had prior to being a vegan and maybe the company should rebrand it as that.

Ingredients: Meati Cutlet (Mushroom Root [mycelium], Less Than 2% Of: Salt, Acacia Gum, Natural Flavor, Chickpea Flour, Oat Fiber), Breading (Rice Flour, Canola Oil, Yellow Corn Flour, Potato Protein, Salt, Leavening [Baking Soda, Disodium Diphosphate, Calcium Phosphate], Spice, Dried Garlic, Dried Onion, Paprika, Paprika Extract, Xanthan Gum).

Allergens: No Top 9 Allergens.

Meati Foods Classic Cutlets

Thoughts: This was also good and reminiscent of a plain chicken breast. Very surprised at the texture.

This one you do season yourself (per the instructions) and we went with a multiblend herb seasoning.

Ingredients: Mushroom Root (mycelium), Less Than 2% Of: Salt, Natural Flavor, Acacia Gum, Oat Fiber, Chickpea Flour.

Allergens: No Top 9 Allergens.

Overall Thoughts

There’s a few things that we want to call out.

• We really enjoyed these. The overall flavor profile of each is well balanced.
• Even if you don’t like mushrooms, you’d be very surprised by these. Andrew is a devout anti-mushroom vegan and he enjoyed these.
• These are high in protein (15-17g depending on the product), so it’s a great option if you are looking for that without soy or wheat.
• The size of these is great and on par with non-vegan options.

Have you tried these products? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Meati Foods Mushroom Root Protein Review (Taste Test) appeared first on Make It Dairy Free.

We are taking the guess work out of whether or not these Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Bowls are worth it in our review (and taste test!)

It’s always hard to know where to spend your money when you’re vegan. So many packaged things cost a lot of money compared to their non-vegan counterparts.

You don’t have to worry! We give our 100% honest review ever single time!

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Watch our Gardein Ultimate Frozen Bowls Taste Test:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Bowls Review

Gardein Ultimate Be’f & Broccoli Bowl

Thoughts: Andrew absolutely loved this one as a great option for a frozen dinner. Larisha said she really would like this to have a tad more flavor in the seasoning department, but overall it’s good.

It has a good amount of plant-based meat inside it and the balance of meat to rice to broccoli to sauce is good.

Overall, we would get this one again.

Ingredients: Cooked Rice (water, White Rice), Broccoli, Water, Tamari Sauce (water, Soybeans, Salt, Vinegar), Vital Wheat Gluten, Soy Protein Isolate, Sugar, Less Than 2% Of: Canola Oil, Brown Sugar, Onions, Yeast Extract, Corn Starch, Rice Vinegar, Ginger Puree, Methylcellulose, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Malt Extract (malted Barley, Water), Rub (dehydrated Vegetables [red Bell Peppers, Garlic, Onion], Spices, Sugar, Salt), Spices, Salt, Potato Starch, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavors.

Allergens: Wheat, Soy.

Gardein Ultimate Be’f Burrito Bowl

Thoughts: We both really enjoyed this one. It is on the spicier side, but the ingredients are really balanced and flavorful. This would be perfect served with some tortilla chips or even a tortilla to make a burrito on the side.

Ingredients: Water, Cooked Rice (water, White Rice), Cooked Black Beans, Corn, Tomato Paste, Tomatoes, Green Bell Peppers, Textured Soy Protein Concentrate, Less Than 2% Of: Canola Oil, Spices, Brown Sugar, Garlic Powder, Yeast Extract, Onion Powder, Salt, Rice Vinegar, Tamari Sauce (water, Soybeans, Salt, Vinegar), Paprika, Caramel Color, Sugar, Natural Flavors.

Allergens: Soy.

Gardein Ultimate Meatball Marinara Bowl

Thoughts: This was the least favorite for both Larisha and Andrew. There is a good balance of noodles to meatballs; however, the pasta sauce was lacking flavor and there was a weird aftertaste to the meatballs (almost like freezer burnt).

We did also let our pasta loving youngest child try this one and she also said it just wasn’t her favorite thing.

This is one that we wouldn’t buy again.

Ingredients: Cooked Cavatappi Pasta (water, Durum Wheat Semolina [enriched With Iron {ferrous Sulfate} And B Vitamins {niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid}]), Water, Crushed Tomatoes In Puree (diced Tomatoes, Tomato Puree, Citric Acid), Spinach, Tomato Paste, Onions, Textured Soy Protein Concentrate, Canola Oil, Less Than 2% Of: Salt, Brown Sugar, Vital Wheat Gluten, Soy Protein Isolate, Enriched Wheat Flour (wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Spices, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Methylcellulose, Malt Extract (malted Barley, Water), Yeast Extract, Sugar, Crushed Red Pepper, Natural Flavors, Soy Lecithin, Yeast.

