If you’ve been around a while, you’ll know that I’m not exactly a fan of spicy food. It lights my mouth on fire, burns up my tongue, makes me sweat and isn’t easy going out, either. So, it might surprise you that I decided to try something with the words ‘Nashville hot’ in the name voluntarily.
It might also surprise you to hear, I actually liked them!
I first tried these tenders back in January 2023, and have had them a few times since, and I have to say, they’ve been slowly growing on me!
These tenders are slightly longer than the 7 Grain Crispy Tenders, and a little thicker, which might explain why they only come 8 to a bag. But what these tenders lack in quantity, they make up for with flavour!
They’re not overtly spicy like I had assumed they’d be – when you open the bag, there’s no puff of spice to sting your nostrils – and when you’re eating them, you don’t get any heat until the after-burn on the swallow. If we ignore the spice factor, they taste the same as their other faux chicken products and they have a pretty interesting breadcrumb coating.
If they had a non-spicy version of these tenders with the exact same breading, I would definitely add them to my weekly shopping list!
Another thing I appreciated about these tenders is that you can easily cut them up and add them to things like rice or pasta, and they won’t overpower the dish at all. The flavour of the tenders is great at seeping out and permeating the rest of the dish, so if you, for example, add them to pasta, I would recommend not adding additional spices if you want to avoid a tongue-burning-disaster when you go to eat.
If you’re not too big into spice, like I am, but are still curious to try them, I’d recommend eating them on their own, with some kind of dip to cool off your mouth. I chose a fairly easy homemade ranch, but I’d imagine any non-spicy dip would do the trick.
As I said earlier, they only come 8 to a bag, but I actually don’t mind that with these. Between their bigger size and their spice, I think 8 is a good number to get you through the week.
Also, they aren’t any more expensive than Gardein’s other faux chicken products, so the only deciding factor in whether or not you should add them to your grocery haul would be whether or not you feel like getting a new batch of taste buds.
I don’t know very much about the NotCo brand – aside from their partnership with Kraft Dinner – so when I saw they had chicken burgers, I was obviously curious and had to try them.
These burgers were better than your standard veggie chicken burger for so many reasons, and I’m so happy I decided to try them! Their sizing, for one thing, was surprisingly good. They were, dare I say, slightly bigger than an actual burger!
Their breadcrumb coating was also nice. It had the classic texture of what I remember chicken burgers having, and they felt pretty solid when pulling them out of the bag. Like you could man-handle them a little without needing to fear they would break in your hand, y’know?
Speaking of the bag, I loved that it was purple. It also only had instructions for oven or grill cooking (usually, I cook burgers in a frying pan), so I cooked them in the oven. On the plus side, the instructions said they only need about 10 minutes total, with a flip in the middle before they’re done, so they weren’t a pain to cook at all.
A small pet peeve of mine is when cooking instructions say things like: Frying Pan: 10 minutes, Oven: 30 minutes.
They don’t really change colour when they’re done, and the first time I made mine, it did get a little softer/more breakable, so I didn’t think 10 minutes was enough. Luckily, more than one come in a bag, so I was able to experiment a few times after the tester I made for the review. I found 15-18 minutes was better for my oven. But of course, ovens vary, so I would recommend checking after the time on the bag, and then throwing them back in if they feel a little squishy.
Sometimes with vegan food, it’s hard to know if a food is supposed to remain squishy after it’s cooked, or if it’s supposed to firm up, so I always exercise caution when cooking vegan products.
Also luckily, these guys firmed up a little after longer cooking, so if yours come out a squishy, pop them back in!
I kept my tester burger simple, with just some lettuce and a mayo’d bun. I also cut out a piece of the burger to eat ‘plain’ on the side.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a ‘real’ chicken burger (at least 9 years), but these burgers had the flavour and texture of what I remember. They’re not eerily close like Beyond Meat products, but it’s enough to tell you’re not just eating breaded tofu.
Also, the cross-section of what the inside looks like showed off a great texture.
