This was one of the products I was most excited to try this year, despite it being coffee.
Unfortunately, it was also one of the most disappointing.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying this drink was bad, it just wasn’t as good as I was expecting.
For one, it didn’t taste like salted caramel. At all. I even shook the can first because it had been in the fridge for a little bit and I thought maybe the flavour had settled or something, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. It overwhelmingly just tasted like oat milk. (And coffee)
Which again, isn’t a bad thing – I drink oat milk all the time! – I was just expecting my salted caramel latte to taste like salted caramel. If I didn’t see it said the words ‘salted caramel’ on the can and I drank this, I would’ve just thought it was a normal coffee with oat milk in it.
I also poured some out into a glass – because I’m a curious person by nature and because I definitely couldn’t drink the entire can of caffienated coffee unless I wanted to be up for the rest of the week – and it had a light/tan colour with little bubbles in it. I’m assuming the little bubbles were the ‘frothed’ part of the ‘frothed oat latte’.
Unfortunatley, I’m not enough of a coffee snob to know whether or not the ‘froth’ actually added anything to the drink or if it just makes it sound fancier.
And, when I poured it out into the cup, it did smell a little like caramel. So, caramel was in there, somewhere! I don’t know why it didn’t carry over into the taste, though.
I also can’t speak to how ‘effective’ the caffiene part of the coffee was, since I’m hyper-senesitive to it, so it kept me awake for the same amount of time as every other non-decaf coffee I’ve ever had. So if you were wanting to buy this for a qucik afternnon pick-me-up, you’ll have to try it for yourself. (Or go read another review)
As I’ve mentioned, I don’t buy a lot of coffee or caffienated drinks, so I don’t know how this compares to others – last time I was even in a caffienated drink aisle was easily 10 or so years ago (I was picking up a Red Bull for a friend) – but this can was only $4.29 at Good Rebel and I think that was a good price for it’s size.
I can’t tell you whether or not that’s more expensive or cheaper than similar items, but I can tell you the price was the ultimate deciding factor in getting it over something else. If it had been $6-10 I definitely wouldn’t have tried it. But $4? That seemed reasonable.
For the name this drink has, it was a bit of a let down – but that in no way means I think it was bad/gross/disgusting. I just had different expectations and they weren’t met. But if you’re looking for just an oat milk latte in a can, this drink’ll definitely hit the spot!
Being allergic to dairy, it might not surprise you to learn I haven’t tried that many different cheese flavours.
I’ve actually tried more different kinds of cheese being vegan!
So, I want you to keep that in mind while you read the rest of this review. If I say anything that’s clearly a cheese ‘newb’ thing, just, roll passed it. I don’t know, what I don’t know, y’know?
This cheese came in a square box, and was one of those what I refer to as ‘classic’-looking cheese wheels. It was also squishy, which I wasn’t expecting. I’d akin it to the texture of un-cooked tofu: solid enough it held it’s shape, but sponge-y if you poked it.
Something else that surprised me, was that it didn’t really smell like anything when it was cold. I don’t know what exactly I was expecting, but it was definitely more than… nothing.
The wheel – it was so soft the top got imprinted with the paper it was wrapped in!
I was also surprised to learn after cutting off a piece, that this cheese apparently had a rind on it?
I don’t know if this is common cheese knowledge or not, but I wasn’t sure if I could/should eat the rind or not. I figured it didn’t look like something that wasn’t edible, so decided to try it.
I was wrong.
Not in a ‘I almost died’ way, but the rind… I definitely don’t think I was supposed to eat it. It ended up burning my throat in a similar manner that happens when you eat too many salt and vinegar chips. And the piece I had wasn’t even that big!
Raw piece of cheese cut straight out of the fridge – see the difference in the rind colour vs the actual cheese?
The non-rind part of the cheese had a pretty mellow taste, thankfully. It tasted pretty close to Daiya’s mozzarella, if I had to compare it.