Allergens: Wheat, Soy.

Gardein Ultimate Sweet & Sour Chick’n Bowl

Thoughts: Note that there is more in the package than in the photo above; however, I (Larisha) started eating it and almost forgot to take a photo! (WHOOPS!)

We both enjoyed this one. This is the same chicken pieces Gardein uses for a few other things and we enjoy it a lot. The sauce to rice and chicken ratio was great, especially if you are a saucier person.

This was Larisha’s top choice, but Andrew said he’d eat this one again also.

Ingredients: Cooked Rice (water, White Rice), Water, Brown Sugar, Pineapple, Carrots, Enriched Wheat Flour (wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vital Wheat Gluten, Green Bell Peppers, Red Bell Peppers, Soy Protein Isolate, Less Than 2% Of: Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Canola Oil, Tomato Paste, Rice Vinegar, Pea Protein Concentrate, Tamari Sauce (water, Soybeans, Salt, Vinegar), Corn Starch, Textured Wheat Protein (wheat Gluten, Wheat Starch), Lemon Juice Concentrate, Methylcellulose, Rice Flour, Salt, Tamarind, Sunflower Oil, Modified Potato Starch, Ginger Puree, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavors, Yeast Extract, Onion Powder, Sugar, Spices, Titanium Dioxide (color), Dried Chile De Arbol, Leavening (sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Lactic Acid.

Allergens: Wheat, Soy.

Overall Thoughts

There’s a few things that we want to call out.

• We really enjoyed these. The overall flavor profile of each is well balanced and the meat to other ingredients is great.
• The only one we wouldn’t purchase again is the Meatball Marinara.
• These are high in protein (14-18g depending on the bowl), so a great, quick option to get protein if you are traveling.
• While these are small for the price, they are on par with other prices for vegan frozen dinner options.

Have you tried these bowls? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Gardein Ultimate Bowls Review (Taste Test) appeared first on Make It Dairy Free.

There are so many vegan recipes using tofu, however, if you are allergic or don’t consume soy, you may be constantly feeling like out. Thankfully, this chickpea tofu review gives you all the information you need to make a substitute.

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Watch our Chickpea Tofu Taste Test:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Chickpea Tofu Review

Our first thoughts, straight out of the package, is that it has a very smooth consistency. Almost like silken tofu, but it’s not that soft.

When you slice into chickpea tofu, it has the texture and look of cutting a block of cheese.

Can you press or freeze chickpea tofu?

Typically, when people want a meat like tofu texture, we recommend that they freeze the tofu first in the package and then thaw and press it. So we also did that with this.

There is a slight texture difference when you freeze first, but it also makes the chickpea tofu crumbly, so keep that in mind.

Chickpea tofu straight out of the package and then pressed yielded no water coming out of our tofu press. It is a very dense product when pressing and doesn’t seem to retain any water inside of it.

When you freeze first and then press, you are able to get water out then.

How to cook chickpea tofu?

We did appreciate that right on the chickpea tofu there were cooking instructions since we think that helps people who may not know how to cook tofu at all.

See below for our cooking instructions.

Texture of cooked chickpea tofu

While the outside crisps up very nicely, we did find that the overall inside texture was very soft. We compared it to mashed potatoes consistency.

Overall thoughts

We think that if you can’t have soy, chickpea tofu makes an awesome alternative. The taste is very neutral and takes on flavor well. It is a very soft texture inside when being cooked that may deter some people.

The price is about double for what we pay for soy based tofu, so that could also be a deterrent for some, but hopefully as the product gains popularity it will come down.

Print

How to Cook Chickpea Tofu

Learn how to cook packaged chickpea tofu easily and quickly!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Asian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Andrew Bernard

Equipment

• 1 Skillet

Ingredients

• 1 block chickpea tofu
• 2-3 teaspoon cornstarch (sub with arrowroot powder)
• 3-4 tablespoon oil
• Favorite sauce

Instructions

• Cube or cut chickpea tofu block into desired size. add to a sealed bag with cornstarch and gently toss to coat.
• Add oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add toss and flip every 1-2 minutes until all sides are golden brown. Remove to a towel lined plate.
• In a clean skillet, add and heat your favorite sauce, add the tofu back in and toss to coat.

Video

Notes

*Cornstarch should be very lightly coated.  Too much cornstarch will lead to a floury taste.

Have you tried chickpea tofu? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Chickpea Tofu Review appeared first on Make It Dairy Free.