One thing that is not-so-awesome about these burgers is the fact only 4 come in a bag, and they were $7.49 (Metro), so I wouldn’t recommend making them a new staple. But, I can definitely recommend you try them at least once – especially if they’re on sale – as they’ll be a welcome addition to help you close out the summer.
Considering how much of a Canadian staple this chain is, I surprised myself with the fact I hadn’t done it yet!
And yes, I know, Tim Horton’s is a cafe/coffee shop, not a classic ‘fast food’ restaurant, but they do serve food, and Canadian vegans deserve to know what offerings a Canadian brand has, instead of having to rely on Starbucks. (But if you prefer them, I made an article for them, too!)
Hot Beverages:
Original Blend Coffee
Dark Roast Coffee
Decaf Coffee
Tea
Bagged Tea
Steeped Tea
Cold Beverages:
Sparkling Quenchers
Blackberry Yuzu Quencher
Orange Tangerine Quencher
Peach Quencher
Pineapple Dragon Fruit Quencher
Strawberry Watermelon Quencher
Lemonade Quenchers
Blackberry Yuzu Quencher
Orange Tangerine Quencher
Peach Quencher
Pineapple Dragon Fruit Quencher
Strawberry Watermelon
Beverage ‘Additions’:
Cane Sugar Syrup
Mocha Syrup
Vanilla Syrup
Roasted Hazelnut Flavoured Syrup
Caramel Toffee Syrup
Toasted Marshmallow Syrup
Brown Sugar Syrup (may contain Milk, Mustard and Sulphites)
Classic Bagels (All say May Contain Milk + Eggs)
Plain Bagel
Sesame Seed Bagel
Everything Bagel
12-Grain Bagel
Cinnamon Raisin Bagel
Blueberry Bagel
Bagel Toppings:
Strawberry Jam Packet
Raspberry Jam Packet
Peanut Butter
Breakfast:
Hash Brown
Lunch:
Potato Wedges
Cilantro Lime Veggie Loaded Wrap*
Habanero Veggie Loaded Wrap*
Cilantro Lime Veggie Loaded Bowl*
Habanero Veggie Loaded Bowl*
Soup Bun
Sauces:
Marinara Sauce
Pop/Other Cold Drinks:
Coke
Diet Coke
Sprite
Canada Dry
Spring Water
Gold Peak Lemon Tea
TH Apple Juice
TH Orange Juice
*Will need to ask for the non-vegan toppings to be removed. I believe the Wraps/Bowls just come with shredded cheese, so not too big of a modification.
I e-mailed Tim Horton’s and they said, ‘You can find ingredient information for our menu items on our website or mobile app. Simply select the item you’re interested in, then scroll down and tap on ‘Nutrition & Ingredients’ to view a detailed list of ingredients.
Any menu item can be modified upon request (e.g., removing cheese, cream cheese, etc).
Within our Allergen Guide, items that are marked as ‘may contain’ do not contain the specific allergen (e.g., egg) as a direct ingredient. However, these items are produced in a facility that contains the allergen.’
I did of course check the Allergy and Nutrition Guides before I wrote in, but at least they gave a semi-helpful answer by letting us know the food items could be modified, if needed. (I suspected that was the case, but figured it couldn’t hurt to ask)
Like this article? Check out more of the Vegan Fast Food series!
If you’ve been around here a while, you’ve probably seen me talk about not liking the taste of seafood.
‘So Ater,’ you’re thinking (probably), ‘why would you do a seafood product review?’
That’s a good question!
And the answer is: Because they were recently used as a replacement in my grocery order, so they’re fresh on my mind. Also, crab cakes seem fitting for a summer review.
These cakes, as you may have guessed, are not my favourite Gardein product. But, I’m going to put my bias aside (as best I can) and give you a proper review of them.
Gardein’s Crabless Cakes actually surprised me with how big they were. I’ve obviously not had a real crab cake in… well I don’t think I’ve actually ever had a crab cake, even pre-vegan, but I assumed these would’ve been smaller. Closer in size to their Manadarin Orange Nuggets. They were maybe double the size? And definitely thicker.