I tried the cheese cold alone, on a cracker, in a deli slice sandwich and heated up in a grilled cheese. Cold alone and smeared on a cracker it was fine, but definitely not my favourite vegan cheese. I did try it this way after I’d eaten part of the rind, so my throat was still a little burn-y, so I’m not sure how accurate my tastebuds were in that moment.
I also wrapped it in a Gusta deli slice, and that helped ease the burning, so I was happy about that. (I also ended up drinking some water and brushing my teeth, putting the cheese ‘away’ for the night)
Smeared on a cracker – easily spreadable, like cream cheese!
The next day, I used it in a grilled cheese, to see if the flavour changed when it was heated. I also painstakingly peeled the rind off the part I was using, because I did not want to burn my throat again.
Unfortuantley, it still happened – but not as badly! While the grilled cheese was cooking, I could actually smell the burning sensation in the air – which I thought was kinda weird – and then when I was eating it, I could definitely tell it was back, but was tolerable enough I could finish the sandwich. It wasn’t nearly as bad as eating the rind raw.
I have no idea why the rind burned my throat, whether or not that’s normal or just a ‘me’ thing, but I definitely can’t in good concious recommend you guys try eating the rind if you decide to try this cheese yourselves.
If I’m being completely honest, I don’t think I would buy this cheese again. It was an adventure, and I’m glad I tried it! But the taste at best was neutral, and at worst, hurt me, so I just don’t think it’d be worth it. It was also $16.99 at Good Rebel, so I can’t justify spending that much on something I wasn’t over-the-moon about.
Maybe if I was making a charcuterie board for a party and was trying to appear fancier than I actually am, I would buy it, but I just can’t see this cheese becoming a staple on my grocery list.
So, what about you guys? Have you tried this camembert before? Do you have any tips on how/why I could’ve tried it in a different way to have a better experience? Any doctor readers out there know why it burned me and whether or not that was ‘normal’?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably never give much thought to magnesium. I mean sure, you might’ve heard it around in health talks or online articles, but you’ve never sat down and thought ‘am I getting enough?’
That’s because unlike protein or calcium, most people don’t seem to care whether or not you get enough magnesium. Or, maybe people believe it’s just not as hard to find.
Luckily for you though, you’ve stumbled onto a blogger who’s making a Nutrient series, so you’re going to learn about it! (Like I did, when writing this article)
Magnesium is a mineral that is naturally occurring in many different foods. It’s important for humans because it’s an essential nutrient for certain body processes, such as: heart rhythm, muscle contractions, blood pressure control, bone health and creative energy! (Yes, that last one is real)
Magnesium being a naturally occurring mineral is a great thing, because it means you won’t have to go looking for supplements or fortified foods to get your daily dose!
What is the daily dose for magnesium? It’s estimated adults need between 310-420mg every day.
That might sound like a lot, but I guarantee if you add the following foods to your diet – or already have a few – it won’t be as big of a challenge as you think:
Starting in the top left-hand corner and moving clockwise:
Pumpkin Seeds = 1,200mg
Chia Seeds = 888mg
Almonds = 640mg
Cashews = 576mg
Dark Chocolate = 512mg
Peanuts = 399mg
Spinach (cooked) = 156mg
Swiss Chard (cooked) = 150mg
Black Beans = 120mg
Quinoa (cooked) = 120mg
Shredded Wheat = 112mg
Edamame (cooked) = 100mg
Lima Beans = 80mg
Green Pas = 62mg
Sweet Corn = 54mg
Collard Greens = 50mg
Avocado = 58mg (1 whole)
Potato = 48mg (1 Med)
Papaya = 33mg (1 Small)
Banana = 32mg (1 Med)
Blackberries = 29mg
Now, I know you might not want to eat an entire cup of say, pumpkin seeds, so I’m also going to include the 1oz calculations for some of the above foods.
Magnesium Rich Foods per 1oz:
Pumpkin Seeds = 150mg
Chia Seeds = 111mg
Almonds = 80mg
Cashews = 72mg
Dark Chocolate = 64mg
Peanuts = 49mg
Flaxseed (1Tbsp) = 40mg
Whether you eat 1 cup, 1oz, somewhere in-between those portions or more, I think you can see by the numbers it’s not hard to get enough magnesium in your diet.
