Tag: Ethical veganism

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Plantbased Product Review: 22 Days Nutrition + Giveaway

Earlier this summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend BlogFest at IDEA World in Las Vegas. Not only did I meet some of the best fitness bloggers in the country and hang out with some of my Dallas Fitness Ambassador family, I also got schooled on the latest in plantbased protein at the Expo.

Walking the aisles of the exhibition floor, I saw everything from sweet potato-based noodles to Daiya’s yummy desserts. The company that caught my eye was 22 Days Nutrition.

Their premise is that it takes 21 days to create a habit and they want to help everyone get to the 22nd day and achieve a major breakthrough. Founder Marco Borges is a vegan and an exercise physiologist who was constantly searching for a solution for optimum wellness so he formulated the perfect vegan options for folks trying to “transform their lives, bodies and habits.” Plus, Marco was the trainer that helped Beyoncé and Jay-Z when they went on their 22-day vegan journey a couple of years ago.

I thought to myself “If he can help the Queen B, how much of a glow up could I achieve?” I reached out to the 22 Days Nutrition team, eager to try more products after tasting the sample of their protein bar at IDEA World, and they obliged by sending me their vanilla protein powder and several flavors of their protein bar: Chunky Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Salted Caramel, and Fudge Brownie. Below is my review of the powder and bars, which are my own opinion and not influenced by 22 Days Nutrition.

What I Loved

I enjoyed the variety of flavors from the bars, with Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip being my favorite and probably Salted Caramel as my least liked. The PBCC had the perfect balance of salty peanut flavor to the sweet of chocolate. I ended up grabbing bars when I was on the go, running from teaching a class to making a proposal for clients, and it kept me full and energized.

The 22 Days Nutrition Plant Power vanilla powder was one of the tastiest I’ve had. I tried it in a simple form by shaking it into 8 ounces of almond milk and I blended it with a fruit smoothie. Either way, it’s excellent. The powder gave my drinks a nice protein boost and was easy to blend and take with me on the go.

For those who are concerned with getting “enough” protein from plantbased foods, rest assured that 22 Days Nutrition has you covered. The powder has 20 grams of protein per serving from pea protein, and the bars are 15 grams a piece.

What I Didn’t Like

The texture of the Fudge Brownie protein bar didn’t sit well with me at all: chalky and chewy. Interestingly, this didn’t translate to the other flavors.

Tip: don’t leave the caramel bar in a hot vehicle! I learned the hard way (insert sad face).

As with most protein powders, when you’re shaking it together with a liquid – as opposed to blending – a shaker ball is recommended. I do not have one of those so I had to make do with the coil from my tofu press. Bootleg but it worked; three cheers for ingenuity.

Final Thoughts

I would recommend the bars and powder to someone who is struggling with finding enough meals throughout the day or someone who isn’t a big meal planner (raises hand). Flavors were on point and with the advancements in non-soy plantbased protein sources, 22 Days Nutrition is right up there in delivering the goods for those with soy sensitivities/allergies or if you want to keep your soy intake low.

BONUS

22 Days Nutrition is giving one of my excellent readers a 4-pack box of protein bars in my favorite flavor, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. Enter below for your chance to receive yummy protein bars courtesy of the 22 Days Nutrition team.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Must reside within continental United States to qualify. Must be at least 18 years of age to enter. Winners will be selected and verified.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Facebook.

Don’t want to wait on your chance to win? You can find 22 Days Nutrition products at your local Target! I know you already had your next #TargetRun planned, so be sure to put a box of protein bars or a canister of powder in your cart.

I’d love to hear from you about your experience with plantbased protein bars and powder. Have you had 22 Days Nutrition before? Talk to me in the comments!

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Is Vegan Protein That Looks, Smells and Tastes Like Meat Unethical?

The other day, I watched a video from Wired about the Impossible Burger, the plantbased protein patty that looks, smells, cooks and “bleeds” like a beef burger. The science behind the creation of the Impossible Burger is fascinating by itself (you should read the article and watch the video), and we should know as much as possible about the provenance of our food. What got me thinking and raised an eyebrow for me was the intentionality of marketing the Impossible Burger as the “burger that bleeds” even though it’s not made with animal flesh.

To establish some background about my life’s journey to plantbased eating, I grew up eating most meats -beef, chicken, turkey, etc. – and to this day, I will freely admit that bacon is delicious and Popeye’s spicy two-piece would be my last meal if I was on death row. However, one of the reasons I no longer am able to eat meat (with some exceptions) is that I don’t like the look and mouthfeel of meat. I tend to find it greasy/oily and the texture of flesh bothers me. While not all people who eschew meat do so because of animal welfare concerns, I have mixed feelings about such true-to-life formulations of plantbased proteins. Sure, I’ll eat a “nugget” or a black bean patty, but I’ve yet to find a strip, steak or crumble made from plants that authentically presents itself like animal meat. And I prefer that!

Ethics in Vegetarianism

As the Impossible Burger has earned success, raising more than $250 million from investors, and distribution throughout the country at restaurants and grocery stores, questions have been raised both about the ingredients and the ethicality of life-like meat substitutes. Impossible Foods, the maker of the Impossible Burger, bases the meat-like nature of the Burger on heme, which gives ground beef its color and metallic iron taste. The ingredient soy leghemglobin, derived from the root of soybeans, does this for the Impossible Burger. However, the FDA has not approved the compounds as safe or unsafe for consumption, which concerns some food safety advocates.

In addition to the ingredient safety concern, some strict vegans question the need for plantbased protein that recreates the smell, taste and texture of the very animals they’re trying to save from slaughter. For advocates of the Impossible Burger, this is a ploy to get more carnivores to consider the products as an alternative to their usual beef or turkey burger. Others cite a need for a diversity of protein sources, which, with the advent of technology and genetic modification of plants, is becoming much easier than in years past.

My Experience with “Bleeding” Burgers

Over the Labor Day weekend, I got the chance to try another “bleeding” plantbased burger: The Beyond Burger from Beyond Meat. I missed the chance to have it straight off the grill at the cookout so I had to pan-sear it a skillet at home. To my surprise, the Beyond Burger was the single best veggie burger I’ve had, and I’ve tried a lot of cardboard, bean-filled veggie patties. Seriously, I am bringing these to every cookout I’m invited to from here on out.

Make room on the grill!

While the faux bleeding of the burger didn’t initially register with me – Beyond Burgers use beet juice to replicate the effect – it wasn’t until I listened to the description of the complex science behind the Impossible Burger that I began to question my desire to eat burgers that look like meat.

Verdict: Live and Let Live

I say if approximating meat brings more people into the concept of going from #MeatlessMonday to meat-free every day, I’m here for it. As long as we can keep the needle moving downward for the number of animals killed annually for our consumption, I’m here for it. You may never see me in a PETA advertisement, slathered in fake blood, but I will support “radical” methods if that’s how someone wants to characterize The Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger.

Next up for me: trying the Impossible Burger at Hopdoddy Burger Bar!

Share with Me!

What do you think? Are you comfortable with such lifelike veggie burgers, or do you think that plantbased diets should not include meat-like substitutes? Also, have you tried the Impossible Burger or the Beyond Burger? If so, tell me about your experience.