Plant-Based Babybel - Omnivore Review of Vegan Alternative to Cheese
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- Time for another review of a Vegan product by me, an omnivore. This time, Babybel Plant-Based Alternative to Cheese.
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*Afterthoughts & Addenda* - seems a lot of people are confused by me saying the regular Babybel is considered a 'healthy snack for kids'. I'm saying that because the significant thrust of their own marketing for the original Mini Babybel is based on that theme. Example: th-cam.com/video/WO8hD53MC7Q/w-d-xo.html Another example: th-cam.com/video/BgRcb6n0UZk/w-d-xo.html
Yes and that was a great goal to start with!!! But I just think vegans and vegetarians are used to dealing with such issues is all I meant… I certainly hope no one who chooses that lifestyle don’t do it without educating themselves on the nutrition issues first…
Well it's probably healthier than many lunchbox alternatives like a bag of crisps or a chocolate bar. This reminded me, I used to have them in my lunchbox at school, and there was another lad who always asked me for the wax and then proceeded to eat it. Now that probably isn't a healthy snack.
@@ironpirate8 I usually used the wax to make figurines with.
@@ironpirate8 unless you're a bee
As is so often the case, the quantity matters. A little cheese, like what is found in the original Babybel, is usually fine. Eating 10 of them a day might not be ideal.
I love how this channel consistently ploughs its own furrow without subjugating itself to either advertisers or subscribers. Always seems to me like the channel with the most integrity.
Very good point I also wanted to highlight!
Its the thing that attracted me as well though, i describe it as an eclectic mix of random stuff out of a man of my age head!
@@bobbybobstar1496 Bobby, your quite aggressive with your comments aren't you? You have made a few more on this channel calling people names. I hope all is well with you.
@@TheLoxxxton Bobby's drunk.
Bro, watch the TH-cam channel project farm. It is so satisfying to see reviews done well.
Just a little side note (which you're likely aware of), the Babybel wax wrappers are an excellent fire starter when out camping/hiking - just keep the two halves intact (don't unpeel all the way) - the peel strip acts as a wick to light. Common snack for long distance hikers over across the pond. That was an interesting comparison. Eva brings a trustworthy palate.
Well every day is a school day, I did not know this !
Interesting af
As always I loved your coverage of this. As a vegan sometimes it’s just nice to have a vegan version of something else. I do need to add though that there seems to be this broad misconception that just because something’s vegan, it’s healthier. While for most a robust vegan diet is going to be healthier, there are definitely “bad vegans” that eat nothing but processed products, fast food/takeaway, etc. After all, vegan junk food exists for the same reason that non-vegan junk food exists. At first I found plant based “cheeses” almost inedible but I’ve grown to enjoy most of it now. I look forward to seeing more on your channel! Much love from here in Australia.
I think in this case, it just seems to be a bad product. There are significantly better dairy-free/vegan options available with a more robust nutritional content. I admire the effort that Babybel seems to have put into experimenting with this product. It seemingly just didn't turn out as well as it could have. Oh well! I think some people are making this too big of a debate. On to the next product to try! Love this series!
I agree - it's a bad product - primarily because it's placing itself as a substitute for something that was already marketed with a really heavy lean into 'goodness' and 'nutrition for kids', and here the substitute product is not much better than a pack of crisps.
Not sure if worth admiring a corporation chasing profits
@@axeavier It is if by doing so, they come out with a new product that people use. It doesn't sound like they succeeded this time, but I like that they're trying, even if profits are the motivation.
Can you list a few of the better alternatives, my mum has struggled to find a good cheese alternative for a while now
You admire the effort? The vegan trend is just a good opportunity for these industries. They don't care about vegan ethics, just want their money.
Poor Eva... She definitely deserves something nice for her tea to reward her for her dedication to science. What a trooper!
she really took one for the team tasting that vegan cheese. Legend.
A standalone snack like a Babybel has to be the least forgiving cheese implementation. If it's not a 1:1 replacement for dairy cheese in texture as well as taste, the vegan replacement is on its own; can't hide behind the rest of the sandwich, or under the sauce of an enchilada. You don't really see vegan string cheese sticks, either.