Like this article? Check out the rest of the Nutrient Collage series!
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Now that we’re well into BBQ season, I thought it was time to review a newer cheese on the block, from a long-standing dairy alternative company: Silk!
If you’ve been around here a while, you’ll know I love Silk’s Chocolate Almond and most of their other flavours of plant-based milks. But did you know they also make cheese?
Yep, it’s true!
Before you get too excited, they only make two flavours that I’ve seen: cheddar and mozzarella. The good news though is that what they lack in flavour offerings, they more than make up for in availability!
I’ve seen their cheese slices in many ‘regular’ stores that stock their milks, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get your hands on some to try!
Also, I’m happy to report the same things I love about their milks, are some of the things that make their cheese great!
It’s hard to describe if you haven’t had them – or tried too many other plant-based cheeses – but their cheddar slices are creamy and soft. The texture was so different from what Daiya and VioLife slices are like, I actually thought the first pack I got might’ve gone bad! I (wrongly) assumed they were ‘slimy’.
Luckily a non-vegan friend told me that that texture was not only normal, but actually made them closer to feeling like real cheese? I’ve been vegan now for 8 years, and have been allergic to dairy for longer, so it’s been a long time since I had ‘real’ cheese, so I had to take their word for it. (This also means if you eat dairy cheese more regularly and decide they’re wrong, come for them, not me)
After learning they weren’t bad, I decided to try a slice by itself, before sticking it into a sandwich. I like to do this with all the products I can, so I can get a taste for the product itself, without it being masked by other flavours.
Again, it’s been a long time since I’ve had dairy cheese, but to me, these slices definitely tasted like cheddar. There was no doubt about what flavour they were supposed to be, unlike some of the VioLife slices. Don’t get me wrong, the VioLife slices I’ve tried all taste good, I just often don’t notice a difference in slice flavour, it’s all just kind of ‘cheese’ to me.
These Silk slices hold up great on their own, though I don’t know if I’d recommend eating them like that exclusively, and they hold up really well in a cold sandwich (deli slices, lettuce, etc.). They have enough taste to not disappear/become overshadowed by the other flavours, but aren’t super distinctive or overpowering enough to completely takeover.
Also, they melt really well if you want to put them on top of a burger! I don’t remember what they’re made out of, but they melt the fastest out of any vegan cheese I’ve tried thus far. One downside to melting these slices I’ve noticed is, sometimes, after they’re melted, if you bite into the burger (or whatever you melted it on), the whole slice will slide off into your mouth, instead of sticking to the burger. Understandably, that can be kind of annoying, but it doesn’t happen every time, so I’m not sure if it just means the slice wasn’t melted long enough, or if it’s only certain batches or what.
Another thing that we can put in the con column for these slices is trying to get them out of the package. They come in a pretty standard cheese pack, there’s 10 in one pack, but trying to peel the slices off/pull them apart can be difficult. Because they’re so soft, unless you’re extremely careful and/or use a knife to slide underneath, they usually end up breaking into a million pieces, instead of peeling off in one full slice.
This isn’t a problem if you say, want to melt them into something, but when you’re trying to make a sandwich, it can get frustrating.
If the don’t want to change the formula to give the slices slightly better structural integrity – which I would understand, because taste-wise, they’ve hit the nail on the head – maybe they should think about adding one of those wax paper separator things that some burgers come with?
If I, someone who has full range of motion/function have this much difficulty pulling their slices apart, sometimes I wonder how much harder would it be for people who have mobility issues?
It might not be considered a big deal for most people, but sometimes it’s annoying enough, it can mean the difference between choosing their slices, and choosing a different brand’s.
After trying the Beyond Meat Sausages, I’ve been a little more hesitant to try some of the newer/improved faux meat products that have come out in recent years. They have begun making some of them taste more like meat, and it’s too close for me to find enjoyable.
So when I heard of these Gardein Supreme Saus’ge Links, I wasn’t exactly jumping out the door to try them.