The upside of them being bigger than I was expecting is, unfortunately, dampened by the fact there is only 8 cakes in one bag. Now, I’ve only got these twice, so I don’t know if it’s the norm or if I just managed to get duds/end of the line batches each time, but that’s something to be aware of.
For someone who doesn’t like seafood, I was glad there weren’t very many, but if you like them, you’ll definitely want to grab more than one bag.
These cakes had a good breading on them. They weren’t too crunchy (cooked in the oven) but the breading wasn’t too soft, either. It was a nice in-between. If I’m remembering correctly, I would say it was close to those frozen fish filet things.
The faux crab/filling itself is where my dislike for these became apparent. It oddly enough, didn’t have that classic fish taste. (Or ocean, which is why I also don’t like seaweed) What it did taste like to me – other than ‘bad’ – was weirdly enough, mint?
Not super strong like toothpaste, but it was more subtle, like candy cane mint?
I have no idea if mint is a flavour that’s supposed to be/usually found in crab cakes, but I found it weird. I don’t like mint in my food. No mint chocolates for me. It’s just too tied to toothpaste for me to want to swallow it. (I do like the smell of it, though!)
The texture of the filling was another… let’s call it an ‘interesting’ aspect of these cakes. It was what I remember canned tuna being – you know, that flaky, soft/squishy texture? – and since they were so big, there was a lot in a mouthful. (Even though I did bite them in half)
But again, I don’t know if flaky is a good or bad thing for people who enjoy crab cakes, so….
Another good thing about these crabless cakes – because I like to end reviews on a good note – is that they weren’t more expensive than the other regular Gardein products. So if you do choose to get these, they won’t cost you anything extra!
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.
Last year, I started taking a dance class. It’s been a lot of fun, but I wasn’t progressing as fast as I thought I should be, so at the beginning of this year – per the instructor’s advice – I started working out twice a week, and began drinking protein shakes/smoothies/whatever you want to call them on the same days.
And, to my surprise, I started seeing results!
Now, I’ll be honest: I’ve never attempted to build muscle seriously before, and due to my allergies, I’ve never tried ‘traditional’ protein powders.
This unfortunately means I can’t give you a comparison between this powder and another – non-vegan or otherwise – all I can give you is my experience with using the product.
Please keep that in mind as you read this review.
I’d also like you to keep in mind who is talking: I work a desk job and found normal working out (weight lifting, treadmills, other generic gym equipment, etc.) to be boring and often, hurt or felt like it wasn’t doing anything (though that’s a completely other post) so I stopped doing it. I still did stretches or some squats a few times a week, but for the most part, there wasn’t much body movement happening.
This also meant I had very little muscle going into the dance class. A running joke in my family was that I had ‘zero’ muscle – which isn’t true because I’d obviously not be able to walk around – but to put things into perspective, I had trouble lifting a regular sack of potatoes. Not carrying, lifting.
Okay, so now that I’ve painted you the accurate before picture of me, let’s get into the good stuff:
The first thing I noticed about this protein powder was it was listed online for $50 (Healthy Planet), and when it showed up, the container was a lot bigger than I thought it’d be.
Protein powder container compared to a Silk Oat tetra pack
The container also boasts all the good things about the powder in an easy-to-read format: 30g of Protein, 5g BCAA (explained as ‘Branched Chain Amino Acids’ in fine print at the bottom of the label), 5g of Glutamic Acid, 1 B/G CFU (Colony Forming Units) and Tart Cherries.
I don’t know exactly why they list Tart Cherries being in the product with all that other stuff, but I assume it’s somehow beneficial. Also on the subject of not knowing what all that means: you don’t have to!
If you turn the container around, it tells you why the things listed on the front are good things and what they do.
The label also says one container is supposed to last for about 19 portions, but my first container lasted for much longer. (I’m actually still using it! Looks like it will be done by Friday, though. Currently at about 37 portions [started January 6th], so by Friday it will have been 39 [April 18th])
I will admit, I don’t use the scoop that came with the powder, I use a Tablespoon, instead. I do this because I’ve been using a Magic Bullet, and the cup size is smaller than the amount of liquid the container tells you to use for 1 powder scoop. So after some quick mathing, I discovered 2 Tbs is the right amount for my cup.