Yeah. Like with other cheese you usually don't eat them on their own but rather put then into stuff. With babybel there's Little room for error as that would be eaten on their own
Daiya does a "string" cheese, it tastes exactly like this babybel product, kind of just like eating wax. No flavor at all and not a great texture.
To be fair that's true for most alternatives to cheese. Mixed with other stuff it's fine, but on its own it just lacks any sort of distinct flavours like any good cheese has. Even worse for meat alternatives. The few alternatives that do stand out are priced like any really good cheese like Gruyère or good piece of meat and make it much harder to feel like a decent alternative because of that :\
A nice bit of washed rind cheese, such as 'Renegade Monk' does it for me. And it doesn't squeak on your teeth when you bite it, either.
If I fancy a mild, but very tasty cheese, then I'll go for French Chaumes, every time.
@@iusedtowrite6667 what do you mean? i eat a lot of cheese as is, i put my knife and cut pieces
I think the main problem with most vegan cheese is that they are always fat stabilised with starch instead of fat stabilised with protein like regular cheese. There are some companies like Formo (previously called LegenDairy Foods), based in Germany, that are using GM bacteria and fermentation to produce casein (one of the main proteins present in cows milk) for use in plant based cheese. Whether this becomes the standard or another protein is used I don't see us having a convincing vegan cheese until we move away from this current trend of starch based vegan cheese.
Yeah, but then some vegans will whine about GM products in the food. You can't win with these people.
@@BrunodeSouzaLino while I agree many people who eat plant-based diets for the diet are often on the weird end (eg talking about GM modified stuff or someone on a facebook group I was on talking about how marijuana isn't vegan) but what many people do (like me) is make the distinction between ethical veganism and plant based (with veganism being a lifestyle and system of beliefs and plant-based being dietary etc).
With this distinction of those who are vegans (those who choose to not unnecessarily cause harm to sentient beings to the highest degree practicable and possible) I do think there's winning with us. I'm happy if a food doesn't cause unnecessary harm to a being which is capable of pain and experience.
So it's essentially the "lab grown meat" of cheese?
@@cysioland sort of, the key difference being that with lab grown meat researchers are looking to find a way to get animal cells to grown and form structured tissues outside of their host. In the case of this cheese replacement they're producing a single protein using GM bacteria and then isolating the protein from the growth media, in the same way we currently produce a lot of insulin for example. Then they take the isolated protein and combine it with water, sugar, salt, fats and various minerals and vitamins to create a sort of milk replacement that will curdle and produce cheese in the same way that cow's milk would. Because of the way it's grown in bacteria and then extracted this vegan cheese replacement wouldn't actually contain any animal cells and instead simply contain a protein, the genetic material for which came from an animal but which the protein itself has been produced entirely separately from.
would be nice to see them at least use protein from existing sources instead of carbs. tofu prepared to be more like cheese would be pretty cool to see
An alternative view:
When my friend's children were very small, they had serious dairy allergies. In order to allow them to have similar foods to their friends at birthday parties and such, she would call the hosts and ask what the menu would be and provide her children with an alternative that they could enjoy alongside the other children and not feel left out. Vegan babybel would be perfect in this instance, same unwrapping and fun size, different and special colour. Good for fun times and inclusivity, if not so much for protein and no anaphylactic shock. ❤️
Yeah, that's definitely a use case for the plant-based ones. I think the wax wrapping itself would be one of the main appeals for a child. Though, maybe the recipe could be improved to have a bit more chewiness to it.
@@Chiaros exactly! My friend used to make a lot of the items herself, but the children loved it most when they had their own little bags of chips/crisps to match the fun size ones with allergens, their own fancy cupcakes etc., she made packaging / wrapping to match the OG items where possible so the experience would be similar. Even gave the hosts safe goodie bags to hand out with the other goodie bags so they wouldn't feel left out, ever. The psychological impact is real.
I dont think he's dissing the IDEA of a plant based cheese snack, I think his point is that THIS plant based cheese is not very good.
