🫕Cook & Snack: Tasty Plant-based Foods (March 2023)
We really like these 3 plant-based products you can find in supermarkets, featuring THIS Isn't Pork Sausages, Barebells Vegan Protein Bar, and Hellmann's Vegan Mayo.
Are you looking for everyday plant-based foods that taste just as delicious, if not better, than the meat & dairy originals? Something that uplifts your morning, boosts your exercise, or complements a perfect meal? Each month we highlight three plant-based products that we love. Whether you're a long-time vegan or a curious omnivore, we hope this newsletter series will inspire you to explore new and delicious plant-based products.
Let's dive in!
Disclosure: none of the content below is sponsored or affiliated.
THIS™ Isn’t Pork Sausages
🥣 Context: THIS launched THIS Isn’t Pork Sausages in September 2022, with completely plant-based ingredients including pea protein. THIS is a UK plant-based startup brand that produced a string of delicious plant-based meat alternatives, including streaky bacon, chicken pieces & nuggets, beef mince, and beef burgers. In 2022, THIS raised £15 million in Series B funding to propel growth and expand overseas.
😍 What we like: THIS Isn’t Pork Sausages simply tasted delicious, without leaving me with the heaviness of the pork sausages. It would actually be difficult to tell that they are not pork-based in a blind test. On a practical level, I’ve also stopped worrying about food poisoning from undercooking these sausages.
Comparing the nutritional values of THIS Isn’t Pork Sausages with Waitrose Organic British Pork Sausages, we find that there are 25% fewer calories and 70% less saturated fats in THIS Isn’t Pork Sausages. Moreover, THIS offers 14.4g of protein while providing 4.9g of fibre, compared with 19.2g of protein and just 0.5g of fibre in Organic Pork Sausages. Their salt contents are comparable.
🌍 Sustainability notes: Since our last note on THIS Isn’t Streaky Bacon, I spoke with THIS Team about their packaging. THIS clarifies that the plastic tray and cardboard sleeve are both widely recycled. The plastic film is less recyclable as it is soft plastic but can be recycled alongside plastic bags at large supermarkets where they have designated soft plastic recycling bins. The use of plastic is to ensure proper packaging for food hygiene and safety which also prolongs the shelf-life. The plastic trays are also made up of 80% recycled plastic.
🙏🏻 Potential Drawbacks: While these sausages are delicious, they should be enjoyed sparingly. At Plantwise, we generally prefer plant-based whole foods for the majority of our daily calorie intake (you can check out our protein-rich recipes on the App Store here).
➡️ We found 25% off in Waitrose, at £2.21 per item
🫕 Cooking tips: 1) Simply Pan Fry on medium heat in 1 tsp of olive oil for 7-8 minutes, turning occasionally. or 2) Grill: Preheat the grill to 180C. Place the sausages onto the wire rack of a grill tray. (optional) Lightly brush sausages with oil. Cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Barebells Vegan Protein Bars
🥣 Context: Barebells was founded in 2016 to offer a broad range of protein-enriched alternatives to snacks and desserts. In 2021, Barebells launched two vegan protein bar flavours - Salty Peanut and Hazelnut Nougat. Their protein source is a blend of soy, pea, and rice. According to Barebells, they are “on a mission to prove that vegan protein bars are not to be left behind”.
You can find Barebells in Co-Op, Waitrose, Boots, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Amazon, and Holland & Barrett.
😍 What we like: Personally, I prefer the Salty Peanut flavour. They could simply be enjoyed as a satisfying snack that also addresses the protein concern people have on a plant-based diet. The Barebells vegan protein bars have 15g of plant-based protein, 7.1g of fibre and no added sugar, all under 214 kcal per bar.
🌍 Sustainability notes: On their website, Barrebells states that they “conduct carbon offsetting on a yearly basis (offsetting for the previous year’s emissions)”. Barebells has invested in UN-approved and/or Gold Standard-certified projects in Mozambique and India.
🙏🏻 Potential Drawbacks: It is not obvious if the packaging is recyclable (no direct information on the website). The protein bars are not suitable for consumers with a soy allergy. I would also love to see more flavours!
➡️ We found the cheapest option (without buying in bulk) in Boots, at £1.99 per bar
🫕 Nutritional tips: Most adults need around 0.75g of protein per kilo of body weight per day (for the average woman, this is 45g or 55g for men). If protein is an area of your concern on a plant-based diet, it is worth checking out our protein-rich recipes on the App Store here, or this Substack article on the “10 plant-based protein sources that we love”.
Hellmann's Vegan Mayo
🥣 Context: Created by Richard Hellmann in the 1920s in New York, Hellmann’s is a popular household brand specialising in mayonnaise and salad dressings. In 2016, Hellmann’s launched its vegan mayo in the US with excellent reception, which propelled Hellmann’s to introduce its vegan mayo to the UK in 2018.
Hellmann’s vegan mayo is actually made of the same ingredients as its original mayonnaise, except that they swapped out the eggs for maize starch.
😍 What we like: Hellmann’s Vegan Mayo is not only the best vegan mayo I’ve had but in my opinion also actually tastier than the original mayonnaise. It is dangerously addictive. It just about goes on anything from salads to Beyond Burgers and Pizza Union slices (sorry, Italian pizza fans!). In terms of nutrition, Hellmann’s Vegan Mayo is slightly lower in calories and saturated fat than Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise.
🌍 Sustainability notes: The vegan mayo is most commonly sold in a glass jar. Hellmann also offers a squeezable version which is 100% recycled. Hellmann’s is a Unilever brand, who targets to achieve €1 billion in annual sales from plant-based meat and dairy alternatives by 2025–2027. You can read more about Unilever’s Climate Transition Action Plan here.
🙏🏻 Potential Drawbacks: My criticism would be the size of the jar, which is the most displayed version and contains 280g compared with the standard 400g in Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise. This criticism mainly stems from the fact that I run through them too quickly!
➡️ We found the most economical option in Sainsbury’s for Hellmann’s Vegan Squeezy Mayo, at £3.00 for 430ml. (Glass Jars are usually 2.6 per 280ml)
What do you prefer?
I am thinking about publishing detailed plant-based recipes that are protein-rich, whole-food-focused, and affordable to make. How often would you like to see them? (0 indicates “Not Interested")
From Plantwise
Do you struggle with planning healthy plant-based meals, sourcing affordable ingredients, and learning what “healthy plant-based” means? We’ve got your back.
Head to our free Crash Course on Substack to get quickly started on the plant-based journey.
You can also access our specialist, protein-rich recipes on the Plantwise app. They are tasty, simple to make, and completely affordable, using only plant-based whole foods. Download on Apple App Store today.
