Hi there pals and gals. It’s Tasty Tuesday again. (My how quickly that seems to happen each week!) I hope you have something tasty in store for yourselves this evening! I appreciate everyone’s input about my sweet potato/apple vs. parmesan cauliflower vs. green bean debate yesterday. There was a lot of interest in the sweet potato/ apple casserole but also surprising love for the cauliflower, which made me oh so very happy as I luuurrrve the cauli!

As I sit here, I’m bulking up by enjoying one of my favorite protein packed snacks. I may have posted about these guys before, but today I thought I’d do another battle much like my protein powder face off last month.

This time around? It’s battle of the veggie protein snacks.

In one corner, we have the above mentioned snack: Primal Spirit Foods Meatless Vegan Seitan Jerky:

Pros: Very convenient and portable (individually wrapped), decent protein (10 grams per packet/ serving), great flavor and texture ( I love the chewiness of it, and the sauce its covered in). Vegan, all natural, no preservatives. The Thai Peanut flavor is excellent.

Cons: A little high in sodium (347 mg per serving/ packet), the Hickory smoked and Texas BBQ flavors are not my thing… Can be a bit pricy.

Now, in corner two… we have one of my favorite meatless protein discoveries: Dominex Vegetarian Eggplant Meatballs

Pros: Great texture (I’ve never had a real meatball, but this chews like food, not like tofu…), incredible smell (just ask my family), versatility (plain as a snack, or in pasta or veggie dishes. You could even make a meatball sandwich), high protein (5 “meat”balls have 9 grams of protein. Good source of fiber. Low fat. The kicker? I cannot get enough of the flavor of these.

Cons: Can be pricy, can be hard to find (although getting easier and easier to find around here. I used to only find them in Arizona when I visited my folks, now the tiny coop down the street has them). Sometimes they can get a bit freezer burned because of the packaging.

Who wins? Um…. the eggplant meatballs, just by a tiny bit. Despite the convenience of the jerky, these eggplant balls are delicious, and one of my favorite discoveries. Go try them!

 What’s your favorite vegetarian protein? Tempeh? Tofu? Seitan? Soy proteins or whey protein powders? I’m obviously skipping over obvious more “natural” sources such as beans, nuts eggs, milk products… just to keep things on topic… What should I try?

Meri