Yeah this was my reckoning, a good way to give kids something if they're after the babybel and can't have them
@@TessaTron92 I don't think food should be a "gimmick" in the first place - why do parents tell their kids not to play with their food but then give them cheese strings or Babybels that are designed to be at least partially played with?
I think this product is aimed more at ethical vegans & those with food sensitivities than people trying to be healthy, which is somewhat strange given the young target audience. It would be much better if they added more nutrients into the alternative, though as a person with a dairy intolerance I'm just glad for edible babybel-like snacks lol.
The company behind these (and the vegan boursin) are supposedly working on a vegan laughing cow too. Given your comparison of the babybels to cheese triangles, it makes me wonder if their laughing cow will be better than the babybel and boursin? Either way, I used to love laughing cow so hopefully it's a decent replacement.
I think more than anything its targeted at idiots- ones who will buy flashy healthy "new" trends for their kids paying an extra dollar for each item in their lunchbox rather than parenting them and making sure their diets are balanced.
A lot of parents with money tend to punish kids with these kinds of things for themselves allowing the kids to eat too much take out etc, kind of like throwing a single bottled water at a house fire.. thought that counts?
Definitely not aimed at people trying to be healthy - seed and nut oils contain long chain triglycerides which are known to be linked to heart disease and other illnesses (darn lies of polyunsaturates)
Oooh I am looking forward to the Laughing Cow, I miss that stuff.
@@MazzJ77Cathedral City have just come out with a plant based cheese, 1 product that interested me was the plant based black pudding in Asda
Interesting comment. Watching this, I thought the vegan one melted like a laughing cow...
As someone with a dairy allergy, I absolutely love the vegan babybel. It melts beautifully and smoothly. The taste is pretty greatvin the realm of vegan cheese too.
I tried that too but if this is one of the better vegan fake cheeses, I really don´t want the rest. Maybe it´s allright when you have nothing to compare it to.
@@Christopher_Giustolisi These babybels are definitely not one of the better vegan cheeses. But to be fair, real babybels aren't exactly an example of the best cheese either are they. Try Cathedral City, Applewood, or Ilchester Melting Mature
@@pcatma I didn't even know cathedral city had a vegan one. Thanks will try 😁
I also suffer from a dairy allergy
I am definitely NOT a vegan or vegetarian either -I love meat and used to love dairy when I could still eat it. I agree this is definitely the BEST tasting of all the dairy-free cheeses I've tried and I've tried most of them that do not contain nutritional yeast which I can not tolerate either.
This product is not a fail in my eyes. I could not care less about the nutritional content or the lack of it in these delicious little gems. This isn't the only thing I eat.
I’m imagining a school lunch situation in which a child who can’t have dairy might enjoy the fun experience of having their own version of Babybel.
Or an adult. This is the best dairy -free cheese alternative that I have found so far since I developed a severe allergy to dairy a few years back.
Still, it's a huge scam. Babybel in general is not a food that is adequately priced, but the vegetarian version is just water, starch, oil and very little flavoring and coloring. They didn't even try
@@starshot5172If it's so simple and cheap to produce you could always just make it yourself :) You're paying for the production and convenient packaging
@@starshot5172vegan not vegetarian
Yeah, my oldest son is horribly allergic to dairy while my youngest isn't (different mothers) so it's nice to stock a package of each for both of them. They are great for school lunches and even better melted on an english muffin with an egg. Both the dairy and dairy-free ones melt equally good. I've had both varieties many times and find the dairy one more savory and the dairy-free one more sweet so they each have their pro's depending on what you are craving at the time.
"It's a bit like eating glue. Don't ask me how I know that." Comedy gold, Sir.
It’s really interesting seeing you reviewing these! I’m not the biggest fan of the plant based babybel but I’m lactose intolerant so it’s one of the only fake cheeses that isn’t totally pants.
What I will say is whilst this fake cheese isn’t a good alternative protein wise to babybel, it is good for kids and people who can’t have dairy.
My aunts kids are lactose intolerant so this is a great option for them along with other more high protein snacks and I’m currently pregnant, I wouldn’t be surprised if my son is lactose intolerant due to how severe my milk allergy has gotten during pregnancy.
I really enjoyed this video I hope you make more like these 🎉
But Babybel is lactose free?
