We tried Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Chick'n Nuggets! Here's what we thought of the new vegan chicken nuggets from Gardein.
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Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Chick'n Nuggets review
Don't confuse Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Chick'n Nuggets with the company's Chickenless Tenders or their regular nuggets. The Ultimates are smaller but fatter than Gardein's vegan tenders and their other line of nuggets.
Dave felt like calling them "ultimate" when they were smaller was the wrong move, but I thought that was meant to refer to the texture rather than the size.
And wow, what a texture!
The breading was nice and light, so the meaty texture inside really shone through. I was so struck by the texture of these that I ran into the kitchen to take a poorly-lit bite shot, so you could see for yourself.
These nuggets have the piecey striations that I remember in animal-based chicken. They were lovely as-is, and I liked them even more dipped in BBQ sauce.
Dave agreed that the taste and texture were good, but I can't stress enough how hung up he was on the word ultimate in their branding. He didn't find it quite as meaty as I did, though.
Overall, we both thought that these were very good and would buy them again!
What are they made from?
The bulk of the Gardein Ultimate nuggets are made from a combination of soy and pea protein and wheat gluten.
Here's the full ingredients list:
Water, Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vital Wheat Gluten, Canola Oil, Soy Protein Isolate, Pea Protein Concentrate, Tapioca Starch, 2% Or Less Of: Degerminated Yellow Corn Flour, Textured Wheat Protein (Wheat Gluten, Wheat Starch), Methylcellulose, Salt, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavors, Garlic Powder, Spices, Onion Powder, Dried Onion, Fructose, Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Paprika Extractives (Color), Pea Protein, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide (Color), Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Sunflower Oil.
A lot of people want to know whether these nuggets are healthy. I'm not a nutritionist, but I can share the nutritional information from the package, so you can make your own decision.
A serving of these nuggets contains:
- 190 calories
- 8 grams of fat
- 580 mg of sodium (25% daily value)
- 14 grams of protein
- 2.2 mg of iron (10% daily value)
More vegan chicken to try
If you like vegan chicken, there are so many out there to try! We've reviewed Nuggs, VFC Chicken, Beyond Chicken Tenders, and Morningstar Buffalo Wings on the pod.
Gardein also makes Chickenless Tenders and another variety of nuggets, though I don't recommend their other nuggets. We don't care for them. You might also like the vegan chicken nuggets from Jack & Annie's.
Or, if you prefer to make your own, try my tofu chicken nuggets or my buffalo tofu wings.
Where to listen
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