Product Reviews: Almond Non-Dairy Yogurt and Seitan Piccata

After recently trying So Delicious' Coconut Yogurt, I was curious to see if I'd be able to find another vegan yogurt I liked better.  So, when I saw that our local market had Almond Dream Mixed Berry Yogurt, I decided to give it a shot.

Boy, was that the right decision.  I really liked this product.  The texture was thicker and creamier than the So Delicious one, and it had a pleasant berry flavor.  Also, the list of ingredients are a little more palatable on the Almond Dream product, with less artificial ingredients.  I will definitely be trying the other flavors!


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One day, I'd love to go to the Candle Cafe in New York City.  I read about it in Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet, and the food sounds delectable.  Needless to say, I was intrigued when I spotted Candle Cafe vegan entrees in the Whole Foods Frozen Foods section.  I decided to try two of them, the Seitan Piccata with Lemon Caper Sauce and the Vegan Macaroni & Cheese.

The Candle Cafe meals are almost all certified organic (the mac and cheese being an exception), non-dairy and non-GMO.  In addition to the two I bought, there's also a Tofu Spinach Ravioli and a Ginger Miso Stir-Fry.

Since I'm getting ready to head to a conference on Friday, I don't have a lot of me-friendly food in the fridge right now.  So, I decided to try the Seitan Piccata.  It was a mixed bag for me.  Now, I'm familiar with food styling, but I was surprised how little seitan there was in the dish compared to the picture on the box.  Also, I should have heeded the package directions and stirred the meal midway through cooking, because the sauce wasn't really evenly distributed.  Occasionally, I would get a huge hit of lemon.  I will say that I liked the texture of the spinach and rice blend.  Though there is a small amount of soy in this, I'm passed the window for an allergic reaction at this point, which means it was a small enough amount to be tolerable, or that my theory that I can tolerate non-GMO soy is correct (we'll be testing that theory soon!).

From a nutrition standpoint, we also have a mixed result.  We've got 12 grams of protein, which is good.  However, we also have 920 mg of sodium, which is 38% of the DV.  Now, when you consider the DV is based on a 2,000 calorie diet, and that some experts are saying that the previous 2,400 mg daily value is too high, that's a big sodium hit.  Sure, I know that processed foods are going to have a higher sodium level than home cooking.  But still - ouch.

Also,  after a pretty vigorous yoga class tonight (lots of core work and balancing!), a 210 calorie meal isn't really enough to satisfy me.  So, I'm off to forage in the fridge to supplement it.

Snack Review: So Delicious Coconut Blueberry Yogurt

When I was a little kid, I was a big fan of Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt.  My favorite flavors were dutch apple and blueberry.  As I became more health conscious, I got into the Fage Greek Yogurts, specifically the ones that came with a little side of fruit puree that you could combine into the yogurt cup.

Since I've been back to going dairy-free, I haven't really been craving yogurt.  But, I was intrigued by So Delicious' Coconut Yogurts.  Today, as my pre-yoga snack, I had the blueberry flavor.  It doesn't have the "fruit on the bottom" type texture that I liked in my yogurt, and it was not as thick as I was expecting.  I did like the flavor - you could definitely taste the blueberry and I caught a hint of coconut.  My co-worker noted that it smelled delicious as well.

From an ingredient standpoint, it has some positives and some things that may give you some pause.  On the positive side, it's fortified with B-12 (30%) and also isn't a bad source of calcium (15%).  It also has active and live cultures, just like your typical dairy yogurt. Plus, there's even 3 grams of fiber in there!  However, if you're a "clean" eater or wary of additives, the ingredients may read like a chemistry experiment.  That being said, if you aren't eating a traditional dairy yogurt for ethical reasons, or if you're having trouble tolerating dairy, I think this is fine as an occasional substitute.

Tonight, my fellow yogini and food blogger, Valerie, posted a review of So Delicious' Greek Style Almond Yogurt.  She raved about it, and I look forward to checking it out!