@@jojomojo508 A dairy cow is going to have a bad time, if you don't milk it. That will be cruel and animal abuse
@@DennisJrgensen Sorry, but you're misguided. The cow won't produce milk if it hasn't just given birth. So if you don't forcibly impregnate the cow against its will, then take the calf away and kill it (sometimes not very far away) so you can constantly repeat this horrific cycle. If you're against animal abuse, as you claim to be, then you would not want the cow to be in that situation at all.
@@DennisJrgensen im lactose intolerant too and have to triple check the labels. even so called "vegan" products can have lactose in them
@@DennisJrgensen okay fair point but you realise they don’t just, make milk, right? They have to force breed them and often kill their babies, the milk industry is pretty cruel.
This has been very interesting indeed. I have to agree that as a snackey food the plant based version makes very little sense. Perhaps if it was more soy-based and had a higher protein content? Otherwise, vegan parents are much better off putting something chickpea or tofu -based to the kids lunchboxes. Perhaps, the intent of the vegan Babybel is to actually serve like a nostalgia based comfort food for those vegans who miss their regular Babybel after switching to vegan lifestyle?
"the purpose of babybel is to get kids to eat cheese"
Thats a hard thing to do? They had to HIDE the cheese from me, and this is news to me that its actually healthy lmao
my mum always would grate a small block of yellow cheese and leave it in a bowl in the fridge, it rarely survived a day with me and my dad
yeah most kids will eat cheese but sticking like a cut up block of soft cheese will dry out usually before a kids luch time especially if you put luches together super early or the night before, (soft cheese will dry out in 2-4 hrs). babybels stop the cheese from drying out or getting weird in a kids luch box which then makes kids not eat it lol.
you sound like my little sister lol. she would get caught several times per week sneaking into the kitchen in the middle of the night for delicious cheese. she also had a major constipation problem
🤣
When I was a kid, my mom used to buy blocks of cheese that we would literally grab a knife, cut open and then chew on directly off the block. Didn't even use the knife to cut pieces. Ate blocks of cheese like candy bars. When we were done, we'd initial the wrapper with sharpie and throw it in the fridge half eaten so nobody ate somebody else's cheese and the person got mad their cheese was eaten.
@@hannahorse16 Zip lock baggies or small Tupperware containers exist.
11:25 "You don't have to eat it if you don't want to" Man... you radiate wholesomeness. XD
I think I remember Babybel being sold individually along with other mini cheese portions as cheeseboard pick 'n' mix before they became a lunch box add in.
Boursin the same I think.
@@Robutube1 Yeah, cheddar, camembert, brie, St Paulin, Bavarian smoked, cambazola, too I think.
@@electrichen6243 Well remembered! I'd forgotten all about Bavarian Smoked - sausage shaped in a brown plastic wrapping?
I agree with the conclusion, I think it can still be an interesting replacement for kids who are lactose intolerant so they can share a similar experience with those who aren't(?)
Great video as always :)
But cheese hardly contains any lactose...
@@anniestumpy9918 well, I'm no expert, just thought if it can help prevent exclusionary behaviours, then it's good :)
@@anniestumpy9918 some people are still allergic to milk proteins which definitely will be found in cheese
@@anniestumpy9918
“Hardly any lactose”, yet still enough that it would give my sister-in-law pretty bad diarrhoea. If a cheese isn’t aged for at least half a year, it’s got too much lactose for those of us who can’t have any lactose at all. My body’s response to lactose isn’t as bad as that of my sister-in-law, but I still start to feel unwell after eating things that are considered “practically lactose-free”, such as butter or too fresh cheese. It’s just that my reaction is more gradual than hers, which is practically an on/off switch.
@@ragnkja According to their website the regular dairy based Babybel is lactose free.
Thank you for including Eva (and letting her have the real one to get the taste out of her mouth.) I love seeing her in your videos.
While I don't disagree that they could have put more vitamins in there, I'm sure all of the lactose intolerant kids would love to have a babybel just like all of their friends. I remember getting left out when my friends all had lunchables for trips and things and I just had a sandwich.
first world problems tbh
@@exMuteKid Well having first world problems, in a first world country is normal.
