I’d like to try 1 or 2 of these products. However, at $8 for many of them, I’m hesitant.
by philbar
19 Comments
halfanothersdozen
With the exception of the “riced” veggies that all looks pretty processed. You could do a lot worse for quick packaged foods, but I wouldn’t make them a staple.
Edit: also lol Jack Links chili 🤮
janewp
I bought the “spam” one thinking it would be a holiday treat with pancakes. It was texture-less and flavorless and the crows got most of it.
LouisePoet
I’m rather concerned about buying pretty much anything from Walmart.
Calikid421
Looks like fraud at Walmart
meothfulmode
I wouldn’t eat these regularly since processed plant food is still not as healthy for you as home cooked plant food. Considering what’s in them they’re probably also absurdly overpriced.
mareish
I’ve tried the Loma brand and was quite disappointed.
maquis_00
The riced cauliflower is okay, but I find frozen riced cauliflower to taste better than shelf stable. For some other types of things, I like to look at the ingredients list for ideas of stuff to make at home…
PourOutPooh
I think the fake meat that is frozen tastes good, I’d just go with that if I wanted the meat style plant stuff. I love the fake chicken nuggets but it’s been so long, Incognito tenders were awesome, and maybe Alpha was another good brand. But yea, no reason not to go frozen if you want quality taste I think.
MisterZergling
Add water to nuggets? I mean this stuff can scratch an itch but healthier stuff is cheaper and tastier.
CrazyQuiltCat
I wonder if the bolognese is decent
Curious-Dragonfly690
I appreciate the convenience so that in a tight time crunch one of these could suffice over going hungry or getting fast food
Bones1973
Those Loma Linda Pad Thai pouches kept me fed on work trips when all I had access to was a microwave.
Sharp_Ad_9431
I wish the Walmart near me carried those. I don’t have all those options.
Novel-Vacation-4788
I keep a few things like this on my shelf for emergency use when I just don’t have time or want to cook. However, I don’t use them on a regular basis because they don’t taste as good as real homemade food and they certainly are as healthy. They have their place, but it’s not every day.
Narrow-Ad-7710
The Me’Eat is pretty good
Sanpaku
Of these brands, only RollinGreens has made it to the deep South.
The prices are absurd. Bob’s Red Mill TVP runs [37¢/oz](https://www.amazon.com/Textured-Vegetable-Protein-Ounce-Pack/dp/B07XVR8YFM), so if a food processor wants to charge $1.66/oz for their pea and fava protein variant (which IMO have poorer textures in this application), I’ll put it back on the shelf.
Maybe this is a good thing in the long run. Animal products hardly feature in the healthiest peasant cuisines from around the world. And of course faux meats don’t either. Whole beans would be better for health in every case.
Still, I’m angry at the food processors for dropping the ball on this, for public health, for animal welfare, and for the planet. Omnivores won’t try faux meats more than once if they’re more expensive that what they’re familiar with. And old vegetarians have a dozen recipes of their own for black bean burgers or TVP chili.
I’m certain that plant based faux meats could be cheaper than omnivore products. Soy protein and wheat gluten aren’t that expensive wholesale. 1) Don’t use expensive ingredients like pea protein and coconut oil when cheap ingredients like soy protein, wheat gluten, and cottonseed oil are just as palatable (looking at you, Beyond). 2) Simplify product lines. Morningstar used to have 10 different burgers, they’ve streamlined to 5 and that’s *still* too many. 3) Sell in bulk bags, and make them individually cheaper than comparable animal products. Spot price check at Wal-Mart: 3 lbs/12 ct of the 80% lean frozen (real) beef burgers run $12.97. 12 of the Morningstar Steakhouse burgers (which I liked) would cost $23.82. Would I buy the Morningstar Steakhouse again if they weren’t $2/patty? Maybe.
purplishfluffyclouds
I would not personally reach for any of those things.
My “cheat” processed food things are organic rice packets you put in the microwave for 90 secs, Amy’s Organics frozen dairy-free burritos, kit hill cream cheese & bagels – things like that. I’m not at all drawn to fake/pretend meats. (Just now noticing the riced cauliflower… eh? There’s probably a one-ingredient riced cauliflower in the frozen section I’d get instead. I suppose shelf food is good for one’s emergency supply? But that’s what canned beans are for, lol. All just my opinion.
