Morningstar Farms Meatless Mondays

I was asked to try out Morningstar Farms products for Bzz Agent. I was a little surprised that they chose me, because I am first, and foremost, a carnivore. I've always loved meat and I have a rather unique need for it: I had a specific type of weight loss surgery (Duodenal switch) that requires very large amounts of protein. If I eat carbs, I get sick. If I eat protein, I'm fine. So, I must say I approached this with:

Hahaha. Anyway, yes, I decided to try it and see how it went. I do like to make sure my daughter eats healthy food, and whereas I can eat a very protein-rich, high fat diet, she shouldn't. We all need everything in moderation. I do keep chicken nuggets on hand for quick snacks, quick meals, etc. My 9 year old likes them and my 27 year old will steal them from her. Changing to a meatless variety sounded like a challenge.

So, I took my coupon for a free trial of any Morningstar Farms meatless product and picked up something I thought my daughter would be willing to try: chicken nuggets. Well, actually, they're Chik'n Nuggets. I know many people will probably try the burgers, but Haley has always been a chicken fan, and I wanted her opinion on these. It was a good night for me to try this because my husband and I were both a bit late coming home from work, Haley had cheerleading practice, we had a friend coming for the night because her heat was broken, and we had our usual chores. Quick and easy sounded very good to me!

I used the oven, rather than the microwave, since it was the preferred method. The first thing I noticed was that they did have the aroma of actual chicken nuggets. My husband came downstairs and said "you're making chicken nuggets for Haley?" I showed him the package, he was surprised. He then ran out to walk the dog.

There were 14 nuggets in the box, which I felt was a small number for the price. The retail on this was 4.99, which is what it was at Jack's Foodtown in Caldwell. I sat Haley down, asked her how many she wanted. She wrinkled her nose and said "two." Uh, two? You're 9, you usually eat 6.  "Not sure if I'll like them."  OK, so, I give her two.

Well, she definitely liked them! Haley said "they really do taste like chicken, can I have more?"  I give her another 4, so now she has 6. She asks for another two after that, and tells me she likes them because they are crispy, they taste good, they aren't too spicy, and she's happy.

A serving size is listed as 4 nuggets, which might satisfy the average toddler, but not a larger child and certainly not an adult.  The nutritional information is 190 calories for 4 nuggets, 19 carbs, 12 gr of  protein & 9 gr of fat.  2.5gr is monosaturated fat and 1.5gr saturated fat per serving. I think that's kind of high for a vegetarian offering, but it explains why it tastes/smells so good. There is 600mg of sodium, so that's something to keep in mind if you're on a low sodium diet. You have to double these numbers for Haley's intake since she had 8 nuggets, and that's a bit troubling. I am also surprised that Morningstar Farms is saying it's half the fat in regular chicken nuggets. I don't know what nuggets they buy, but I get Perdue. The serving size is 5 nuggets, and it is listed as 9 grams of fat. 2 grams saturated. The sodium is lower (480 mg for 5 as opposed to 600 for 4) and there's 14 grams of protein.

My friend Linda arrived, and although she was going to have some leftover chicken parm from Sunday's dinner, she saw the nuggets. I told her about how we were trying them. She's dating a vegetarian and is very familiar with other Morningstar Farms products, but had never tried the nuggets. She had one, and liked it, and said she'd buy them for when her boyfriend is visiting. I figured I'd better try them, since I'm the one who is conducting this taste test.

My impressions: Haley is right. They are good, they do taste like chicken nuggets.

So, I had 2, Linda had 2, the husband had 2, and Haley had 8. None left over.

Later on, I had problems. The high gluten content set me off, and I had horrendous gas. Due to my rerouted anatomy, this is not going to be a product for me. I do eat soy (love tofu and order it frequently) so I'm guessing it was the wheat gluten in here that did me in.

Pros; Quick, easy, good for someone who wants to go meatless, tastes goo, Kosher dairy for those who are observant.

Cons: More expensive than chicken nuggets, higher fat & sodium count than my regular chicken nuggets, contains allergens: soy, wheat, egg, milk and a ton of gluten. If you're trying to stay away from gluten, these are definitely not for you. They're not vegan, either, if that is a concern.

Would I go out of my way to buy it again? No, but if my daughter wants them, I will. I think it's good for people who are trying to stick to a vegetarian lifestyle, but it's not an essential purchase for me. I do like the idea of going meatless on Mondays and we'll have to try some other Morningstar Farms products, like the burgers, to see how they stack up.