In case you have never heard of Canaan Foods (I hadn't), they are a company headquartered in Florida providing organic, vegan and vegetarian foods made in Spain to stores and consumers in North America. They specialize in peanut-based products that are gluten free, dairy free, egg free and kosher.
Their products include Veggie Rolls, Vegan Pates and Veggie Cutlets. They sent me several products to test out and provide feedback on, so we're going to get started with their Veggie Rolls for this product review.
Since we are in the middle of remodeling our house, and my kitchen currently looks like this...
Their products include Veggie Rolls, Vegan Pates and Veggie Cutlets. They sent me several products to test out and provide feedback on, so we're going to get started with their Veggie Rolls for this product review.
Since we are in the middle of remodeling our house, and my kitchen currently looks like this...
...I'm going to hold off on the product reviews for the pates and cutlets until I can actually cook real meals and try them in some of the recommended recipes.
So let's talk Veggie Rolls...
So let's talk Veggie Rolls...
Avocado Sandwich with Tomato Veggie Roll from the Canaan Foods website: www.toeatwell.com
Let's start with some of the things that make these veggie rolls a little bit of vegan goodness:
Pretty awesome, right?
That's why I was so excited to give these a try when the company sent me one of each of their veggie rolls to test out and provide feedback.
As I've mentioned in previous posts, V and I tend to spend a lot of time on the road, and it can be difficult to find decent vegan food in a pinch when we are in unfamiliar territory. So I was particularly interested in the part about these veggie rolls having a 15-month shelf life and that they don't require refrigeration until they have been opened. Perfect vegan road trip food, right?
Plus, we are currently residing above my parent's garage in a game room that has a sink, microwave and fridge -- but no stove and such -- so foods that don't require cooking are a big bonus until I can get my kitchen back.
The veggie rolls come in four flavors: Fine Herbs, Tomato, Mushroom and Mediterranean.
When they first arrived, I held one of these tube-like packages in my hand and, having never encountered a vegan food product quite like this, I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it. Thankfully, they had included a few recipe cards in the package, so I quickly figured out that it was a ready-to-eat product that could be added to all sorts of dishes, including sandwiches, salads, pastas, soups and other veggie dishes.
- USDA-Certified Organic
- Kosher-PARVE
- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free
- Soy Free
- No Trans Fat
- No Artificial Flavors
- No Preservatives
- Vegan
- No Added Sugar (except the Organic Mediterranean Veggie Roll, which has glucose syrup)
- 15-Month Shelf Life
- Ready to Eat
- Good Source of Niacin (10-15% of RDA)
Pretty awesome, right?
That's why I was so excited to give these a try when the company sent me one of each of their veggie rolls to test out and provide feedback.
As I've mentioned in previous posts, V and I tend to spend a lot of time on the road, and it can be difficult to find decent vegan food in a pinch when we are in unfamiliar territory. So I was particularly interested in the part about these veggie rolls having a 15-month shelf life and that they don't require refrigeration until they have been opened. Perfect vegan road trip food, right?
Plus, we are currently residing above my parent's garage in a game room that has a sink, microwave and fridge -- but no stove and such -- so foods that don't require cooking are a big bonus until I can get my kitchen back.
The veggie rolls come in four flavors: Fine Herbs, Tomato, Mushroom and Mediterranean.
When they first arrived, I held one of these tube-like packages in my hand and, having never encountered a vegan food product quite like this, I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it. Thankfully, they had included a few recipe cards in the package, so I quickly figured out that it was a ready-to-eat product that could be added to all sorts of dishes, including sandwiches, salads, pastas, soups and other veggie dishes.
Fine Herbs Veggie Roll Lentil Soup from the Canaan Foods recipe page at www.toeatwell.com.
I started out with the Mushroom Veggie Roll, which has a bit of a peanut-y taste. I have to say -- I didn't love this one because of the peanut-y flavor and was a bit concerned that peanut-based products might not be for me.
However, I'm always searching for good protein sources that are gluten free and soy free, so I was motivated to continue the veggie roll experiment. The mushroom roll was certainly edible, it just wasn't my fave, but throwing it on a cracker with some mustard made it an easy, convenient snack that I could quickly put together during breaks between writing articles.
Next up was the Fine Herbs Veggie Roll, which renewed my faith in the possibility of regularly including peanut-based protein sources in my diet. This one has a light flavor that would make it a good choice for recipes in which you want to add some protein without significantly changing the flavor of the overall dish. They have a recipe for Fine Herbs Veggie Roll Lentil Soup on their site, which I'm excited to try once I get my hands on some more of this.
Moving on to the Tomato Veggie Roll -- which I found particularly appealing due to its super-short ingredient list -- I was pretty excited about adding seven grams of protein and 390mg of potassium to my simple crackers-and-vegan-cheese lunch I had planned on one of my busier days.
