NEW Open Nature Plant-Based Proteins

As more consumers try the latest plant-based protein trend, Safeway has jumped on the bandwagon with the latest innovation from Safeway’s Own brands –  Open Nature Plant-Based Ground and Patties.  

By combining expert innovation with simple, non-GMO ingredients, you get the meaty experience you crave without compromise.  The Open Nature Plant-Based proteins offer similar protein levels to their animal counterparts, with no cholesterol, and no antibiotics or hormones.

There is also no soy, no wheat, and no gluten in the Open Nature Plant-Based proteins. 

The plant-based protein category had the most growth of any category in the supermarket in 2020. 

The growth rate for the U.S. plant-based food market more than doubled in 2020, as sales surged 27% to $7 billion, according to the Plant-Based Foods Association (PBFA) and The Good Food Institute (GFI).  Last year, 57% of households bought plant-based foods, up from 53% in 2019.

How to Cook With Plant-Based Proteins

Plant-based proteins can easily be substituted for their meat counterparts. Simply substitute the plant-based ground or patties for ground beef or turkey in recipes.  You can use the plant-based ground for making tacos, lettuce wraps, nachos, a vegan meatloaf, vegan meatballs, stuffed peppers, spaghetti sauce, and more!  

See some recipe ideas for using the plant-based proteins below. 

The texture is chewy, it has a slightly smoky flavor, crumbles just like ground beef, and can be combined with ingredients to take on the flavor of your favorite ground meat meal. 

Because of the addition of coconut oil and sunflower oil, there is a “greasy” mouthfeel as well at the first initial bite, but it does not linger like when eating ground beef.  

Related Reading: Best Plant-Based Sources of Protein

Ingredients in Open Nature Plant-Based Ground and Patties

The Open Nature Plant-Based ground and patties use pea protein as the source of protein.  The binding agents are sunflower and coconut oils as well as methylcellulose.

Water, Pea Protein, Expeller Pressed Sunflower Oil, Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil, Natural Flavors, Contains Less than 2% of Vegetable and Fruit Juice for Color, Methyl Cellulose, Carrageenan, Yeast Extract, Dried Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Cultured Dextrose.

Each serving provides 250 calories, 17 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 460 mg. of sodium, 4 grams of carbs, and 20 grams of protein.

How does that compare to 93% lean ground beef or 93% lean ground turkey?

For the same serving size – 93% lean ground beef provides 170 calories, 8 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 40 mg. of cholesterol, 60 mg. of sodium, 0 carbs, and 23 grams of protein

93% lean ground turkey provides 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 2 grams saturated, 80 mg. of cholesterol, 90 mg. of sodium, 0 carbs, and 20 grams of protein.

So, plant-based proteins are not necessarily a healthier alternative in terms of calories, fat, and sodium, when compared to lean ground meats. 

However, eating plant-based proteins offers a meatless and more sustainable choice in terms of lowering carbon footprint, and obviously animal welfare. 

Open Nature Plant-Based Ground Review

I had a chance to sample the Open Nature Plant-Based Ground and Patties and below you will find my review.  Please be sure to leave a comment below with your review as well. 

I made a vegan crunch wrap with the Open Nature Plant-Based Ground.  I’ve tried just about every plant-based ground product on the market and they are all similar in taste and texture. 

The biggest difference with the Open Nature Ground was the color. 

It stayed pink even after it was cooked, so that was quite different compared to other brands.  It might have a higher concentration of vegetable and fruit juices added than other brands.  Obviously, when I added my seasonings, it changed to brown with the addition of ground cumin, but without the seasonings, it was still slightly pink.  

The taste and texture were similar to the OZO plant-based ground, which is also made from pea protein. 

Open Nature Plant-Based Patties Review

The texture is similar to a ground beef burger, as it’s chewy, has a good bite to it, and doesn’t fall apart easily.  The burger definitely does not taste like beef.  To me, that is a benefit because the flavor is better than beef.  It was juicy, full of seasoning, and delicious.

It even contains vegetable and fruit juices that seep out during the cooking process, so you get that feeling like you are cooking ground beef, which may be a benefit if you are making the transition to including more plant-based foods in your diet.

The burger patties held their shape when cooked in a skillet.  They also did not turn totally brown but remained slightly pink even after being cooked through.  The flavor was similar to the other plant-based patties on the market.   Chewy, firm, smoky, with a burger-like texture, just a little pinker. 

Try the new Open Nature Plant-Based Proteins on sale now at your local Safeway.  The ground is on sale for $6.99  and the patties are on sale for $4.99. 

You can find the plant-based proteins in two sections – with the meat alternatives in the meat department as well as in the frozen food aisle near the veggie burgers and plant-based proteins. 

 

Recipes Using Plant-Based Proteins

Simply substitute the meat in these recipes for plant-based patties or ground protein. 

Grilled Pineapple Burger

Southwest Zucchini Taco Boats

Taco Skillet Recipe

Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

 

Additional New Open Nature Products at Safeway

NEW Open Nature Savory Skillets

Open Nature Almond Butter Granola

NEW Open Nature Fresh Cauliflower Crust Pizza in Safeway Deli

NEW Open Nature Peanut Butter & Berry Sandwich Bars

Open Nature Date Bars New at Safeway

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