Tag Archives: the veg life

VegaSport Naturals Chocolate Performance Protein Powder Review

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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.


Like this review? Check out more here!

Vegan Fast Food: Papa John’s Edition

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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?

AterImber.com - The Veg Life - Vegan Tips - Vegan Fast Food Series - Vegan Fast Food: Papa John's Edition - VFF: Papa John's Collage - vegan, vegan food, vegan tips, Papa John's, vegan takeout, pizza, vegan pizza, food, blogger, food blogger

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!

Tofurky Hickory Smoked Deli Slices Review

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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!


Want to read more reviews? Check them out here!

No Whey! Foods Signature Truffles 15 Piece Review

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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 marniermeans? 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!


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Stella’s Cheddar Cheese Perogies Review

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Important: This is the last article of 2024! I’ll be taking the rest of December and the first half of January off from posting. I’ll be back January 20th, 2025 with the first article of the new year! (Technically I’ll be back Jan. 17th but that will be a short story)


I want to start this review out by saying I’ve only tried these perogies once, and it was somewhere around 2015-2016. I tried to find them again so I could re-try them for this review, but it seems they’ve fallen off the face of the Earth. (At least, in Canada)

I checked regular grocers (Loblaws, Shopper’s, Metro, etc.) and dedicated vegan grocers (Good Rebel and VeganSupply.ca) and could not find them. I don’t know if they’re just no longer available in Canada, have changed their company name, or are discontinued, but I unfortunately could not get my hands on them again.

This means that I will be basing this review on what I remember. And what I remember, I hate to say, isn’t that great.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love eating perogies, and used to eat the frozen No Name potato and onion ones all the time. (They changed the recipe a few years ago to now include milk) This was also just after I had decided to go vegan, so when I was in Good Rebel all those years ago and saw vegan cheddar perogies, I was pretty excited!

I bought a bag despite the higher price (they were around $10-something and the bag was not big enough to justify that) and brought them home.

These perogies… they weren’t ‘bad’ as in ‘gross’, they were just kind of underwhelming. They tasted exactly like the frozen perogies I was used to, with a very, very mild hint of cheddar.

I honestly felt a little cheated. The higher price, smaller bag, and being bought from a specific vegan grocer made me think these would be somehow special perogies.

Yes, I know that’s my own fault. But as I said, this was just after I went vegan, so I was still mind-blown over the whole new world of food that had opened before me, and had rose-coloured-glasses on for a lot of vegan foods I tried. Back then, if the food didn’t completely blow my mind, I would say it was ‘bad’.

But what I really meant was it was a let-down because of how hyped I was to be trying so many new foods. Some were just… basic, staple foods. Which are very important to having a good food foundation to build the rest of your diet on! Unfortunately back then, I didn’t realize that.

So, are these perogies mind-blowing? No. (Unless they’ve since changed the recipe)

Should you still go out and buy them? Sure, but I’d recommend waiting until they go on sale. The size of the bag is definitely not worth the double-digit price tag. I know perogies are filling, but still.

So, Stella’s Perogies, have you tried them? If yes, did you like them? Do they even still exist? Let me know in the comments below!

Also, since this is the last article of 2024, I want to say a big thank-you to everyone who continues to read these articles and support the site! It means a lot to know I’m not just talking into a void. Lol

If you’d like to support the site more directly, consider signing up for my Patreon. You’ll get access to all my short stories, insider book knowledge, and/or the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping keep the lights on around here. Tiers start at just $1, too, so no need to worry about breaking the bank!

Have a great holiday season (if you celebrate), and if not, I hope you still find time to relax over the next month, and I’ll see you all in 2025!


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Ways to Spice Up Your Mr. Noodles

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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.

AterImber.com - The Veg Life - Product Reviews - Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausages Review - Beyond Meat Sausages In Mr. Noodles - food reviews, product reviews, food reviewer, sausages, vegan, vegan food, vegan meat, meat alternativesMr. 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.