But working means not always doing things you’re looking forward to, so I finally sacked up and bought some to try. And, to my happy surprise, they weren’t that bad!
I first tried these sausages back in January, but decided to wait until the summer to review them because I figure you might be on the hunt for some new BBQ favourites.
These sausages came in the same sized box as their Supreme Burgers (which I don’t think I’ve reviewed yet), and they only came with four saus’ges in the box. They were what I like to call ‘proper’ sausage size – not too slim like the faux notdogs, and not weirdly long like some of the breakfast links – they were perfectly fat and short.
They also came in just one conjoined plastic sheet, which I liked because it’s less plastic than individually wrapping or packaging the links would’ve been. There is also clear seams on the plastic, so if you don’t want to cook all four links at once, you can just cut out the ones you want to use without inadvertently opening and needing to wrap up the remaining ones.
Because I’d never made them before, I decided to just cook them alone in a frying pan, which according to the box would take 19 to 25 minutes. When I took the links out of the plastic, they didn’t immediately smell like anything, but once they started to cook, there was a very strong sweet smell, that reminded me of maple syrup. The links also browned pretty fast, and I didn’t write down the exact time it took them to cook, but I did note it wasn’t as long as the box said. If I’m remembering correctly, I think I did 8 minutes on one side, then flipped and did another 6 minutes. (On my stove’s Medium setting)
One thing I did not like about these saus’ges was that they absolutely wrecked my pan!
I have no idea why, but they spit all over the place! I didn’t even add very much oil, and it’s not like I was constantly moving them around. All I did was flip them once. I noticed this is something that happens when I cook the Beyond Meat burgers/sausages as well, so I don’t know for sure, but it seems to be a weird by-product of the more realistic faux meats.
Luckily, it only looked like they killed my pan. Some water soaking in the pan immediately after cooking (once it was cooled down) and just a regular wash with a sponge and dish soap later, the pan was perfectly fine.
Once they were no longer cooking, the maple syrup/sweet smell dissipated, which I thought was a little odd. I initially thought the sweet scent was somehow activated during cooking, and once they were done, the links would continue to smell like that, but that turned out not to be the case. I don’t think they smelled specifically very ‘meat-y’ either, they just kind of had that done cooking smell. Or maybe I was just nose-blinded by the maple syrup, I didn’t notice.
These links had a great texture, and a good taste! As I said above, they weren’t super close to meat like the Beyond Meat products are, but they also definitely did have a meat-y taste. They also had what I described as an ‘undercurrent’ of flavour that I couldn’t quite place. My notes said ‘my best guess is mint, but not the toothpaste or candy cane mint flavour – it’s closer to when mint is in shampoo and has that ‘cooling’ effect, but in your mouth?’
This was actually a flavour I noticed in the Beyond Meat sausages, as well. At that time, I thought it might’ve been the fennel because they had the whole seeds/pods/whatever they’re called in them. But I’ve since been told fennel doesn’t have that cooling/mint effect, so I don’t know what else it could be.
I did read the ingredients, and there definitely is not any mint in the saus’ge links, so it might be just be a weird taste-bud thing.
I definitely wouldn’t let that odd description stop you from trying these saus’ges. Overall, they’re good! And I’m betting they’d be even better tasting if you cut them up and added them to something like a pasta or rice dish.
That said, they are on the slightly expensive side ($10.99 when I got them at Loblaws), so maybe best to keep them for those special BBQ summer occasions with family/friends.
I’m going to be honest, I knew Papa John’s was a pizza place, but I never went to them before I was vegan. There wasn’t any particular reason (that I remember), it just wasn’t my pizza place of choice.
So, that begs the question: why is my older brother obsessed with them? The last few years, any time we start talking about pizza places, he’s hailed Papa John’s as being the best pizza place ever!
Last July, I finally decided to humour him and we got it for lunch.
I was disappointed, to say the least.
The vegan options? Abysmally small! They have only a small selection of veggie toppings, 1 kind of dough that’s vegan (the gluten free crust is not it!) and they don’t even have vegan cheese!