I also tried this one on whole wheat bread with hummus and Daiya's havarti-style cheese, which was quite delish.
The final flavor, the Mediterranean Veggie Roll, is slightly less healthy than the others (in my opinion), since it has sunflower oil and glucose syrup, but it still comes in at just two grams of sugar and a comparable amount of fat to the other flavors. I can't decide which is my fave between the Mediterranean and the tomato, but I think most folks will find one of these flavors the most appealing. This one was particularly good with Follow Your Heart Cream Cheese or hummus on a bagel, but I can definitely see using this in a salad or pasta dish. I need my darn kitchen back!
However, I'm always searching for good protein sources that are gluten free and soy free, so I was motivated to continue the veggie roll experiment. The mushroom roll was certainly edible, it just wasn't my fave, but throwing it on a cracker with some mustard made it an easy, convenient snack that I could quickly put together during breaks between writing articles.
Next up was the Fine Herbs Veggie Roll, which renewed my faith in the possibility of regularly including peanut-based protein sources in my diet. This one has a light flavor that would make it a good choice for recipes in which you want to add some protein without significantly changing the flavor of the overall dish. They have a recipe for Fine Herbs Veggie Roll Lentil Soup on their site, which I'm excited to try once I get my hands on some more of this.
Moving on to the Tomato Veggie Roll -- which I found particularly appealing due to its super-short ingredient list -- I was pretty excited about adding seven grams of protein and 390mg of potassium to my simple crackers-and-vegan-cheese lunch I had planned on one of my busier days.
I also tried this one on whole wheat bread with hummus and Daiya's havarti-style cheese, which was quite delish.
The final flavor, the Mediterranean Veggie Roll, is slightly less healthy than the others (in my opinion), since it has sunflower oil and glucose syrup, but it still comes in at just two grams of sugar and a comparable amount of fat to the other flavors. I can't decide which is my fave between the Mediterranean and the tomato, but I think most folks will find one of these flavors the most appealing. This one was particularly good with Follow Your Heart Cream Cheese or hummus on a bagel, but I can definitely see using this in a salad or pasta dish. I need my darn kitchen back!
Stuffed Tomatoes with Mediterranean Veggie Roll & Peppercorn Pate from Canaan Foods recipe page at www.toeatwell.com.
So, here's the bottom line...
I didn't love the mushroom roll, but I would definitely buy the Mediterranean, tomato or fine herbs rolls to have on hand in the pantry. These veggie rolls are perfect for whipping up quick meals with a bit of added protein, fiber and other nutrients, and I particularly like that they are gluten free and soy free.
At the time of this writing, these rolls were available for $6.50 at www.toeatwell.com, which I think is a good price for an organic food product with this type of versatility.
In my opinion, one of the strongest selling points for these veggie rolls is that they are an organic, healthier option that doesn't require refrigeration until they are opened and has an awesome shelf life. This makes them so convenient for road trips, college dorm rooms, backpacking, camping, stashing in a drawer at work or throwing together a quick picnic.
For folks who don't love to cook but try to keep healthier foods on hand, these veggie rolls are perfect for just chopping up to add to a salad or an easy pasta dish.
I definitely recommend going to the Canaan Foods website to check out their recipe page for ideas on how to use their veggie rolls in all sorts of dishes.
You can purchase these veggie rolls at the Canaan Foods website (www.toeatwell.com), Vegan Essentials, Pangea and Amazon.com.
Keep an eye out for product reviews of more Canaan Foods vegan foods once we get moved in and I can get back to some good, old-fashioned vegan cooking!
In the meantime, you can read more vegan product reviews here.
I didn't love the mushroom roll, but I would definitely buy the Mediterranean, tomato or fine herbs rolls to have on hand in the pantry. These veggie rolls are perfect for whipping up quick meals with a bit of added protein, fiber and other nutrients, and I particularly like that they are gluten free and soy free.
At the time of this writing, these rolls were available for $6.50 at www.toeatwell.com, which I think is a good price for an organic food product with this type of versatility.
In my opinion, one of the strongest selling points for these veggie rolls is that they are an organic, healthier option that doesn't require refrigeration until they are opened and has an awesome shelf life. This makes them so convenient for road trips, college dorm rooms, backpacking, camping, stashing in a drawer at work or throwing together a quick picnic.
For folks who don't love to cook but try to keep healthier foods on hand, these veggie rolls are perfect for just chopping up to add to a salad or an easy pasta dish.
I definitely recommend going to the Canaan Foods website to check out their recipe page for ideas on how to use their veggie rolls in all sorts of dishes.
You can purchase these veggie rolls at the Canaan Foods website (www.toeatwell.com), Vegan Essentials, Pangea and Amazon.com.
Keep an eye out for product reviews of more Canaan Foods vegan foods once we get moved in and I can get back to some good, old-fashioned vegan cooking!
In the meantime, you can read more vegan product reviews here.
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