Dr. Weil Bars by Nature's Path

Nature's Path

Taste: ***
Price: *
Nutrition:**

EXPENSIVE. But, damn tasty. I've been trying a lot of date bars for these blog posts and didn't expect anything new from Dr. Weil. However, the flavor of the Pistachi-Oh! bar was very different and delicious. Nutritional content varies somewhat from flavor to flavor, but for the most part the vitamins and minerals included are limited by simplicity of ingredients. I wish they didn't cost so much!

LUNA Tea Cakes

http://www.lunabar.com/teacakes/

Taste: *
Price: ***
Nutrition: ***

Cliff bar does make a soy-free product, apparently. I tried the orange blossom flavor and wasn't pleased by the taste, but I asked a friend to try and they liked it a lot so maybe I'm just being picky. Some protein and lots of vitamins. Also, infused with tea and well priced. Not a bad option if the flavor suits you.

Snack Bars

Formerly, Cliff Bars were a staple of my life. But, like most vegan snack/meal bars, they are loaded with soy. This has been one of my biggest frustrations--I've read so many freakin labels, covered aisles worth of different bars, and haven't really found one yet that can hold up to the soy-based bars in terms of nutrition, taste, and economy. The quest has begun.

Here, I start a list of my findings. I will rate each bar according to taste, price, and nutrition by a three star system, one being the worst and three being the best.

LARABAR

Taste: ***
Price: **
Nutrition: **

They are tasty and attractively simplistic. All bars are date based and have some kind of nut in them (cashew, walnut). The ingredient lists are so short! No added sugar besides the fruit and creative flavors (cashew cookie, lemon bar...) keep things interesting. That said, dates are not everyone's thing, and these bars are too sugary for me sometimes. Also, nuts are fatty so if you're watching your waistline, the LARABAR probably isn't for you. Falls short in nutritional extras like vitamins--the trade-off for simple ingredients. Overall, one of my favorites.

EDIT: Walnuts are a great source of Omega 3's and many LARABAR flavors contain walnuts. I was wrong to generalize that the bars are low in Omega 3's!

Chickpea Miso Soy Sauce Susbstitute

Finally, I found a good substitute for soy sauce. South River Miso offers a few soy-free miso products that resemble the taste of soy sauce. I just got the chickpea barley miso and its pretty tasty, surprisingly close to its soy based cousin. Turn it into a sauce with a bit of water, or just smear it on vegetables, sushi, etc. Definitely expensive (I paid $11 for my jar!) but I figure it will last awhile since the flavor is potent.

Wooo!

Macaroni and chReese

...also known as Mac & Chreese, is a staple of my diet. Its a soy free, vegan macaroni and cheese alternative that's actually pretty tasty, if you make it right. It's nutritional yeast and flour based, so Mac & Chreese is fairly healthy as well. Its sold in typical macaroni and cheese package format, but to save money I buy the chreese product in bulk. I always make it with whole wheat pasta, or this high protein 7-grain pasta.

To prepare, I generally follow the instructions. I'd advise adding a swig of good olive oil and extra milk product to make it creamier, a more realistic macaroni and cheese texture. I prefer almond milk, but rice milk works as well. Be aware that these milk products are very sweet, and this will affect the taste of the mac & chreese. Add salt, garlic, and/or more chreese powder to compensate if it gets too sweet. Try both the mozzarella and the cheddar!

Meat substitutes

A couple of high-protein, soy free vegan meat options.

Amy's breakfast patties taste a lot like smart bacon to me. They get a little gross and chewy around the edges if they're overcooked at all, but otherwise Amy's kitchen delivers. Check out the California burger on the same page, also soy free though I've never tried them.

Sunshine burgers are sunflower-seed based and have a very unique flavor. They're fatty, but the flavor is fairly light and appetizing. Doesn't taste quite like any other burger I've tried.

Quinoa

One of my favorite foods lately is quinoa. It's a grain, but unlike most grains it contains all of the essential amino acids. In other words, its a great source of protein! Quinoa is also a significant source of potassium, iron, magnesium, and calcium. Plus, its suitable for both soy and gluten-free diets. It's found in cold and hot cereals, as a raw grain, and in some more unusual products. Here are some that I have tried:

quinoa smoothie I tried the pina coloda, pretty tasty

Quinoa Corp. They offer many quinoa products. I recommend the Quinoa Flakes as hot cereal with a bit of rice milk, cinnamon and brown sugar.

Plain quinoa can be a protein-rich substitute for rice. I've had it in soup and its quite delicious.

Yogurt

Found rice yogurt in Manchvegas the other day.

I've tried the vanilla. Its a bit watery and curdley, not quite as thick as soy yogurt. Not as appealing as soy yogurt and its more expensive, but hey its something.

Plus it has all those loverly good bacteria in it, and would probably be as good of an egg replacer as soy yogurt. 1/4 cup=1 egg