I take my morning routine pretty seriously y'all and there's a few products I take every single day. These products help me feel my best and are all natural which is especially wonderful. Let's chat about what I'm taking every morning and why you should be too!
HAPPY VEG
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I love fast food. I don't eat it nearly as much as I used to because I'm always in the kitchen working on new recipes, but I still crave a juicy, plant-based fast food burger from time to time. Nowadays, every fast food joint has their own plant-based burger offering and honestly, I've tried them all for research purposes of course.... Which plant-based burger packs the most nutritional value and which burger is a major nutritional let down? It's time for another product battle - Canada edition. <3 ROUND 1Calories HARVEYS - 390 A & W - 500 BURGER KING - 688 KFC - 700 WINNER - HARVEYS It's apparent that not all plant-based burgers are created equally as the Harvey's Lightlife burger comes in at almost half the amount of calories that the KFC plant-based burger has. These numbers include only the toppings suggested, so these numbers could easily go up with additions like extra sauce, cheese, or other toppings. ROUND 2Fat HARVEYS - 16 g A & W - 29 g BURGER KING - 36 g KFC - 39 g WINNER - HARVEYS Once again, the Harvey's Plant-Based burger is the winner, coming in at less than half the amount of fat compared to both the Burger King & KFC burgers. Essentially, you could eat two Harvey's burgers and still consume less fat than if you ate the Burger King or KFC varieties. For a once and a while treat though, none of these numbers would scare me away if the craving struck. ROUND 3Fiber HARVEYS - 2 g A & W - 3 g BURGER KING - 5.8 g KFC - 5 g WINNER - BURGER KING Fiber is one of the most important parts of a healthy diet, especially if you're going to tear into a greasy, plant-based fast food burger. In this case, Burger King's Impossible Whopper offers up 5.8 g of fiber per burger, nearly triple the amount that the Harvey's burger offers. That amount of fiber equates to approximately 21% of your day's requirement. Not bad for a fast food burger! ROUND 4Carbs HARVEYS - 38 g A & W - 40 g BURGER KING - 61. 9 g KFC - 61 g WINNER - HARVEYS Too much carbohydrates can lead to spiked blood sugar, weight gain, and diabetes long term. The Harvey's burger takes the crown this round with 38 g of carbs per serving, nearly half the amount of carbs than the Burger King / KFC plant-based burgers. A & W is awfully close this round with 40 g per serving but that wasn't enough to take the win. ROUND 5 Sugars HARVEYS - 3 g A & W - 8 g BURGER KING - 14.6 g KFC - 5 g WINNER - HARVEYS Harvey's once again takes the win with only 3 g of sugar per burger. The KFC burger was close behind with only 5 g but the real loser here is the Burger King Impossible burger. 14. 6 g of sugar is unusually high which indicates that the bun is likely sugary and the condiments are piled on. Ketchup, relish, mustard etc., sugar hides in all of these condiments which would crank up that sugar count. Try asking for half the amount to cut that sugar in half to a more acceptable level. FINAL ROUNDProtein HARVEYS - 22 g A & W - 22 g BURGER KING - 29. 1 g KFC - 26 g WINNER - BURGER KING The power of plant-based protein is shining bright like a diamond this round y'all. Every burger provides a good amount of protein but the Burger King Impossible Whopper is the winner here with 29.1 g of muscle building protein. Another example of plant-based food proving that protein is easily accessible to us. WINNERHARVEYS Harveys Lightlife Burger is the winner of this nutritional battle. Shoutout to Burger King for being the only other competitor to take a win. Unfortunately, the A & W & KFC burgers fell short every round. At the end of the day, this is all for fun you guys. If you get that craving for something naughty and want a plant-based fast food burger, just roll with it. I don't think any of us are truly considering the nutritional setback if we've already made the decish to go and and get something greasy and naughty. As long as it's only a once and a while treat of course ;) HAPPY VEGAll photos and nutritional information taken directly from the company's websites.
I do not own any of the photos or information provided. web.aw.ca burgerking.ca harveys.ca kfc.ca
BYPASS or BUY?BUY! - Look, the gravy was less than stellar and the stuffing was visually about as processed as can be but overall, the flavour and texture were absolute perfection. Avoid a sodium disaster by pairing it wisely with a lower sodium, fresh component to minimize the possibility of sodium overload. Each bag comes with two pieces along with a pouch of gravy for both and for the price, it's well worth it if you get two meals out of one bag. Have you tried them? What were your thoughts? Visit the GARDEIN website for a collection of their products, recipes, and other goodies. www.gardein.com HAPPY VEG
www.goodcatchfoods.com
www.gardein.com
www.presidentschoice.ca Have you guys tried any of these products? What other products are out on the market right now that you're dying to try? I want to hear from you! HAPPY VEGPhotos are not mine and were taken respectfully from the websites provided throughout this post.