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Prana No Mylk’n Hazelnuts & Crispy Rice Chocolate Bark Review

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Important: This is the 4th 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!


Chocolate bark is one of the best snacks you can reach for and this Prana chocolate bark is no exception!

This bark is incredible. It’s the perfect ratio of chocolate to hazelnuts and rice, isn’t too thick and comes in a convenient resealable pouch, just in case you have enough self control to leave some of this delicious snack for later.

As the name suggests, they use a faux milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate, which is great for not getting that drying-out-your-mouth feeling that dark chocolate tends to give.

This bark actually reminds me of those rice chocolate bunnies they used to sell for Easter. I don’t know how region specific that product is, but if you know what I’m talking about, and enjoyed those bunnies, you’ll definitely enjoy this bark!

I also found this chocolate bark at Shopper’s Drug Mart, so it’s definitely not even one of those specialty vegan-grocer-only snacks, either. Speaking of where to find it, it’s also got a competitive price ($5.79) and wasn’t even tucked into some dark back corner of the shop with other vegan-only products. I found it right there on the shelf next to the Reeces!

There is one bad thing about this product, and it’s a complaint you’ve heard from me before: there is not enough bark in the bag! I don’t know if I got a dud, but the bag I got was less than half full of bark. The rest was air, or that not-air stuff they seal in to help keep products fresh.

This is how much bark was in the bag as soon as I opened it

It was sad, because I love this product, and the bag isn’t even that big to begin with!

So while I recommend going out to try this product for yourself, be aware you’ll probably want to buy them in two’s.


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Gardein Pepperoni Pizza Pockets Review

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Does anyone else remember these things?

When I first went vegan back in 2016, these wonderful pockets of joy seemed to be everywhere!

Unfortunately now, they no longer exist.

Admittedly, when I was a kid, I didn’t eat a lot of the ‘regular’ pizza pockets (allergies), but from what I remembered, these were spot on!

Not only were they the right shape (looking at you, Tofurky Pizza Pockets [which are also sadly discontinued]) but they also tasted how I remembered! The marinara sauce, the pepperoni, the mozzarella… even not waiting long enough to bite into one and burning the shit out of your tongue.

Don’t get me wrong, they definitely aren’t five star cuisine or anything, but you don’t want that from a pizza pocket anyway, right? Or at least, I know I don’t. Food doesn’t have to be fancy to be good, y’know? They scratched the nostalgia itch, made a delightful small meal, or a hearty snack and used to be pretty easy to find.

They also used to come 4 pockets per box, so it was a winning product all around!

I’m definitely sad I can no longer buy them, but luckily you might be able to!

A few years after I stopped seeing them, I did some research and apparently, the company had discontinued all of their products in Canada, and then slowly began re-releasing them. I believe the reason at the time was something about operating costs since they had branched into the US market. (Which doesn’t make sense to me, considering Gardein is a Candian company) The thing that really got me annoyed though, is that on the US Gardein website, they have more product variety than the Canadian one!

I understand the US is a big market, but what I don’t understand, is why you would bare-bones the product line in the country you started in/are from? That just doesn’t make sense! If anything, they should’ve released a few products to the US to ease into the waters or whatever.

… Sorry about that mini-rant. I’m clearly not over this senseless betrayal. That’s how much I loved their pizza pockets! I haven’t eaten a non-homemade pizza pocket since 2016. That’s too long!

Anyway, if you’re in the US, you should have no problems finding this product to test, enjoy and hoard for yourself. I’m not sure if it’s available in other countries markets, but you can check using the Product Locator on their website.

Oh, and if anyone from Gardein is reading this: please, please, please bring your pizza pockets back to Canada!

So, have you tried Gardein’s pizza pockets? Have you found a different brand of vegan pizza pockets you love more? Or started eating to fill the pizza pocket shaped hole Gardein left when they disappeared? Let me know in the comments!


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Where Do Vegans Get Their Potassium?