19 Comments
With the exception of the “riced” veggies that all looks pretty processed. You could do a lot worse for quick packaged foods, but I wouldn’t make them a staple.
Edit: also lol Jack Links chili 🤮
I bought the “spam” one thinking it would be a holiday treat with pancakes. It was texture-less and flavorless and the crows got most of it.
I’m rather concerned about buying pretty much anything from Walmart.
Looks like fraud at Walmart
I wouldn’t eat these regularly since processed plant food is still not as healthy for you as home cooked plant food. Considering what’s in them they’re probably also absurdly overpriced.
I’ve tried the Loma brand and was quite disappointed.
The riced cauliflower is okay, but I find frozen riced cauliflower to taste better than shelf stable. For some other types of things, I like to look at the ingredients list for ideas of stuff to make at home…
I think the fake meat that is frozen tastes good, I’d just go with that if I wanted the meat style plant stuff. I love the fake chicken nuggets but it’s been so long, Incognito tenders were awesome, and maybe Alpha was another good brand. But yea, no reason not to go frozen if you want quality taste I think.
Add water to nuggets? I mean this stuff can scratch an itch but healthier stuff is cheaper and tastier.
I wonder if the bolognese is decent
I appreciate the convenience so that in a tight time crunch one of these could suffice over going hungry or getting fast food
Those Loma Linda Pad Thai pouches kept me fed on work trips when all I had access to was a microwave.
I wish the Walmart near me carried those.
I don’t have all those options.
I keep a few things like this on my shelf for emergency use when I just don’t have time or want to cook. However, I don’t use them on a regular basis because they don’t taste as good as real homemade food and they certainly are as healthy. They have their place, but it’s not every day.
The Me’Eat is pretty good
Of these brands, only RollinGreens has made it to the deep South.
The prices are absurd. Bob’s Red Mill TVP runs [37¢/oz](https://www.amazon.com/Textured-Vegetable-Protein-Ounce-Pack/dp/B07XVR8YFM), so if a food processor wants to charge $1.66/oz for their pea and fava protein variant (which IMO have poorer textures in this application), I’ll put it back on the shelf.
Maybe this is a good thing in the long run. Animal products hardly feature in the healthiest peasant cuisines from around the world. And of course faux meats don’t either. Whole beans would be better for health in every case.
Still, I’m angry at the food processors for dropping the ball on this, for public health, for animal welfare, and for the planet. Omnivores won’t try faux meats more than once if they’re more expensive that what they’re familiar with. And old vegetarians have a dozen recipes of their own for black bean burgers or TVP chili.
I’m certain that plant based faux meats could be cheaper than omnivore products. Soy protein and wheat gluten aren’t that expensive wholesale. 1) Don’t use expensive ingredients like pea protein and coconut oil when cheap ingredients like soy protein, wheat gluten, and cottonseed oil are just as palatable (looking at you, Beyond). 2) Simplify product lines. Morningstar used to have 10 different burgers, they’ve streamlined to 5 and that’s *still* too many. 3) Sell in bulk bags, and make them individually cheaper than comparable animal products. Spot price check at Wal-Mart: 3 lbs/12 ct of the 80% lean frozen (real) beef burgers run $12.97. 12 of the Morningstar Steakhouse burgers (which I liked) would cost $23.82. Would I buy the Morningstar Steakhouse again if they weren’t $2/patty? Maybe.
I would not personally reach for any of those things.
My “cheat” processed food things are organic rice packets you put in the microwave for 90 secs, Amy’s Organics frozen dairy-free burritos, kit hill cream cheese & bagels – things like that. I’m not at all drawn to fake/pretend meats. (Just now noticing the riced cauliflower… eh? There’s probably a one-ingredient riced cauliflower in the frozen section I’d get instead. I suppose shelf food is good for one’s emergency supply? But that’s what canned beans are for, lol. All just my opinion.
At $8 it should feed me, like a king, for a day.
This is progress!!!