Breakfast sausages are probably one of the only meat products I truly miss. Plump, juicy, salty, and so satisfying, but obviously made with animals so that's a never-againer in my books. Lucky for us all, there are some pretty amazing plant-based options available to us in the market. Which one gives you the most nutritional bang for the buck you say? We want protein, nutrients, and flavour of course. We don't want lots of ingredients, lots of sodium, or sneaky sugars. Let's take a look at the 4 plant-based links fighting for the title of healthiest breakfast link! RoUnD 1CALORIES LIGHTLIFE - 3 Links / 85 g = 220 Calories YVES - 3 Links / 75 g = 105 Calories MEATLESS - 3 Links / 71 g = 170 Calories BEYOND - 3 Links / 88 g = 195 Calories WINNER - YVES! Kind of a landslide win here y'all in terms of coming in at the lowest amount of calories. The Yves variety gives you 105 calories for a serving of 3 links, keeping it nice and low if you're pairing it with some other reputably caloric breakfast items. The other 3 options were all comparatively close in terms of calories, indicating you'd be making a good choice regardless of which of these options you picked up. RoUnD 2FAT LIGHTLIFE - 15 g of Fat / 20% DV YVES - 2.25 g of Fat / 3.5% DV MEATLESS - 11 g of Fat / 15% DV BEYOND - 13.5 g of Fat / 17% DV WINNER - YVES! The Yves links are an incredibly healthy choice in terms of fats because breakfast often comes paired with fattier options like eggs, cheese, potatoes, pancakes, or waffles. Keeping things low with the sausages allows for more leeway for the other options on the plate. All of the other competitors were relatively close again but when you start creeping up to 15% or more of your day's worth of fat in one portion of one of your meals in the day, you're risking climbing over your daily allowance. The Yves links are the smartest choice. RoUnD 3FIBER LIGHTLIFE - 3 g / 12% YVES - 1.5 g / 6% MEATLESS - 1 g / 4% BEYOND - 3 g / 12% WINNER - It's a Tie! LIGHTLIFE & BEYOND We all know how important fiber is in our diets and making smart choices will help us achieve our daily intake of fiber required. Both the Lightlife & Beyond links provided 12% of your daily intake of fiber per serving which when compared to the fat and calories, is a reasonable balance. Unfortunately, the Meatless Farms & Yves links just didn't provide enough fiber to compete. RoUnD 4SODIUM LIGHTLIFE - 410 mg / 18% YVES - 675 mg / 28% MEATLESS - 360 mg / 16% BEYOND - 360 mg / 16% WINNER - It's a Tie! MEATLESS FARMS & BEYOND Too much sodium leads to a slew of health issues which is why we have to watch how much we're taking in, especially in one sitting. Both the Meatless Farms & Beyond links came in the lowest at 360 mg of sodium per serving which equates to about 16% of your daily allowance. Unfortunately, I would steer clear of the Yves links if I was watching my sodium because 3 little links provides over a quarter of your sodium for the day in one go. That's kind of a nightmare. RoUnD 5PROTEIN LIGHTLIFE - 16 g YVES - 15 g MEATLESS - 20 g BEYOND - 12 g WINNER - MEATLESS FARMS There is no denying that the Meatless Farms links provided the most protein per serving out of all of the other links. The Beyond links were the lowest on the totem pole with only 12g of protein per serving. The Meatless Farms links are certainly shattering that myth that plant-based folks lack protein, that's for sure. WINNER.......... ......... ........ ....... ...... ..... .... ... .. . It's a TieWe've got a 3 way tie as none of the plant based links etched ahead. Meatless Farms, Yves, and Beyond Meat all took 3 wins in the competition while the Lightlife variety only took 1. What does this tell us? It tells us that each of these products can offer us what we need in varying degrees, but that we must be smart with what else we are pairing them with to keep our plate as nutritionally balanced as possible. Look for the products that provide the most fiber / protein as opposed to those lowest in fat or calories to really get the most nutritional value out of your plate. HAPPY VEG Information and product photos taken respectively from;
lightlife.com yvesveggie.ca meatlessfarms.com beyondmeat.com GARDEIN Gardein is one of my favourite lines of plant-based products. Their line is extensive and features traditional meat substitutes for burgers, chicken burgers, or nuggets, while also featuring some unique meat subs like the stuffed turkey or fish fillets. I've tried most of their line and have been relatively pleased with everything I tried. Here's my fav products from the Gardein line that I've tried thus far.