It’s 2025!
I could maaaybe understand not having a faux meat option, but no cheese? Come on, Papa!
What the hell have you been doing over there?
Pizza
Hand-Tossed Original Dough (Thin, Original or New York Style Crust)
Signature/Original Pizza Sauce (Tomato)
BBQ Sauce
Onions
Jalapeno Peppers
Banana Peppers
Green Peppers
Mushrooms
Roma Tomatoes
Pineapple Tidbits
Spinach
Black Olives
Green Olives
Sides
Original Breadsticks
Dips
Signature Garlic Sauce (Lactic Acid)
Buffalo Sauce
BBQ Sauce
Pizza Sauce
Spicy Garlic Sauce (Lactic Acid)
Other
Whole Pepperoncinis
Crushed Red Pepper
Special Seasoning
Drinks
Pepsi
Diet Pepsi
Pepsi Zero Sugar
Mountain Dew (Yellow 5)
Aquafina
Starry
Starry Zero
Their website also makes it kind of hard to find the ingredient information, but once you find the page it includes very detailed descriptions and doesn’t appear to hide anything behind vague-sounding names.
For example, the Banana Peppers list sodium metabisulfite and then in brackets next to it, is the explanation, ‘a salt, maintains freshness‘.
The only iffy thing is the lactic acid. They don’t say whether it’s plant- or animal-based, so it’s up to you to decide if you’re willing to chance it.
Their Allergen Chart is also fairly straight forward to look through.
I will also say, despite their lack of vegan options, their Signature Garlic Sauce and Breadsticks were pretty good. I know this isn’t a product review, but it’d be the only thing from them I’d recommend trying. Unless you’re into sad no-cheese pizza that’s thin enough it feels like a tortilla and you have to fold it in half just to bite it.
They’re good for a snack/side, but definitely not for a filling vegan pizza meal.
At least, not at the moment.
Like this post? Check out more of the Vegan Fast Food series!
*If anyone from Papa John’s wants to reach out for more specific feedback, I’d be happy to share!
I first tried these truffles back in 2023. I’d been eyeing them for a while, but couldn’t find an excuse to buy them until then. (They were a joint Valentine’s/birthday present)
They were definitely worth the wait! Not only did they exceed my expectations, they also made me feel fancy. Due to my allergies, I hadn’t had truffles in a long time, and I forgot how much I used to like them. Opening the box and trying the different flavours. Sure, it came with a flavour guide, but it was still exciting!
I’m going to break this review into 5 parts, so each truffle gets equal billing. Unfortunately I didn’t completely love every flavour, but I would still say over-all these truffles were a hit! They’re also going to be listed in box order, not my order of preference.
Before we get into that, though, I want to tell you a little over-all about the box. I tried the 15 piece box, so there was only 3 of each kind of flavour. Also, despite knowing it was only 15 pieces total, when the box showed up, I was surprised at how small it was! I thought it was going to be bigger for whatever reason.
I also bought the box directly from NoWhey! which is unfortunately, a US based company. So, at the time I purchased the truffles (February 2023), this box was $29.50 USD and shipping to Canada was another $23.23 USD. Which means total Canadian, I paid $75.61.
Now, I don’t go around buying truffles very often, so maybe this is on par with other truffles, but to me, this seemed like a lot to pay for 1 box. They were delicious, as you’ll see below, but the shipping costing almost the same amount as the truffles isn’t something I loved.
Luckily though, I’ve since found these truffles at a few different Canadian vegan grocery stores, so when I buy them next, I’ll be sure to get them from there!
Milk Fudge
This truffle was definitely the ‘plainest’ one I tried, but that doesn’t mean it was bad!
This truffle, like all the others had a solid chocolate shell on the outside and a creamier/softer chocolate on the inside. Similar to the Lindt chocolates, but it’s been such a long time since I’ve had them, I’m not sure if that’s entirely a fair comparison.
