Product: Sophie’s Kitchen Breaded Vegan Fishless Sticks – $5.99+
Sometimes, after searching high and low for a product you have seen on a company’s Web site, you end up purchasing a cooler and some dry ice and get some amazing frozen goodness while you can, especially when said product has never once been spotted in your local area.
While my local natural food stores do carry a few items from Sophie’s Kitchen, I have never found the Breaded Vegan Fishless Sticks here. So, when I was visiting Columbus, Ohio, and spotted them in the freezer section of Raisin Rack…I knew there was no way I was going to leave without them.
And so, they made the journey home…and into my freezer. Thank you Styrofoam cooler and dry ice from Kroger. And with all the fresh meals I have been preparing, my go-to easy grabs from the freezer have stayed put. But, that changed this week with the closing of my Farmer’s Market and my CSA bin not yet starting back up. As budgets have been a little tight, we decided to do most of our feasting this week on the fresh meals I froze and items that I have in the pantry and fridge. And, for some reason, seafood has been the theme this week. Well…vegan seafood. Last night, I used what was left of the Breaded Vegan Shrimp to make shrimp tacos…and tonight, it was time to get our Fishless Sticks on.
Sophie’s Kitchen Vegan Breaded Fishless Sticks were so easy to prepare. The products are already fully cooked, so you simply have to reheat. They recommend thawing the product in the refrigerator (do NOT microwave!). Then, you can either bake the Vegan Breaded Fishless Sticks for 10-15 minutes, browning both sides. Or, you can do what I did, because I find the “fish” based products to be better with the proper crunchy crust is to pan fry them for about 2-4 minutes on each side in coconut oil. Pan fry is worth it…trust me.
So, how do they taste? Amazing. I served these up with a serving of the Veganaise Tartar Sauce (OMG, yum!). I took my first bite without the assist of the dip, wanting to really taste the product. These Fishless Sticks have a great seafood flavor to them. And I loved the golden crunchy crust that came with each bite. The inside was soft and flaky and just tasted like the fish sticks I consumed weekly as a child. I don’t know how Sophie’s Kitchen works this kind of voodoo, but I am so glad that they do. Because I love having seafood products back in my life.
So…what exactly is vegan seafood made from? Well, the Sophie’s Kitchen Breaded Vegan Fishless Sticks are made from water, pea protein, potato starch, rice flakes (from brown rice), canola oil, konjac powder, organic agave nectar, sea salt, seaweed powder, turmeric, white pepper, ginger, and calcium hydroxide. Is it clean eating…not technically. But…it’s not too bad as processed, frozen products go. Not at all. These are soy-free, vegan (100% plant based), non-GMO, gluten-free, contain no artificial preservatives, no artificial colors, no MSG, they are free of trans fats, and they are cholesterol free. These also contain no added sugar. Nothing about them is artificial. Nothing.
Let’s discuss the nutritional information for the Sophie’s Kitchen Vegan Breaded Fishless Sticks. A serving size is 2 pieces (65 grams or 2.3 ounces). My roommate and I just split the package, which contains 4 servings, or 8 pieces. The normal serving will provide 140 calories, 6 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 16 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 1 gram sugars, and 6 grams of protein.
Once again, I am astounded and amazed by the plant-based alternatives that Sophie’s Kitchen brings to the table. As someone who used to devour seafood, this brings one of my favorites back into my vegetarian plate. And, the best part…it’s really, really delicious. I hope that my local stores eventually start to carry Sophie’s Kitchen Vegan Breaded Fishless Sticks. It was a blast from the past, recalling the fish sticks I devoured in my childhood…and I loved every bite. No guilt.
The Celiathlete 