The only reason I considered trying the Simple Truth™ Emerge Plant-Based Chick’n Patties was that they were on clearance.
I don’t buy that the whole fake meat thing is healthy for people or the planet. My personal biases aside, I found a package on clearance at my local store, so endeavored to give them a try. The closest real meat counterpart to these would be Tyson Chicken Patties, which I actually do like.
Simple Truth™ Emerge Plant-Based Chick’n Patties Nutrition
Emerge Chick’n Patties are non-GMO and each pattie contains 210 calories which, interestingly enough, is 10 more than the Tyson patties with real meat.
As for ingredients, the Emerge Chick’n Patties contain: Water, Wheat Protein, Wheat Flour, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Wheat Starch, Methylcellulose, White Rice Flour, Natural Flavor (Maltodextrin, Salt, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavorings), Salt, Sugar, Tetrapotassium Diphosphate, Sodium Carbonate, Vitamin E (Tocopherol), Dehydrated Onion, Black Pepper.
For comparison, the Tyson chicken patties contain the following: Chicken, water, wheat flour, contains 2% or less of the following: brown sugar, corn starch, dried garlic, dried onion, dried yeast, extractives of paprika, natural flavor, oat fiber, potato starch, salt, spices, wheat starch, white whole wheat flour, yellow corn flour, vegetable oil.
Reading the ingredients, several of the fake-chicken ingredients are troubling.
Methylcellulose is a plant fiber that is at least theoretically non-digestible and acts as a thickener (and filler). It is generally created from waste products like cotton linters or from wood pulp. Personally, I’m good not eating any more chemically treated wood pulp than I need to.
Then there is the hydrolyzed yeast extract. This is really just a more friendly-sounding version of MSG, which many people are allergic to and have bad reactions to. I’m sure the dried yeast in the Tyson patties contains some of those chemicals, but they haven’t been processed and concentrated like in the Emerge Chick’n Patties.
I’m not a nutritionist, but I’ll say that the Emerge Chick’n Patties probably aren’t healthy for you. I’ll stick with the Tyson Chicken Patties.
As for taste, the Emerge Chick’n Patties are pretty bland, tough, and gross. It might be palatable if it were covered up with some sauce or something. Bare, they are pretty unremarkable and almost inedible.