YVES VEGGIE CUISINE Yves has been my go-to line right back to when I first became a vegetarian. Their products are familiar and easily accessible.
OTHERS
I do not own any of the images. Taken respectively from;
beyondmeat.com yvesveggie.com lightlife.com gardein.com There are always new and exciting plant-based products hitting supermarket shelves every single day. It's been so much fun grocery shopping as of late, because there's always something new to see. I've been especially intrigued by the President's Choice plant-based line. I've tried and reviewed a couple of their products on here before but I haven't yet had the opportunity to try some of their newer additions to their plant-based line of products. I want to share my excitement over a few of the PC Brand plant-based products I've tried, and the ones I'm literally dying to try next!
The PC Brand is adding new products to their plant-based line all the time and I'm super excited to see what new products they come out with. Have you guys tried any of their plant-based line? Which products were a BUY and which should I BYPASS? Let me know!
HAPPY VEG
HAPPY VEG
Today y'all, we're talking about beef, plant based beef obviously! Imitation beef is something I use in the kitchen fairly often, with dishes like shepherds pie, meatballs, and meaty tomato sauces coming together beautifully because of a package of plant based grounds. Admittedly, there's a plant based ground appropriate for every occasion in my kitchen. The Beyond Meat "Beef" is by far the most realistic in terms of flavour and texture, and there's no comparison when making meatballs. However, when incorporating meaty crumble into a tomato sauce, I prefer the YVES brand as it takes on other flavours well and doesn't overpower like the Beyond beef tends to do. With that being said, we're here to find out which of these meatless beef products is the most nutritious choice. It's time for another nutritional showdown y'all, let's take a look at the competitors! ROUND 1 CALORIES YVES - 60 Cal / 55g Serving LIGHTLIFE - 115 Cal / 50g Serving GARDEIN - 80 Cal / 57g Serving BEYOND - 130 Cal / 56.5g Serving WINNER - YVES At only 60 calories per serving, the YVES brand takes the win this round. In fact, you could eat double the amount of the YVES ground and still consume less calories than our last place finisher. Calories add up quickly so adding a lower calorie ground option helps to keep the overall calorie count down. ROUND 2 FAT YVES - 0.5g / 1% DV LIGHTLIFE - 7g / 9.5% DV GARDEIN - 1.5 g / 2% DV BEYOND - 9g / 11.5% DV WINNER - YVES Yves takes the second win of the competition with only half a gram of fat per serving. Both the Lightlife and Beyond grounds were significantly higher in fat per serving. A lower fat ground round is the perfect addition to a notoriously fattening dish like a shepherds pie or a creamy pasta dish because it will add texture and protein without contributing to the fat content. ROUND 3 SODIUM YVES - 250mg / 10% DV LIGHTLIFE - 215mg / 9.5% DV GARDEIN - 230mg / 10% DV BEYOND - 175mg / 7.5% DV WINNER - BEYOND Considering the Beyond brand had the highest amount of calories and fat, it's amazing that it takes the win for the sodium round! Sodium adds up quickly in our meals so it's important to avoid adding products that are already incredibly high in sodium which will lead to water retention, bloating, and discomfort. Beyond Beef is the clear winner this round! ROUND 4 FIBER YVES - 3g / 10% DV LIGHTLIFE - 0.5g / 2% DV GARDEIN - 3g / 12% DV BEYOND - 1g / 3.5 % DV WINNER - It's a Tie! GARDEIN & YVES Fiber is one of the most important nutrients for us to be taking in and foods that are devoid of fiber are not good for us in general. Both the GARDEIN and YVES brands contain 10% of your daily fiber requirements per serving which is excellent. Unfortunately, the LIGHTLIFE & BEYOND brands don't stack up in the fiber department 1g or less of fiber per serving. ROUND 5 PROTEIN YVES - 9g LIGHTLIFE - 8.5g GARDEIN - 12g BEYOND - 10g WINNER - GARDEIN Protein is always a fierce competition when it comes to plant based meats. The perception that plant based meats don't stack up against the real thing has been shattered many times on my blog with plant based meats providing just as much, if not more protein than the real thing. GARDEIN takes the win with 12g of muscle building protein per serving with BEYOND coming in second at 10g of protein per serving. WINNER .......... ......... ........ ....... ...... ..... .... ... .. . YVES! YVES Ground Round takes the win for the most nutritious beefless ground! With fewer calories and fat and more fiber per serving, there's no denying that the YVES brand is the clear winner this time around. Flavour aside, the YVES ground is the perfect lower fat ground for already fatening dishes like shepherds pies and creamy pastas. It will add some much needed fiber but won't contribute to the calorie and fat content too heavily. Make sure to come back again for the next product battle. We're always on the hunt for the most nutritious choices on the market! HAPPY VEG Photos and Information Taken Respectively from;
http://yvesveggie.com/ https://lightlife.com/en-ca https://www.gardein.com/ https://www.beyondmeat.com/ With the recent release of Beyond Meat's meatballs hitting store shelves, it seems appropriate that we have a little nutrition battle between the leading meatless balls on the market. Whether you're dropping them on top of your pasta dish, stuffing them inside a melty, saucy sub, or simply enjoying them on their own, meatless meatballs are good for a variety of dishes at home. For this competition, we will be comparing them on a serving to serving basis. To find out which meatless meatball is the biggest nutritional bang for you buck, it's time for a little competition. Let's meet the competitors!