It also just tasted like chocolate. No gimmicks, no tricks, nothing overly complicated. I hadn’t tried it at the time, but this Milk Fudge truffle reminds me of the Milkless bar they have for Halloween. I don’t know if it’s actually the same recipe, but if I had to guess, I’d say it is.
I would recommend this truffle to the less adventurous eaters out there. If you’re worried about liking the other flavours in the box, take solace in knowing there’s at least one you’ll enjoy!
Raspberry
This raspberry flavoured truffle had the smoothest inside out of all the truffles. I don’t know why it was the smoothest – it didn’t have jam inside, it was still solid chocolate – but it was a nice change of texture.
I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of fruit in chocolate, but this one worked surprisingly well for me! I think because of the lack of jam, the raspberry flavour was a lot more subtle than I was expecting. I had tried the Strawberry Ganache Hearts at the same time and let’s just say I’d happily take these over those.
I also don’t remember what I meant, but in my original notes on the flavours, for this one, I wrote down, ‘no overtly raspberry flavour, more cooling’. So… take from that what you will.
Salted Caramel
This truffle was hands down my favourite, but I assumed that going in.
If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know salted caramel is one of my favourite flavourings, and this truffle did not disappoint!
It was salty, it was caramel-y… what more could you ask for?
The only thing I would say I didn’t like about this one – and this is just if I had to be nit-picky – was the salted flakes on the top. I don’t know if the ones we got were representative of all of them (the box I got only had 3) or if we got a couple less-than-perfect ones, but I felt there was a little bit too much salt on the outside. It reminded me of the salt flakes on that Sno Crunchy Salted Caramel Ice Cream Cone I tried. (Well technically, I since I tried the ice cream after the truffles, those salt flakes reminded me of these)
Grand Marnier
Do you know what ‘grand marnier’ means? Because I sure as hell didn’t. But it sounded fancy, so I thought it was going to be something like wine, or some other Grown Up Flavour… apparently it just means it’s orange.
Okay, technically it means it’s orange liqueur, but still. I was not expecting an orange flavour when I bit into the first truffle I tried out of the box – yes I tried it first because it sounded fanciest – and maybe I just didn’t eat enough of them, but it also didn’t get me buzzed. (I know that’s not necessarily a thing that happens with all liquor, especially in food)
The flavour was what you’d expect knowing it’s orange and chocolate. If you’ve ever had those chocolate oranges that are usually around at Christmas, it tasted like that, but a tad less orange-y.
This was my least favourite flavour out of the box, even after knowing what to expect. I wasn’t surprised by this though, because as I said above, I’m not that big a fan of fruit mixed with chocolate.
Coffee
And that brings us to the last but not least truffle of the box: coffee! This one was probably my second favourite flavour out of the box.
I know what you’re thinking, and I have the answer! I actually Live Chatted with an agent from No Whey! so that I would know whether or not they used decaf or regular coffee for the flavour. The agent told me they used regular coffee, but only used ‘a little bit’ and it was baked into the truffle directly, not added after or anything, so it shouldn’t have any coffee-like affects.
Which I was very glad to hear, because as you know if you’ve been around a while, my body is very sensitive to things like caffeine.
And I’m happy to report: I did not have any trouble with the caffeine from these truffles! So if you’re similarly affected, you can rest easy. Also I was glad to discover the agent didn’t lie about how much was used. (Which I’ve unfortunately experienced in the past)
The truffles tasted how you’d expect if you mixed coffee with chocolate. You could definitely taste the coffee, so if you’re not a fan of that, you’ll probably want to skip this one. The inside of this truffle was also more brownie consistency than the rest of them.
That’s not a complaint though, just an observation!
Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this box of truffles. Especially if you live in the US or find a place to buy them directly that’s less than $75.
The 15 piece box was also a great sample size box to write a review for. Since each flavour had only 3 truffles, there was one initial tester, a second to really think about the flavour and then the last was to be enjoyed like a regular person/non-food blogger. (Or given away to a friend if you didn’t like it)
If you’re not sure if you would seriously enjoy all the flavours, No Whey! also sells each of these flavours in alone, smaller boxes (I believe the single flavours come in a box of 6?), or they have a bigger box if you’re having a party, or know you’ll love them.