If you’re using a bigger cup, or know what you’re doing, I would assume adjusting the portion to fit your needs would work, as well. Just keep in mind that that will change how long the container lasts.
“Ater,” you may be thinking, “all this is great, but how does it taste?” Good question!
This protein powder has a chalky taste when it’s alone (yes, I taste-tested it by itself for this review, you’re welcome), similar to what So Good Chocolate used to taste like. (I haven’t bought this brand in years, so can’t say if it’s still chalky) It’s more chalk than chocolate, but since you’re not supposed to ingest it that way, I wouldn’t hold that against it.
When it’s blended into a shake/smoothie/whatever though, it either disappears completely, or helps adds to the chocolate-y taste.
My shakes I like to keep simple, so they are just: banana, faux milk (used to be Silk Chocolate Almond but that has gotten harder to find lately, so recently I’ve started using Earth’s Own Oat Chocolate), the protein powder and some peanut butter.
Because I’m using faux chocolate milk, it’s hard to say if the chocolate taste is from the milk alone, or if the protein powder helps. With how strong the scent of chocolate is when you open the container though, I wouldn’t be surprised if it enhances the flavour when blended.
It also blends very easily, but my Magic Bullet is old (was bought around 2014/15) so sometimes the frozen banana makes it hard for the dying motor to get everything completely smooth.
But even when it’s lumpy, the taste is still good!
As for how much it helps with your actual muscle gains, as I said above, I haven’t tried other powders so I can’t compare to those. However, I do think it has helped on my growing muscle journey. I wish I could give you specifics, but I can’t. The only thing I can tell you is it does seem to help my muscles recover faster, and I have noticed a slightly dramatic increase in muscle mass during the three month time. (Though this might also be because I started to work out 3 times a week, as well)
All in all, I would recommend this product for people who want to start working out, switch from their other protein powder or if nothing else, want to make getting enough protein in their diet easier.
I believe this protein powder is doing good, I’m just too much of a newbie to properly explain the science for why.
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’m pretty sure the last time I tried these deli slices was back in my very first year of being vegan (2016) and I don’t know if my taste buds have changed, or if they changed the formula/recipe (or if I’m even thinking of a different brand), but trying these deli slices now, I thought they were way better than I remembered!
I’m going to be honest, I bought these slices specifically so I’d have something to review. Usually, I buy the Yves deli slices (I like all three flavours now!) because they’re more widely available and cheaper in my area. Also, I know those ones are good.
These ones, despite what I ‘remembered’ pleasantly surprised me! They taste great, have a good texture and a decent amount come in 1 box. The slices themselves are more brown than pink/nude in colour and also have a small rind on them. The rind isn’t too thick though, and I think it adds an extra (very subtle) crunch to them.
One thing I found off-putting about these slices though was that after I opened the package, it smelled like dog food. That sort of… oldish gravy mixed with decaying meat? I even asked my non-vegan friend to smell it – because maybe that’s what ‘real’ lunch meat smells like and I just forgot – but they agreed, it smelled like dog food.
Absolutely does not taste like dog food, so I have no idea where that smell even came from, but yeah. Not exactly what you want to smell when making yourself lunch.
Luckily though, as I said, these slices have a great taste. They’re slightly smoky with an otherwise pretty generic ‘lunch meat’ flavour. I could not tell you if they’re supposed to be beef, chicken, pork, etc. replacements. They’re just kind of… lunch meat.
Which is is no way a bad thing! I actually love that they aren’t overpowering and don’t have a super distinct taste. It makes them perfect for their intended purpose, which is to blend into sandwiches! They add the texture you want, and zero problems!
If you can get past/through the weird smell – and hey, maybe it was just the box I got and not all of them? – I would definitely recommend giving these deli slices a try!
Protein powder container compared to a Silk Oat tetra pack