ROUND 1 CALORIES BEYOND - 290 YVES - 120 GARDEIN - 150 WINNER - YVES Yves takes the first round of the competition coming in at 120 calories per serving of their meatless balls. This is nearly half the amount of calories of the third place finisher which means you could spring for an extra meatball or two and still come in under 290 calories! ROUND 2 FAT BEYOND - 21g / 27% DV YVES - 5g / 8% DV GARDEIN - 7g /11% DV WINNER - YVES! Once again the YVES variety takes the win this round coming in at only 5g of fat per serving. This is only a fraction of the fat of the third place finisher. Once again, this means you can splurge on an extra ball or two if you desire without worrying that you're taking in a day's worth of fat. This also helps keep the fat low if you're serving it with something fatty like a cream sauce or pasta. ROUND 3 SODIUM BEYOND - 500mg / 22% DV YVES - 440mg / 18% DV GARDEIN - 340mg / 14% DV WINNER - GARDEIN This is the closest round we've had so far but the GARDEIN variety comes in with the least amount of sodium per serving. Sodium is fine in small amounts but depending on what you serve your balls with, that sodium number could jump up incredibly high which is why it's important to go with lower sodium options for additions like meatballs. Lower sodium in your meatballs will allow for higher sodium in other areas to round everything out. ROUND 4 FIBER BEYOND - 3g YVES - 2g GARDEIN - 4g WINNER - GARDEIN We all know how important fiber is to our body's well being and functionality. Not getting enough fiber can lead to constipation, weight gain, and higher blood sugar. GARDEIN comes in at 4g of fiber per serving of their meatballs which is almost 20% of your daily fiber requirements. Paired with some fresh veggies, you can really capitalize on the fiber in the meatballs for a well-rounded dish that leaves your body feeling great. ROUND 5 PROTEIN BEYOND - 19g YVES - 13g GARDEIN - 15g WINNER - BEYOND This one didn't really surprise me as the Beyond brand regularly applauds their protein levels within their products. The BEYOND meatballs give you a whopping 19g of protein per serving. Who says veggie eaters don't get enough protein? ROUND 6 VITAMINS & MINERALS WINNER - YVES YVES brand usually takes the vitamin and mineral round because they provide you with all of the details whereas it is uncertain whether the other competitors offer similar nutritional stats and didn't report them or simply don't provide comparable nutrients. The YVES brand offers up over 20% of 5 key nutrients that our body's need. WINNER .......... ......... ........ ....... ...... ..... .... ... .. . YVES! The YVES brand Veggie Meatballs take the crown for the most nutritious meatballs for this competition. Coming in with the fewest calories and fat per serving, a comparable amount of protein, and the highest amount of vitamins and minerals per serving, there is no denying that the YVES brand is the most nutritious choice.
Make sure to check back again for another product battle to find the most nutritious choice! Also, check out the Brand's websites to learn more about their products and where to find them near you! HAPPY VEG https://www.beyondmeat.com/ https://www.gardein.com/ http://yvesveggie.ca/ ***All photos and nutritional information taken respectively from the Brand's website. I do not own any of the photos or information provided in this post. |
Jonathan - Happy VegWhat's the hottest plant based product launch or the best plant based beef on the market? You'll find those answers here. Archives
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