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Vegan ginger chicken from the Vegetarian Plus line. It looks like the real thing and tastes even better, because the dishes are perfectly seasoned. Photo courtesy Vegetarian Plus.
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| WHAT IT IS: A line of delicious vegan (animal-free) frozen entrées. |
| WHY IT’S DIFFERENT: The seasonings are so perfect that these entrées are better than comparable recipes made with real meat. |
WHY WE LOVE IT: A delicious way to go vegan one or more days a week and help save the planet. |
| WHERE TO BUY IT: In natural products stores nationwide. Phone 1.888.772.8343 for the store nearest you. Website: VegeUSA.com. |
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Vegetarian Plus: Gourmet Vegan
CAPSULE REPORT: Even if you’re an ardent carnivore, you can help save the planet by eating vegan* one day a week. The good news is that with Vegetarian Plus frozen “international” meals, you won’t miss the meat.
*Pronounced VEE-gin with a hard “g”.
If you have a negative image of vegan food,† forget about it! Today, absolutely delicious products and prepared meals are available that taste just like meat.
†Vegans refrain from eating any animal products—not only meat, but also dairy and other animal products such as honey. Many vegans do this for compassionate reasons, not wanting to kill or burden animals. Others do it for environmental reasons.
Millions of Americans are taking steps to eat healthier and more conscientiously, via sustainable foods. (Last month, Oprah and 378 staffers went vegan for a week. Check it out.).
- Vegan foods fit the bill. Plant-based foods are much healthier than animal-based foods. They have no cholesterol, for starters, and have more fiber.
- Plant-based foods are gentler on the planet. The animals required to produce meat, dairy and eggs create the single largest amount of greenhouse gas—more than burning fuel emissions—which in turn produces climate change.
Vegetarian Plus
We were more than impressed with our sampling of the international recipes from the Vegetarian Plus line of frozen foods (produced by Vege USA). They’re a definite winner in the search for the best frozen meals in any category: meat, meatless or completely animal-free.
We loved every variety we tried, savoring the spicy flavors of China and India in Vegan Kung Pao Chicken, Vegan Ginger Chicken, Vegan Orange Chicken, Vegan Lamb Vindaloo and Vegan Chicken Tikka Masala. The seasonings are just about perfect and the recipes rock.
You could feed these dishes to your family and friends and they might not notice that the “meat” isn’t real. It’s made from soybean and wheat protein, and is spongier in texture than real meat. But that’s not a bad thing: This vegan meat is delicious and much more enjoyable to chew, we opine, than real meat.
Any of these entrées is easily completed with a bed of rice and a side salad or other veggies. Vegetarian Plus products are all-natural and cholesterol-free.
Try it—you’ll like it. And if not, we’ll come over and finish your dinner. Join us on the the next page for more, including vegan celebrities. Before you click away, take a peek at the article index below.
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