😋 Tasty Plant-Based Finds: Our Top 3 Picks For February 2023

Reviews featuring Deliciously Ella Oat Bars, THIS Isn't Streaky Bacon, and Thai Taste Green Curry Paste

Feb 21, 2023

A New Plant-based Discovery Series

In this new monthly series, we're excited to highlight some of the plant-based products that we've personally tried and enjoyed. Our goal is to provide you with authentic recommendations that can help you incorporate more plant-based options into your diet. Whether you're a long-time vegan or a curious omnivore, we hope this newsletter will inspire you to explore new and delicious plant-based products.

Let's dive in!

Oat Bars by Deliciously Ella (DE)

Deliciously Ella Oat Bars. Source: Plantwise

🥣 Context: DE’s Oat bars are a delicious snack made from baked oats. They come in different flavours, including “apple & raisin”, “cacao & almond”, “peanut butter”, “hazelnut, pecan & maple”, “apricot & coconut”, and “fruit & nut” oat bars. Each bar contains just over 200 calories, similar to a chocolate bar.

😍 What we like: These Oat Bars are delicious and don’t taste overly sweet or fatty. I tend to enjoy them just after lunch with a coffee. My favourite flavour so far is apple & raisin, which I sometimes also make at home using rolled oats. The ingredients are 100% plant-based, simple, and baked. Oats are a good source of fibre, which is vital for digestive health.

🌍 Sustainability notes: The plant-based ingredients themselves typically have very low carbon emissions and water footprints compared with snacks containing dairy. However, there are ongoing sustainability debates about coconut oil and almonds.

In terms of packaging, Deliciously Ella’s website states that the outer box is “made from 100% recyclable cardboard”. Unfortunately, the paper wrapper is “made from a thin layer of plastic and is used to keep the products fresh”, which DE admits is not recyclable but is “working on a solution”.

🙏🏻 What could be improved: While these are snacks and not protein bars, we wished there were slightly more protein and less sugar and saturated fats, although I guess it’s why they taste so yummy.

➡️ They are currently on sale for £2 in Sainsbury’s (containing 3x 50g bars)

😎 Pro tip: If you are interested in making flapjack oat bars at home, our Plantwise app has an awesome free recipe, using oats, bananas, nuts, peanut butter, and cinnamon.

🥣 Context: Launched in December 2022, Isn’t Streaky Bacon is THIS’ latest vegan bacon product since the Isn’t Bacon Rashes. It also tastes 10 times better. The ingredients are 100% plant-based, using soya protein. Each packet contains 8 rashes.

😍 What we like: THIS Isn’t Streaky Bacon tastes just like the real thing, if not better, as it doesn’t overwhelm with the fatty mouthfeel. Nutritionally, the product is pretty low in calories, saturated fats, and sugars, but very high in protein and fibre. The vegan bacon is also fortified with vitamin B12 & iron, which are common concerns on a plant-based diet.

🌍 Sustainability notes: According to THIS’ website, they only use GMO-free soy, imported from the USA. This is a better option than Brazil as Brazil’s Amazon rainforest is rapidly disappearing (we cover this topic here under “Soy Milk”). In terms of CO2 emissions, THIS claims that their product emissions are less than half of that produced by chicken, roughly a quarter versus pork, and less than 10% compared with beef.

The product is packed in the UK. However, THIS does not provide specific information regarding the packaging's recyclability on its website. We are currently following up with the company on this.

🙏🏻 What could be improved: A practical issue is that some people have found it tricky to separate the rashes or to get them out of the packet.

A nutritional issue across the plant-based meat category is salt, which is also on the high side here. Therefore, I would enjoy them in moderation and try to keep the rest of my meals low in salt.

➡️ We found the best price from Waitrose at £3.00 per item

😎 Pro tip: If you prefer whole foods instead, our Plantwise app has a free, delicious crispy aubergine (eggplant) “bacon” recipe.

Thai Taste Green Curry Paste. Source: Thai Taste

🥣 Context: Founded nearly 20 years ago, the founders of Thai Taste sought to bring authentic Thai cuisine to the UK, as Asian food rose in popularity. This led to them developing a wide range of innovative products that highlight the complex yet delicious flavours found in Thai food. Suitable for vegetarians & vegans, the Thai Taste Green Curry Paste is our favourite curry paste and is easily accessible in UK supermarkets.

😍 What we like: The ingredient list is fresh and simple, with no artificial colourings, flavourings or preservatives, and packed with fresh garlic, green chilli, onion, lemongrass, galangal and spices. As a result, the curry paste is also very low in calories (14 kCal per 15g/ 1 tbsp serving), with negligible fats and sugars. The paste is also very versatile, with a suggested recipe on the back of the packaging.

🌍 Sustainability notes: All of the stated ingredients are very low in carbon emissions and water footprints. The paste is made in Thailand with local fresh ingredients, so there is still a transportation impact coming into the UK, although only a small quantity of the paste is used in each serving.

Thai Taste’s website states that its packaging is widely recycled.

🙏🏻 What could be improved: The recipe at the back of the package is a curry recipe interchangeably for both tofu & chicken curries. The title, however, could write “Tofu Thai Green Curry” instead of “Chicken” as the default prompt, to encourage customers to try plant-based.

➡️ We found the cheapest supermarket option from Sainsbury’s at £2.10, providing 10-12 servings.

😎 Pro tip: Our Plantwise app has several high-protein, plant-based Thai curry recipes, with the most popular one being the Tofu Thai Curry (550 kCal, 25 grams of protein).

Disclaimer: Unless specified, the products mentioned in this article are not sponsored.

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 100+ specialist, protein-rich recipes for free. They are tasty, simple to make, and completely affordable, using only plant-based whole foods. Download on 🍏 Apple App Store today.

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