See our Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Bowls Review where we cover price, nutrition, taste and texture of these tofu alternative!
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We are taking the guess work out of whether or not these Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Bowls are worth it in our review (and taste test!)
It’s always hard to know where to spend your money when you’re vegan. So many packaged things cost a lot of money compared to their non-vegan counterparts.
You don’t have to worry! We give our 100% honest review ever single time!
Jump to:
- Watch our Gardein Ultimate Frozen Bowls Taste Test:
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Bowls Review
- Gardein Ultimate Be’f & Broccoli Bowl
- Gardein Ultimate Be’f Burrito Bowl
- Gardein Ultimate Meatball Marinara Bowl
- Gardein Ultimate Sweet & Sour Chick’n Bowl
- Overall Thoughts
- 💬 See What People Are Saying
Watch our Gardein Ultimate Frozen Bowls Taste Test:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Unlike soy based tofu, from what we have seen in stores, there is only one option for chickpea tofu. To us, that texture is a soft to medium firmness.
No. There is soy in all of them and wheat in some. While not top allergens, some do contain corn and pea if you need to be mindful of that.
Depending on the store, they will either run $4.50, up to $6 or on sale for $5.50. This is an average price for our location and may vary by location and store.
We found these bowls at our local Sprouts market. Google also tells us they are available at Target, but when we search our store they are unavailable at this time. For best results, you can use the Gardein store locator for more information.
The brand Gardein recommends cooking their ultimate plant-based bowls in the microwave for 4 to 4 ½ minutes depending on the bowl.
Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Bowls Review
Gardein Ultimate Be’f & Broccoli Bowl
Thoughts: Andrew absolutely loved this one as a great option for a frozen dinner. Larisha said she really would like this to have a tad more flavor in the seasoning department, but overall it’s good.
It has a good amount of plant-based meat inside it and the balance of meat to rice to broccoli to sauce is good.
Overall, we would get this one again.
Ingredients: Cooked Rice (water, White Rice), Broccoli, Water, Tamari Sauce (water, Soybeans, Salt, Vinegar), Vital Wheat Gluten, Soy Protein Isolate, Sugar, Less Than 2% Of: Canola Oil, Brown Sugar, Onions, Yeast Extract, Corn Starch, Rice Vinegar, Ginger Puree, Methylcellulose, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Malt Extract (malted Barley, Water), Rub (dehydrated Vegetables [red Bell Peppers, Garlic, Onion], Spices, Sugar, Salt), Spices, Salt, Potato Starch, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavors.
Allergens: Wheat, Soy.
Gardein Ultimate Be’f Burrito Bowl
Thoughts: We both really enjoyed this one. It is on the spicier side, but the ingredients are really balanced and flavorful. This would be perfect served with some tortilla chips or even a tortilla to make a burrito on the side.
Ingredients: Water, Cooked Rice (water, White Rice), Cooked Black Beans, Corn, Tomato Paste, Tomatoes, Green Bell Peppers, Textured Soy Protein Concentrate, Less Than 2% Of: Canola Oil, Spices, Brown Sugar, Garlic Powder, Yeast Extract, Onion Powder, Salt, Rice Vinegar, Tamari Sauce (water, Soybeans, Salt, Vinegar), Paprika, Caramel Color, Sugar, Natural Flavors.
Allergens: Soy.
Gardein Ultimate Meatball Marinara Bowl
Thoughts: This was the least favorite for both Larisha and Andrew. There is a good balance of noodles to meatballs; however, the pasta sauce was lacking flavor and there was a weird aftertaste to the meatballs (almost like freezer burnt).
We did also let our pasta loving youngest child try this one and she also said it just wasn’t her favorite thing.
This is one that we wouldn’t buy again.
Ingredients: Cooked Cavatappi Pasta (water, Durum Wheat Semolina [enriched With Iron {ferrous Sulfate} And B Vitamins {niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid}]), Water, Crushed Tomatoes In Puree (diced Tomatoes, Tomato Puree, Citric Acid), Spinach, Tomato Paste, Onions, Textured Soy Protein Concentrate, Canola Oil, Less Than 2% Of: Salt, Brown Sugar, Vital Wheat Gluten, Soy Protein Isolate, Enriched Wheat Flour (wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Spices, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Methylcellulose, Malt Extract (malted Barley, Water), Yeast Extract, Sugar, Crushed Red Pepper, Natural Flavors, Soy Lecithin, Yeast.
Allergens: Wheat, Soy.
Gardein Ultimate Sweet & Sour Chick’n Bowl
Thoughts: Note that there is more in the package than in the photo above; however, I (Larisha) started eating it and almost forgot to take a photo! (WHOOPS!)
We both enjoyed this one. This is the same chicken pieces Gardein uses for a few other things and we enjoy it a lot. The sauce to rice and chicken ratio was great, especially if you are a saucier person.
This was Larisha’s top choice, but Andrew said he’d eat this one again also.
Ingredients: Cooked Rice (water, White Rice), Water, Brown Sugar, Pineapple, Carrots, Enriched Wheat Flour (wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vital Wheat Gluten, Green Bell Peppers, Red Bell Peppers, Soy Protein Isolate, Less Than 2% Of: Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Canola Oil, Tomato Paste, Rice Vinegar, Pea Protein Concentrate, Tamari Sauce (water, Soybeans, Salt, Vinegar), Corn Starch, Textured Wheat Protein (wheat Gluten, Wheat Starch), Lemon Juice Concentrate, Methylcellulose, Rice Flour, Salt, Tamarind, Sunflower Oil, Modified Potato Starch, Ginger Puree, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavors, Yeast Extract, Onion Powder, Sugar, Spices, Titanium Dioxide (color), Dried Chile De Arbol, Leavening (sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Lactic Acid.
Allergens: Wheat, Soy.
Overall Thoughts
There’s a few things that we want to call out.
- We really enjoyed these. The overall flavor profile of each is well balanced and the meat to other ingredients is great.
- The only one we wouldn’t purchase again is the Meatball Marinara.
- These are high in protein (14-18g depending on the bowl), so a great, quick option to get protein if you are traveling.
- While these are small for the price, they are on par with other prices for vegan frozen dinner options.
Have you tried these bowls? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
I really like them and am looking forward to trying the Gardein chicken pot pie.
enjoy
What the hell !!
No oven instructions ???
Never heard of such a thing.
Not everyone likes to microwave their good .
Come on Gardein !!
The beef and broccoli is my absolute favorite! I keep buying them easy for lunch super flavorful. Btw love your blog! 🙂
lad you like it!