So, No Whey! Signature Truffles. Have you tried them? If you have, which flavour is your favourite? If you haven’t, which flavour do you think you’ll like most? Let me know in the comments below!
Important: This is the 3rd last article of 2024. I’ll be taking the last half of December and first half of January off from posting. I’ll be back January 20th, 2025 with the first article of the new year!
It’s time to address the elephant in the room.
You lived on them in college, you’ve seen the studies about how high in sodium their seasoning packets are, and are in a better financial situation now. But you can’t help yourself. Mr. Noodles just hit the spot for some reason.
It’s okay, you’re not in trouble! I eat Mr. Noodles, too! I love them and am sick of all the Mr. Noodle hate I’ve been seeing. I put it in the same category of stupid as when people argue that cake isn’t healthy.
That’s the whole point!
If I wanted to eat something healthy, I’d eat an apple. Carrot and fruit cakes are an abomination and can be left out under a snowbank. (Sorry, Mom)
So, you like Mr. Noodles. Congrats on finally admitting it! But now you find yourself in a bit of a rut. You boil the noodles, add the seasoning and eat… what more could you possibly do?
Well, as it turns out, there’s actually a lot of different ways you can add a little pizzazz to your Mr. Noodles.
Some people add a soft-boiled egg and chives, to make it that classic anime ramen, you can add frozen veggies (my personal favourite is adding peas), cheese shreds and garlic to make a delectable food abomination that scratches a garlic bread itch, but with noodles, or make what I’ve cleverly named Mr. Noodle Stir Fry.
Mr. Noodle stir fry with peas and Beyond Meat Italian Sausage
Mr. Noodle Stir Fry is a mix of different veggies (usually peas, broccoli, carrots and mushrooms) and some sort of faux meat (if you’re into the super meaty taste, the Beyond Meat sausages work really well, or Gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick’N [sans the sauce] if you want a more mild flavour) stirred together with the flavour packets and sometimes a splash of soy sauce. Broth or water would work, too.
Mr. Noodles are a great base for many dinners because unlike actual pasta noodles, they cook super fast and are way more versatile! They’re also usually something crazy like 60 cents (yes, that’s including inflation. They used to be 25 cents!) and come in a range of flavours and are shelf-stable and stackable, which make stocking up on them for winter a breeze!
Keep in mind that the only vegan options are the Vegetable and Mushroom flavours. Though if you just plan on using the noodles as a base for something and not the flavour packet, you can buy whatever flavours are available, regardless.
Next time you go to indulge, try adding something new to them. Even if it’s not as elaborate as Mr. Noodle Stir Fry, you can change the monotony of your Mr. Noodle routine with a dash of creative thinking.
If you’ve been around for a while – or even if you just happened to catch my Beyond Burger review – you’ll know I’m not that big of a fan of vegan burgers that taste overtly meaty.
Maybe it’s because I wasn’t that big a fan of beef before going vegan, maybe it’s a psychological thing – I don’t know. All I do know, is that given the choice between a meaty burger or one that tastes like vegetables, I’m more likely to grab the veggie burger.
And these Sol Cuisine burgers are a great one to reach for!
There’s actually not much to be said about these burgers that you can’t figure out based on the name. Their taste is a great blend of mushrooms and rice and they have a great texture. They’re not too soft but aren’t too hard, either. You could pull them apart with your fingers if you so desired, but also definitely need to use your teeth to bite through them.
Four burgers come in one box and one thing I like that the company actually changed was before, the burgers used to come individually wrapped in plastic bags inside the box. The upside of this was obvious – you wouldn’t need to open all the burgers to just get one – but the downside was, of course, it meant they were using more plastic.
I’m not sure exactly when they changed, but I’m so glad they did! Less plastic is obviously always a win. That said, I do hope the company isn’t calling this a one and done deal – there’s still other steps they could take to reduce or even eliminate the plastic in their products! I’ve seen great things from other companies that use things like plant-based faux plastics, having products just be loose in cardboard, or even recycled plastic bags.
