Vegan and Vegetarian

Monthly archives for July, 2011

Bottle Green Sparkling Presse

Jul31
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Green Tea and Elderflower Sparkling Drink

From Bottle Green a refreshing sparkling ready to drink presse.  I like this,  it is light and summery.  The elderflower is the main flavour which is really good, with a slight taste of green tea.  I like the subtle green tea flavour it does not overpower the elderflower.  This is perfect to refresh you in the summer or as an option for a non alcoholic drink when at a barbecue or party.

The one I have is a 750ml large bottle ready to drink.   Ingredients are carbonated water, sugar, elderflowers, citric acid, green tea, so as far as I can tell it is vegan.  Sold in supermarkets and health food shops.

Please note my reviews are always honest and unbiased, however I feel it only right to point out that the marketing team of Bottle Green did supply this product for me to review.

Posted in 2. Product Reviews, 4. Drinks - Tagged , ,

Cooperative Indian Selection

Jul31
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Indian Vegan Selection

From the Cooperative vegetable pakoras, vegetable samosas and onion bhajis selection pack.   These are very very good,  the samosas had a nice filling and the pastry was crispy, the pakora was yummy firm and had a good flavour, and the onion bhajis were really tasty too.  I think this pack is a really good choice,  they taste great, perfect for a party food, I had mine with salad.  I will definitely have them again. They take just 12 mins in the oven.

Each 275gram pack has 12 items(4 of each),  Suitable for Vegans, per pakora is 40kcal, per samosa is 55kcal,  per bhaji is 45kcal.   From the fridge section in the Coop.

These would go nice with the pappadums I reviewed earlier.

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , , , ,

Morrisons Vegetable Fingers

Jul31
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Meat Free Vegetable Fingers

From Morrisons meat free vegetable fingers.  I think these are OK,  they are a crispy breadcrumb covered with mixed seasonal veg in side.  They are great for a fast food option,  they would work well with chips or mashed potato.  I imagine children would like them.  You can grill or oven them.

Each 452gram pack contains 16 fingers,  is suitable for vegetarians, vegan as far as I can tell,  as per the ingredients list.  No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.  Per 2 fingers is 111kcal.  Sold in Morrisons

These are a good alternative to fish fingers,  Redwoods make a vegan fake fish finger which is a another good option.

 

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Sojade Peach Soya Pot

Jul31
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Peach Soya Pot

From Sojade a peach soya pot with added bifidus. I thought this dessert was OK,  the flavour was peachy,  but I thought the colour was a bit strange.   The texture is creamy and smooth. A good vegan dessert.

Suitable for Vegans, Bio Organic, 0% Cholesterol, No dairy, 80kcal per 100grams. Made using soya and added Bifidus which is a pro-biotic. Priced at 59p per pot. Sold in health food shops.

The Lemon Soya Pot from sojade is one of the nicest soya pots i have tried.

www.sojade.eu

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Pure Sunflower Dairy Free Margarine

Jul30
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Dairy Free Sunflower Spread

A Soya Free and Dairy Free margarine from Pure.  I like this vegan margarine, the taste is pleasant and is easy to spread.  Perfect for toast or sandwiches.  It is good in mashed potato.  A good all round vegan spread without the soya.

500 gram tubs are made using sunflower oil, Vegan Society Approved.  Per 10gram serving is 60kcal.  Contains Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin D2 and Vitamin B12.

I also like the Vitalite Dairy Free Margarine I reviewed earlier and I like the Pure Soya Spread which I also reviewed earlier.

www.puredairyfree.co.uk

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , , ,

Granovita Vegan Dessert

Jul30
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Deluxe Soyage Black Cherry Dessert

From granovita the worst vegan dessert I have ever tried.   The one I had was really bad,  I am not sure if it had been stored properly in the shop because it was just weird.   The texture was lumpy, gloopy, watery in places and just odd.  I could not eat it because it looked so strange,  i tasted a small amount and it was not nice,  you could taste the black cherry.  I would never have one of these again.

There are lots of soya pots out there which are good.  My two favourites are the Alpro Soya and the Sojade Soya Pots.

Per 145gram pot is 102kcal, suitable for vegans, dairy free, nut free,  sold in health food shops.  59pence.

www.granovita.co.uk

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Doves Farm Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jul30
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten free chocolate chip cookies from Doves Farm.  I really like these organic biscuits.  The chocolate chips taste like a good quality chocolate and compliment the crunchy crumbly biscuit really well.  There is a good chocolate chip to biscuit ratio.  They are perfect for a tea break for sharing or just for munching whenever you fancy.

Each 150gram pack of 9 biscuits is  Free From (Gluten, Wheat, Milk, Salt, Buckwheat, Soya, Nuts, Eggs and hydrogenated fats).  Suitable for Vegans.  Fair trade and Organic.  Priced at £1.59 per pack.  Each biscuit is 76.7kcal.

I recently reviewed the Double Chocolate Biscuits which are also very good.

www.dovesfarm.co.uk

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Provamel Sweetened Soya Milk

Jul30
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Sweetened Soya Milk

From Provamel a sweetened soya milk.  A naturally low in saturated fat dairy free alternative to milk with calcium and vitamins.  Fortunately there is plenty of choice out there for soya milk and provamel are a good choice.  The soya milk is tasty,  I like this one on my Maple Cornflake cereal because it makes it extra sweet.

Provamel also make a smaller carton which i find really useful.

Each 1litre carton is Suitable for Vegans, Dairy Free, Low in Saturated fat, Sold in supermarkets and health food shops.

