Hilary’s Ranch Chia Dressing

The longer I am vegan, the more I see items popping up to mimic my old nonvegan favorites. It is a great time to be vegan! I am a fan of Hilary’s products and was excited to try this product. It was so thick, that it would not come out of the bottle. I had to take a knife to it to get it out of the bottle. With a skinny neck, it was hard to get to the contents that were down below where my knife could reach. I had to thin the product out with plant based milk. I was conflicted in rating this product. My husband and I did not like it, but my son did. It did not taste like ranch to us, it was very vinegary and the chia taste was detectable. Since 1/3 of my family liked this product, I am giving it the seal of approval with caution.

Product: Hilary’s Ranch Chia Dressing

Overall Grade: B-

Pros:

• The product is free of corn, dairy, gluten, and soy.
• It is a vegan ranch option!
• This product was available to me in Whole Foods and Kroger.
• My son liked it as a dip!
• It is an organic product.
• It is low in fat and sugar, compared to other ranch dressings.
• The ingredients are all recognizable.

Cons:

• It is so thick that it does not pour out of the bottle without thinning out.
• It was too thick to be a salad dressing. It was more suitable as a dip.
• The taste was too vinegary for a ranch dressing.
• The product tasted and felt too much like chia seeds. While I love chia seeds, I didn’t like it in this product. The dressing had a strange flavor.
• The bottle was over $4 in stores. It is pricier than most bottles of dressing.

 

 

 

 

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I’ll Have My Salad with Daiya Ranch

Since going vegan, I have been on a quest to find the best creamy vegan dressings on the market. I have been mostly unimpressed. I recently stumbled upon Daiya Ranch. I decided to buy it after having tried the Cesar dressing and not liking it. The ranch dressing came home with me, without any expectations. One evening, I cracked it open and decided to put some on my salad. I was not sure if I would like it, so I took a little taste. I was pleasantly surprised, loved the dressing! It reminded me of the bottled ranch dressings that I had at my the homes of friends as a kid (my mom always made the homemade version).

Product: Homestyle Ranch Dairy-Free Dressing, Daiya

Overall Grade: A

Pros:

• The dressing is very creamy and tastes very close to the dairy based ranch that I grew up on.
• It is readily available in my area. I have been able to find it in the natural sections of several area grocery stores.
• I served it to meat and dairy eating family and they didn’t even know it was vegan!
• It is free of the major allergens.
• The ingredients are all recognizable items.

Cons:

• Like the dairy ranches, it is high in fat. 13 grams for one serving!
• It isn’t easy to pour because it is so thick. I had to water it down a bit with some vinegar.
• Like many processed vegan foods, this product is pricey at over $4 a bottle. Sometimes, even $5.

Trader Joe’s Vegan Spread and Dressing, Vegan MoFo Day 22

From what I’ve heard just recently there’s been a Trader Joe’s vegan spread for years, but it was never labeled as such.  Now, there’s a new, improved and labeled vegan (mayo style) spread on Trader Joe’s shelves across the country.

Product: Trader Joe’s Vegan Spread & Dressing
Grade: A

 

 

Pros:

• The thickness.  It’s a little thicker than Vegenaise and a little thinner than Just Mayo…just the way I like it.
• The texture.  It’s smooth and creamy.
• The flavor.  It’s actually a little more like I remember Miracle Whip than how I remember mayo.  I could be off on that memory, but whichever it is, I like it.  It’s mildly sweet, mildly tangy.  I like the flavor a little less than Vegenaise but a little better than Just Mayo (I’d use any of the three).
• The price.  The jar is a a few dollars cheaper than Vegenaise for the same size jar. TJ’s website advertises it as $2.29/jar.  I’m not sure that’s exactly what I paid for it, but it should be close.

 

Cons:

• I’m used to Vegenaise for recipes, so I might have to tweak my seasonings a little to adjust for the new spread.
• The flavor isn’t quite as nice as Vegenaise (but it makes up for it in thickness and price)