Q's Nuts

I am always looking for good vegan snacks that are tasty, not to bad for you, and easy to pack for day trips, hikes, and road trips. One would think that nuts (if you don't have an allergy) would be optimal. And, often they are. I honestly like all kinds of nuts and I like them plain, salted, or seasoned in some fun ways. Mostly they are candy coated or honey roasted. Neither are great vegan options as the candy coating is often not even vegetarian. So, I was most pleasantly surprised by a care package from CurleyKate while I'm away from home for several months. CurleyKate is trying to lure me to New England and she is tempting me with ALL kinds of vegan finds. She found these at a local weekend market and sent me a big box to sample and share with my friends at work. All flavors are vegan. All are tasty. None are boring. 

Serving size in an ounce and there are 3 ounces per small package. The small packages aren't resealable, so you know what that means ... I eat all three servings at once. And, nuts are not low calorie themselves. For the sweet varieties, I'm looking at about 150 calories per serving. The savory flavors are not coated, but dusted with amazing combinations, lemongrass, sage, etc. They are probably my favorites. The sweet flavors are all coated and the combinations are incredible ...unique. The chocolate flavors do taste like hot cocoa. And who doesn't like bananas? Winter solstice has ginger and also seems to have a little orange or cranberry. The ginger almost makes it seem piney. The almonds seem to be Marconi almonds so they are smooth and have a perfect crunch.

Much to the chagrin of CurleyKate, I can order these on-line at www.qsnuts.com so I can get them without living in New England. When I visit and if I move there, I can also shop to my heart (and tummy's) delight at their new store on Hanover Street in Boston. My biggest problem will be decision making. They are all soooo good.

Primal Strips Vegan Jerky

I had not started a quest looking for vegan jerky options until I discovered Primal Strips at a restaurant. I remember liking the chewy texture and the flavors. Individually wrapped, they are actually rather (can I say it?) ... moist. So, on my search for jerky, I discovered they have 6 flavors and I tried a sample pack. These pack pretty small and conveniently into a day pack or handbag. But, once opened, you have to eat the entire package. No slow graze snacking. 

 There are 6 flavor varieties of 3 types of protein. The calorie content ranges from about 60 to about 100 and the protein content ranges form 6 to 11. The higher calorie and lower protein varieties are made of Shitake mushrooms.

Flavors include:

Shitake Mushroom Hot & Spicy, which has the most uniform appearance. The texture is most "meaty" in my opinion and the flavor and texture remind me of a Slim Jim

Seitan Teriyaki, Thai  Peanut, and Mesquite Lime.  All of these are good. The Teriyaki is probably the sweetest. The others are also flavorful. I don't notice a lot of peanut flavor in the Thai Peanut and not a lot of smokey flavor that I would expect in Mesquite Lime.

Soy Texas Barbecue and Hickory Smoked. The Texas Barbecue is probably the sweetest flavor of all of the strips. I don't really notice a smokey flavor in Hickory Smoked either. But, I don't have the most sensitive palate.

The textures of the Seitan and the Soy seems very similar to me. It's chewy, tough, stringy. I don't mind tough and chewy, because that's what I like about jerky. The moistness of the strips makes them seem less "jerky-like" to me.

Honestly, when grabbing one for a pack, I'm not picky ... I just reach blindly because I know I will be satisfied with any of them. They are a bit simpler to think about putting in a pack than my favorite vegan jerky because they are small and compact. But, I can't nibble a little here and there to have tiny bites throughout the day because the packaging is such that open is open. My overall take, these are convenient and handy to have around. I don't have any real negatives and I will buy again, but they wouldn't necessarily be my first choice of vegan jerky.

Stonewalls' Vegan Jerquee

I like Jerky. I like it for hikes. So, since choosing a plant-based lifestyle I haven't had much in the way of jerky options. I've been on a hunt for good jerky for carrying with me for hikes or road trips. I have found some good ones. And, I have found some I didn't really care for. This is one of them. I don't like to be negative, so I'll be brief. I ordered Stonewall's Vegan Jerkquee sampler packet of 9 flavors. Each packet was 1.5 ounces, single serving. The base of all the Jerquee is defatted soy flour. I admit, it doesn't sound yummy, but what the heck. Packets ranged from 150-165 calories and 12-14 grams of protein. Not too shabby.  

 When I opened the packages, the Jerquee looked like this. The first thought that comes to my mind was dog treats. Depending on the flavor, the color was darker or lighter. "Beefy" flavors were dark brown and "chicken" flavors were beige. The problem when I took a bite, is that the texture and the flavor also reminded me of dog treats. The flavors were minimally different among the ones I tried ... a little spicier, a little tangier, a little saltier ... but mostly the same.

And, then the texture. Just felt like a dried kitchen sponge to me. Chewy, spongey. I am not a foodie. I do not have a sophisticated palate. I just know what I like and what I don't like. Texture is a rare thing for me to have issue with, so it's hard for me to describe. But, if dog treat isn't what comes to mind, sort of sour kitchen sponge would be my next descriptor. 

I honestly tried to give each flavor a shot, but eventually, I just found myself throwing away several packages. I just couldn't do it. I won't buy these again.