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Amys Enchilada with Black Beans & Vegetables

Jul29
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegetarian Enchiladas

From Amy’s a Black Bean and vegetable Vegan Enchiladas.   I thought that these enchiladas would be nice as I make home made ones which are lovely.  These ones for me were not good.  They had a funny smell that permeated through the entire house whilst they were cooking and the taste was just yuck.  I did not find them in any way tasty, just unpleasant.  I have tried a Burrito by Amy’s which was a much better option.

Each pack is 320kcal, Vegetarian Society Approved, suitable for vegans, dairy free, gluten free.  From the freezer section.  Sold in Holland and Barrett and some supermarkets.

www.amyskitchen.co.uk

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Morrisons Chip Shop Style Mushy Peas

Jul29
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Mushy Peas

Chip Shop Style Mushy Peas from Morrisons.  These are really nice,  I like the colour they are not too bright green like some other brands and the taste is very good,  like the chip shop mushy peas I remember.

Perfect with chips,  these would go well with the Redwood Sausages,  or the Fishless Fish Fingers which I reviewed earlier.  I like to have Tomato ketchup with them.

Each 540gram tin is suitable for vegetarians, vegan as far as I can tell.  Per quarter can is 97kcal.   Sold in Morrisons supermarket.

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Fox’s Glacier Fruits

Jul29
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Fruit Sweets

From Fox’s fruit flavour boiled sweets.  Made from concentrated fruit juices.  Lovely fruity sweets,  I have had these for years and every so often I buy a bag, they seem to last for a while.  Boiled sweets are hard to eat quickly so are great if you have a dry throat, and are a perfect driving sweet.  These ones have a good flavour and come in Blackcurrant, Strawberry, Raspberry, Lemon, Lime and Orange.

Each 200 gram pack contains approx. 36 sweets.  Suitable for vegetarians, vegan as far as I can tell.  Each sweet is 20kcal.   Sold in most supermarkets,  petrol stations corner shops.

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

nakd Cocoa Orange Raw Bar

Jul29
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Raw Cocoa Orange Bar

From Nakd a raw snack bar made with Cocoa and Orange flavours.  I have tried a few raw bars and they are not the best food I have tried.  This one is OK,  I am not a fan of the smell, but i have noticed that all the raw bars have a bit of an odd smell to them.    The flavour is as described cocoa and orange, the bar is cold pressed into shape so it is firm but easy to pull apart.  This raw bar is better than most.

Each 35gram bar is Raw, Vegan, 1 of your 5 a day.  Made in Wales.  Per bar is 131kcal.  Sold in health food shops and some supermarkets.

www.eatnakd.com

 

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Production of Vegan Food

Jul28
2011 11 Comments Written by maggie

 Vegan Food Production

I have recently been slightly confused on whether some products are vegan or not.  Some products claim to be vegan but are made in a factory that uses milk, so they say it may contain traces of milk.  And some products have the right ingredients but because they may contain milk traces they say it is not vegan.  Two examples spring to mind.

Example One
Cadburys “Frys Peppermint Cream”,  the ingredients are fine, no dairy, egg or animal ingredients,  but they say it is not suitable for vegans because it is produced in a factory that uses milk in production so it may contain milk traces.

Example Two
Animal Aid Chocolates are Vegan Society Approved but the packaging does say may contain milk traces.

They seem to have the same issue with milk traces,  so are they both vegan or are they not vegan?  Would the Vegan Society Approve of both productions of chocolate?

Of course the only way to be sure is to only buy vegan food that is made in a vegan factory but lets face it, there are not many of those around.

The EU now has regulation that we have to label food for allergy sufferers so if there is any chance of nuts or dairy then they have to tell you on the packaging.

From the Food Standards Agency

The rules for pre-packed foods establish a list of 14 food allergens, which have to be indicated by reference to the source allergen whenever they, or ingredients made from them, are used at any level in pre-packed foods, including alcoholic drinks. The list consists of cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, molluscs, eggs, fish, peanuts, nuts, soybeans, milk, celery, mustard, sesame, lupin and sulphur dioxide at levels above 10mg/kg, or 10 mg/litre, expressed as SO2.

I am not sure how I feel about the possibility of traces of milk in my food,  but I imagine for some it is not acceptable.  But if for example the ingredients say may contain traces of meat, I would run a mile.

Where is the line?

Posted in 1. Observations - Tagged , ,

Organic Sesame Pitta Bread

Jul28
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Pitta Breads

Newbury & Phillips organic mini Seasame Pitta Breads.   A very filling pitta bread,  they say mini but they are not that small.  The flavour is good and the sesame seed is a nice touch.  They are not too doughy, they are fairy fluffy and light but filling.  You can either grill them or microwave.  I like to have mine with home made humous and Redwood Falafel with salads.

Each pack contains 8 pitta’s.  Suitable for vegetarians, vegan as far as I can tell.  Organic, per pitta is 146kcal.  Sold in health food shops.

www.newburyphillips.co.uk

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Vegan Pecan Parfait Chocolate

Jul28
2011 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Animal Aid Chocolate Pecans

These are another little treat from animal aid,   they taste really good. The dark chocolate compliments the pecan truffle inside very well.  They taste really nice, they are great as a gift or for scoffing with friends with a big mug of tea.

From the Animal Aid On line shop, Suitable for Vegans. 120gram boxes. Made in the UK for animal aid. Vegan Society Approved.

I like the variety box I reviewed earlier by animal aid.

www.animalaidshop.org.uk

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,
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