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Limited Options - Part 5 of the "I hate being trendy series"

     I'm done with this series after this.   I'm still trying to eat more plant based items and I do have a few more products stored in the fridge and freezer, but I find that I'm limited on what's available to me here in the country.   The only supermarket that sells vegan/vegetarian items near me regularly is Aldi's and the selection varies week to week. 

    While I enjoy Aldi's items I really don't want this series to turn into just being about the products of one store.   That being said, I've been able to find items from Beyond Meat, Impossible foods, the Jackfruit Company,  and other products at other stores, but not on a regular basis.

    So I'm trying to eat healthier and plant based where ever and when ever I can.   It's simply a matter of being able to do what I can do and when I can do it, for example the other night I stopped at Burger King and ordered their impossible burger not because I wanted it so much as it was the only choice I had.


    Last November, I picked up Aldi's Meatless Turkey Breast for under $5.00 US and it got pushed to the back of the freezer till I found it while on a arctic exploration.  The box stated that their were two" breasts per box and offered a few ways to cook them; including pan frying, the microwave and in the oven.  I "oven roasted" the turkey.

    Now that being said, there is no gravy included so other side dishes would fill out this item nicely.  It also cooks quickly in that it only took 10 minutes or so to make.  The "breast" itself is rather thin and is coated with a "breading"which sort of reminded me more of a fish fillet rather than a turkey breast.

    Taste wise it's not that bad, it's not "turkey" and frankly it is not even a close approximation to turkey.   I also found it a bit dry.   Of course, some gravy would of helped.  They also held up well as I ate them.   There were no "mushy" bits.

    Honestly with some potato's and stuffing, I think this wouldn't be bad at all.   In fact, I think I could eat this on Thanksgiving or Christmas and be perfectly happy with that choice.  Maybe a little more herb, a little more spice would only help the flavor.

    One "breast" piece was enough to satisfy me and the second piece would be enough to serve as "leftovers" for a sandwich the next day. 


    I actually liked the taste, it's tofu...make no mistake about that and it reminded me of chicken more than turkey...but I actually liked this product a lot.  Hell, I be happy to buy this product anytime and cut it up with some Bombay Potato's and make a burrito out of it!

    That being said, the nutritional part of this equation is a mixed bag.   Again, we are talking about a highly processed food and those tend to be high in salt.  In this case that's 510 milligrams, or about 22% of our recommend daily intake of Sodium.  It's still not bad but generally speaking anything below 20% is considered "healthy"

    With 4 grams of saturated fat (or bad fat) it's not a serious issue, but that makes up 19% of your recommend daily intake.   Since saturated fats can lead to heart disease, this is a bit of a concern.  There is zero trans fat.

    One "breast" however does have 13 grams of protein so that's wonderful.  It's also high in Iron and contains no trans fats or cholesterol.  So comparing this to the nutritional value of an actual turkey, it holds up pretty well but without some of the environmental and ethical issues that surround eating meat.

    The question becomes...would I have this again?   Yes, Yes I would. I can't think of a better way to end the series (for now) than on a high point. 

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Location: Stoneboro, PA 16153, USA

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