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You’ve probably heard of potassium as that health thing/nutrient in bananas that’s good for you, right? But do you know what potassium actually is?

Don’t feel bad if you don’t, I didn’t know what it was until I did this article! And since I’m the bringer of knowledge – both because that’s what this series is for and because I’m an Aquarius – let’s take a quick walk down What The Heck Is Potassium, Anyway? Avenue.

Potassium is a mineral that helps maintains your body’s nerves, muscles, kidneys and heart functions. It’s said that when people eat diets rich in potassium, they can lower their blood pressure, reduce their risk of kidney stones and potentially regulate their blood sugar levels.

Adults need 4,700mg of potassium daily and while that may sound like a lot, with how abundant it is in foods, you really don’t need to worry. (Like most other nutrients in this series)

Starting in the top left-hand corner, and moving clockwise:

  • Dried Apricots (1,510mg)
  • Prunes (1,270mg)
  • Raisins (1,200mg)
  • Durian (1,059mg)
  • Swiss Chard (961mg)
  • 1 Med Baked Potato (929mg)
  • Yams (912mg)
  • Spinach (830mg)
  • Lentils (731mg)
  •  Avocado (728mg)
  • Guava (688mg)
  • 1 Whole Pomegranate (666mg)
  • 2 Slices Watermelon (640mg)
  •  Kidney Beans (607mg)
  •  Coconut Water (600mg)
  • Butternut Squash (582mg)
  • 1 Med Sweet Potato (542mg)
  •  Beets (518mg)
  • 1 Banana (451mg)

I don’t know about you, but I was surprised to learn that not only so many other foods have more potassium than bananas, but that bananas have so little in comparison, that they’re at the bottom of the list!

Did this list shock you? Do you know of any potassium-rich foods I missed? (With equal values to the above) Let me know in the comments!


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Farm Boy Chocolate Truffle Hot Cocoa Mix Review

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Funny story about my discovery of this hot chocolate, I actually came onto the brand when I was looking for vegan cheese.

While the brand isn’t 100% vegan, they do have a line of vegan cheeses available – including some cheese cubes specifically for making poutine – and, as I was pleasantly surprised to find out, hot chocolate!

As far as I know, they only have the one kind of hot chocolate, but that’s really all you need!

This hot chocolate mix is pretty standard, in my opinion. It doesn’t have a specific flavour like the Castle Kitchen Caramel Hot Chocolate, or peppermint or anything crazy, it’s just… chocolate. And sugar.

And some Silk Chocolate Almond, but that’s me adding flavour, not what comes in the container. It also doesn’t have any of those dehydrated marshmallows that some other hit chocolate mixes have.

I would count that as a win though, because from what I remember, those marshmallows were always sort of rubbery or dusty tasting, and definitely didn’t replace plopping in your own fresh ones.

The container tells you to add 2 Tbsp of mix to a cup of hot water, but I’ve found that that’s way too much! I usually do 1 tsp or sometimes 1 1/2 tsp, but even sometimes that leaves bits of muddy, not-fully-dissolved mix in the bottom of my mug.

I don’t know if I happen to just have a smaller than average mug, or if someone misprinted those instructions, but I’d recommend starting out with a smaller amount, and upping the mix level each time, instead of starting with too much. Unless you actually like drinking that muddy leftover mix in the bottom of a cup.

The brand Farm Boy is also Canadian, and since they make ‘real’ food too, their products aren’t only found in specialty vegan stores! This means you have many more chances to get your hands on the product when doing your regular grocery shopping!

Another great thing about it, is that it’s a comparable price to ‘regular’ hot chocolate mixes. It’s listed as only $5.99 at Sobey’s, while the Compliments Hot Chocolate Mix is the same price, and the Tim Horton’s Hot Chocolate Smooth & Creamy is a dollar more.

This hot chocolate mix is enjoyable, and definitely gets the job done, and while I wouldn’t suggest you have to immediately run out and buy some, I would recommend checking it out this season.


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