One of the many foods I get my protein from.

Gardein products. I love them. All of them! They are one of my favorite pre-packaged meat substitutes that gives me the protein most omnivores believe I am lacking. Gardein makes tons, I mean TONS of different yummy and humane products, but my go-to item is their Chik'n Scallopini. It is an un-breaded soy and wheat gluten based "chicken" breast. 

I usually just pan-fry them with a tiny bit of olive oil for a few minutes and add them to everything from salads to sandwiches and beyond. They taste remarkably similar to chicken which could freak some vegans out, but it doesn't bother me. I didn't stop eating meat because it didn't taste good, after all! 

Each one of these suckers packs a whopping 14 grams of fiber while keeping the calories to a modest 90 per serving, 2 grams of unsaturated fat and only 4 grams of carbs. Considering the U.S. standard for protein intake is around 46 grams for someone my size (5'8", 136 lbs.), a couple of these and you are more than half-way there for the day!* 

If you want to try some really yummy recipes using this particular product, check out Tal Ronnen's book, The Conscious Cook. There you will find everything from Gardein "chicken" scallopini with shiitake sake sauce, braised pea shots and crispy noodle cakes – which is not only DELICIOUS, it is also visually impressive, so it's great when you have guests over – to Gardein "chicken" piccata – which can also be found on the menu at Sublime restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida if you happen to live there. Both are seriously amazing! 

You can use these guys in any recipe where you would usually use chicken breast, so go to town with them! If you come up with a tasty concoction and want to share them here, please do! I am always looking for new recipes to try!

I hope you enjoy these cruelty-free protein powerhouses as much as I do! 

The Gardein website is: http://www.gardein.com/ From there you can see the many completely vegan products they sell.


*The jury is still out as far as I'm concerned with the amount of protein we really need, but I'll address that subject another time.

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