Battle Meatballs

With the recent release of Beyond Meat's meatballs hitting store shelves, it seems appropriate that we have a little nutrition battle between the leading meatless balls on the market. Whether you're dropping them on top of your pasta dish, stuffing them inside a melty, saucy sub, or simply enjoying them on their own, meatless meatballs are good for a variety of dishes at home. For this competition, we will be comparing them on a serving to serving basis.

To find out which meatless meatball is the biggest nutritional bang for you buck, it's time for a little competition. Let's meet the competitors!

BEYOND MEATBALLS

​NUTRITION FACTS

• Serving Size: 5 Meatballs
• Servings Per Container: 2.5
• Amount per serving
• Calories 290
• % Daily Value*
• 27%Total Fat 21
• 35%Saturated Fat 7g
• 0%Cholesterol 0mg
• 22%Sodium 500mg
• 3%Total Carbohydrate 9g
• 7%Dietary Fiber 3g
• Total Sugars 0g
• 0%Includes 0g Added Sugars
• 38%Protein 19g
• 8%Calcium 110mg
• 25%Iron 4.9mg
• 10%Potassium 460mg

GARDEIN
​CLASSIC MEATLESS MEATBALLS

Nutrition FactsServing Size3 meatballs (90 g)
Servings Per Container 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories150
Calories from Fat60% Daily Value*
Total Fat7 g
11%
Saturated Fat0.5 g
3%
Trans Fat0 g
Cholesterol0 mg
0%
Sodium340 mg
14%
Total Carbohydrate9 g
3%
Dietary Fiber4 g
16%
Sugars1 g
Protein15 g
Vitamin A
2%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
4%
Iron
20%

YVES
​VEGGIE MEATBALLS

ROUND 1
​CALORIES

BEYOND - 290
YVES - 120
GARDEIN - 150

WINNER - YVES

Yves takes the first round of the competition coming in at 120 calories per serving of their meatless balls. This is nearly half the amount of calories of the third place finisher which means you could spring for an extra meatball or two and still come in under 290 calories!

ROUND 2
​FAT

BEYOND - 21g / 27% DV
YVES - 5g / 8% DV
GARDEIN - 7g /11% DV

WINNER - YVES!

Once again the YVES variety takes the win this round coming in at only 5g of fat per serving. This is only a fraction of the fat of the third place finisher. Once again, this means you can splurge on an extra ball or two if you desire without worrying that you're taking in a day's worth of fat. This also helps keep the fat low if you're serving it with something fatty like a cream sauce or pasta.

ROUND 3
​SODIUM

BEYOND - 500mg / 22% DV
YVES - 440mg / 18% DV
GARDEIN - 340mg / 14% DV

WINNER - GARDEIN

This is the closest round we've had so far but the GARDEIN variety comes in with the least amount of sodium per serving. Sodium is fine in small amounts but depending on what you serve your balls with, that sodium number could jump up incredibly high which is why it's important to go with lower sodium options for additions like meatballs. Lower sodium in your meatballs will allow for higher sodium in other areas to round everything out. 

ROUND 4
​FIBER

BEYOND - 3g 
YVES - 2g
GARDEIN - 4g

WINNER - GARDEIN

We all know how important fiber is to our body's well being and functionality. Not getting enough fiber can lead to constipation, weight gain, and higher blood sugar. GARDEIN comes in at 4g of fiber per serving of their meatballs which is almost 20% of your daily fiber requirements. Paired with some fresh veggies, you can really capitalize on the fiber in the meatballs for a well-rounded dish that leaves your body feeling great.

ROUND 5
​PROTEIN

BEYOND - 19g
YVES - 13g
GARDEIN - 15g

WINNER - BEYOND

This one didn't really surprise me as the Beyond brand regularly applauds their protein levels within their products. The BEYOND meatballs give you a whopping 19g of protein per serving. Who says veggie eaters don't get enough protein?

ROUND 6
​VITAMINS & MINERALS

WINNER - YVES

YVES brand usually takes the vitamin and mineral round because they provide you with all of the details whereas it is uncertain whether the other competitors offer similar nutritional stats and didn't report them or simply don't provide comparable nutrients. The YVES brand offers up over 20% of 5 key nutrients that our body's need. 

WINNER
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​YVES!

The YVES brand Veggie Meatballs take the crown for the most nutritious meatballs for this competition. Coming in with the fewest calories and fat per serving, a comparable amount of protein, and the highest amount of vitamins and minerals per serving, there is no denying that the YVES brand is the most nutritious choice.

Make sure to check back again for another product battle to find the most nutritious choice!

Also, check out the Brand's websites to learn more about their products and where to find them near you!

HAPPY VEG

https://www.beyondmeat.com/
https://www.gardein.com/
http://yvesveggie.ca/

***All photos and nutritional information taken respectively from the Brand's website. I do not own any of the photos or information provided in this post.