Having third world problems, like California on a daily basis, is when there's a significant and noticeable failure on all levels.
Eva knows!! Smart pup. Thanks for the video!
could you please try the cathedral city vegan "cheese" soon! its been all over tiktok the last few days, with some rave reviews! i, like yourself, am an omnivore so not a great urgency, just a mild interest! as always, i love your channel, keep up the fantastic work! bringing some lightjearted science and entertainment during these darker days; 💖 much love to you and yours.
I feel like this product is more of a "look how progressive we are" than an actual "look at how we can make a nutritional plant-based replacement". I have to wonder why they choose to not use paper packaging for regular mini babybels, but maybe that's something to do with keeping the product recognisable? Or just to do with keeping costs down for them.
Most sensible comment today
The look on Eva's face after she finally finished the fake cheese 😂 She looked like "okay.... really...I ate it...but I'm not happy about it."
I was thinking about shrimp food videos not 10 minutes ago, and lo and behold a new upload. I am convinced I have willed this video into existence
I could watch a whole video that's just a supercut of Eva being fed little snacks.
For some reason it never occured to me that babybel had a "big" version! Learning something new everyday on this channel
i’ve had a lifelong dairy allergy so i’d probably have tried this if i saw it in stores- perhaps i’ll wait until they develop a better formula lol. thank you for your honest review as always :)
I like the contrast of the red Babybel to the green Babybel - it's like Christmas in September.
I always thought babybel was just a small portion of Edam, you learn something new every day 👍
So crazy how much this channel has grownnnnn! 1 million here you come!
I feel like babybel would be relatively easy to replicate since the real thing is not overly cheesy tasting in itself, and I've had vegan mozzarella that tasted pretty close to babybel. It used olive extract for the smell and flavor which was pretty effective. Not sure about this one though...
The lack of nutrition is definitely concerning, I wonder if it comes from the fact that some people refuse to acknowledge that cow's milk is genuinely nutritious.
It's the classic "too much of anything" is bad for you that these people conflate after seeing some stuff on how milk is bad for you... forgetting or omitting the "too much" part.
@@planescaped Agreed. People are also far too willing to jump on the hype train and then try to drag everyone else with them. Just leave people be!
for this case specifically its likely that its used as a treat type item so its art of a diet that is supposed to cover nutrional needs.
Your point about the nutritional lack of the vegan product is something I don't see discussed enough.
I think it’s a really good product for kids with dairy allergies who can now have the same snacks as their friends without feeling left out!
This is so interesting! I love when you review products like this.
I love Eva's participation ❤ and her opinion is priceless 👀😆
hello shrimp, I have been watching many of your videos. I really appreciate how you approach food and cooking. because of your videos i have been working on trying to be more open minded and less of a perfectionist about cooking, while being more mindful, and its been very freeing. so I wanted to say, thank you so much for sharing all the wonderful videos.
also eva is an incredibly cute little dog.
I love these! I only get them when they're on offer because of the price. Used to eat the real cheese ones before I was vegan. I never really considered that they were meant for kids, certainly never thought they were meant to be healthy! I just thought they were a nice little snack. And I like making things out of the wax. Vegan cheese is nothing like real cheese but I've come to like some of it very much in its own right.
I've had these, like them a lot. I can't have cheese so this is a wonderful option as an occasional snack
Reminds me of the really good pink eraser that removes pencil markings cleanly vs the cheap knock off stiff eraser that smudges pencil marks and tears the paper.
It smells like glue, looks like glue, taste like glue.
Now that's a cheese review I won't forget.
I more considered Babybel as a less unhealthy snack option, as apposed to a healthy snack option. Compared to just giving kids another vegetable, it's something they are excited to eat, but healthier than most things they are excited to eat.
Compared to giving kids a chocolate covered biscuit (which is or was a common unwrap-and-eat quick snack).
Of course if you compare it to something else, the comparison will be different.