Another great thing about these burgers is that they aren’t one of those exclusive specialty vegan products, which means most ‘normal’ stores carry them! I’ve found these bad boys all over the place: Loblaws, Wal-Mart, Metro, Sobey’s – hell, one time I even found them at a No Frills!
Their price also makes them a great addition to your shopping list. At the time of writing (24.07.11) these burgers are listed at $6.99 and $7.29 at Wal-Mart and Metro, respectively.
These burgers are definitely a staple in my home, and I hope you take the time to try them out! I’ve never actually cooked them on a BBQ, but I bet they’d make a great addition to your summer meals!
I first tried this new Gardein soup back in November of 2020. Yes, I’m that organized.
Since I only do 12 product reviews a year (one each month), it’s actually not hard to try more new foods than reviews to post. So instead of trying new foods and not reviewing them, I just write down what I think every time I try something new, and then I always have content. And, since I write the full review from my notes, it’s almost like not even doing work, since I’ve already done the hard part. (Thanks past me!) So yes, just like story WIP’s I also have a lot of vegan food reviews piled up/backlogged.
But, not to worry because you guys will get to see them all! Eventually.
Actually, one hard thing about keeping reviews for future years is the product I was planning on posting the review about is no longer around. Sometimes it’s been pulled from certain markets and is only available in specific countries or a few times, it had been discontinued all together.
Anyway, let’s get to the part you actually came here to read.
If you’ve been around for a while – or read some of my other Product Reviews – you’ll know I’m not that big on soup – but this one was actually pretty good!
It was a tomato based soup that had thick ring-shaped pasta, green beans, black beans, chickpeas and of course, faux sausage pieces. The can that I got was mostly pasta. It seemed to be lacking in beans and there were only 3 pieces of the faux sausage. Granted they were pretty big pieces – about the size of one of their Meatballs (notballs), if you cut it in half – but still. Since they put the word ‘sausage’ in the name, I think there should’ve been more than three. At least do five.
The soup in the pot
The piece of saus’ge, with a carefully placed ring-shaped pasta on top for size comparison
But, I know there’s not a worker sitting in the assembly line counting out pieces by hand (or at least, I hope that’s not happening), so maybe your can or if I buy another one, there’ll be a better mix of ingredients.
As I’ve said before, I have a pretty low spicy food tolerance, so I’m not sure if minestrone soup is supposed to be spicy, but mine was a little bit. It was enough to notice, but not enough to burn my throat/upset my stomach.
It also wasn’t very filling. It was pretty tasty, but I wouldn’t call it ‘hearty’. Though I’m not sure if that’s a soup thing or a this soup’s thing. So, take that with a grain of salt if you wish. If you wanted to stock up for winter, I’d keep a few cans on hand, but don’t max out your budget on them.
Speaking of budget, they also weren’t that expensive. The 425g can was $5.49, which is comparable to other soups and even the Daiya cheese blocks. (At the time of buying)
I’m not entirely sure if Gardein still makes this soup, to be honest. I checked Vegan Supply as I was writing this review (24.01.11, hello from the past!) to compare the 2020 price, but it didn’t come up. I also checked Gardein’s own website with the Store Finder and it crossed out Toronto, Canada and the closest that came up on the map were a bunch of stores in Detroit, USA.
I usually like to end my reviews by telling you to go try the product yourself, so Detroitians (is that what people who live in Detroit are called?) and probably other USA residents, feel free to check out this soup! People in Canada and other countries, see if you can find it. Just, don’t look too hard.
It was good, but not scour-the-Earth good.
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The wheel – it was so soft the top got imprinted with the paper it was wrapped in!
Raw piece of cheese cut straight out of the fridge – see the difference in the rind colour vs the actual cheese?
Smeared on a cracker – easily spreadable, like cream cheese!
Mr. Noodle stir fry with peas and Beyond Meat Italian Sausage
The soup in the pot
The piece of saus’ge, with a carefully placed ring-shaped pasta on top for size comparison