I was vegan for 5 years, and upon reading the ingredient list, I already know how these will taste! Bland
😂😂😂 PVA glue is a very good call lol
Not just that but the dang coconut oil, like hurray for going vegan and therefore automatically avoiding all the stuff I'm allergic to but then coconut oil comes around the corner and kicks me in my liver
@@papiezguwniak1. It shows my lived experience with vegan products is all pal. Problem?
2. Not all substitute products are crap.
@@chubbydinosaur9148 it really is in so many vegan foods, and skin/beauty products too! The harvesting of the coconuts isn't great either from what I remember when I looked into it :/
Look at the vegan version.
In 100 grams of product - 21 grams of carbs. It'd be absolutely unacceptable for me, as diabetic. I don't want goddamn carbs in my cheese/cheese replacer.
And look at the normal version.
I really enjoyed these. Thought the flavour was very good.
Can you test the new Cathedral City plant based alternative? I got it this week and it was the first time I put something in my mouth since giving up cheese years ago and could have been fooled into believing I was eating cheese. The mouthfeel was excellent.
It would be nice to see you try vegan fermented cheese ! It's actually fermented so the process of making it is closer to "real" cheese, it's not just a flavoured paste like in this case
Yes! I was hoping that’s what this one would be. The real fermented vegan cheeses, especially artisan ones, are so much closer in taste and texture to the dairy versions.
Best channel in the world, so excited to see you hit 1mil any day now!
Plant-Based babybel mini, tested on animals 🤣
Thank you Shrimp & thank you Eva!
Remembers school dinners in the 70's/80's used to be quite good you had all one needed (like a good portion of chips, beans and a couple of rounds of bread followed by desert -lemon merang pie or sticky pudding with custard) one often went up for seconds. That all changed when they introduced food vouchers/tickets as each ticket was worth around 25p so you could either have a portion of chips or a desert with a drink (drinks were extra - so often did not have a drink all day), so I would sometimes sell the tickets to schoolmates and pop down the local chip shop where you had a much larger portion of chips and a fishcake or sausage for that 25p. Sometimes the school dinners were awful like the time they served green furry hard chips yuck! - the deputy headmaster was in the canteen that time and when I complained he said there was nothing wrong with them so eat them or leave them - I went hungry that day.
In the 90s I once got chicken. It was clearly raw and pink on the outside. I cut it open to find it had blue mold in the middle 🤢 I complained to the dinner lady who basically said "it's that or nothing". So nothing it was! My mum always used to say I was "fussy" but nah, just didn't want food poisoning!
I've tried these and can say with 100% certainty I won't be having them again. I sometimes wonder if they actually taste test these products
Eva's ears when she chews go flop flop and it's so cute.
Thank’s Mike, for the Eva-test. Dogs never fake anything. That’s why i prefer animals instead of people.
Love your channel!❤
Oh, Eva - she never ceases to delight! She tried so hard to please you by eating that fake Babybel. Even after spitting it out, she still cleaned her plate 😊
I’m glad you gave her a reward for her part in the experiment.
I’m looking forward to the day when fake cheese has a high protein content - I feel that’s a really important breakthrough waiting to happen!
Honestly A LOT of these plant based cheeses are hit and miss, I've tried quite a few and the ones I like most are the "Applewood Vegan Smoky Cheese Alternative 200G" (That's the block not the grated version which I haven't tried) and also the "Mexicana Vegan Jalapeno & Chilli Peppers" which I found as a pack of about 8 slices but they seem to sell those in block form as well which I've yet to try. I'd love to see you try these 2.
applewoods is great.. :)
The wife and I recently did an online shop with a supermarket and mistakenly ordered a piece of Brie cheese that was vegan when we meant to order the dairy version.
Without wanting to waste food, we did try to eat it but we didn't get very far. The flavour was awful (it smelt like "old socks" when you opened the packet) and tasted completely "processed" - it reminded me of when I once ate one of those "cheese strings" that kids sometimes take in their lunch boxes for school or when you used to be able to buy packs of round crackers that would have processed cheese sandwiched between them.
I guess if you can't or won't eat dairy products then the vegan stuff is an option - but to my palate, it was only a very loose approximation of cheese.
I remember going on a skiing trip to France as a child and in our packed lunch everyday was a babybel. I thought it was the best thing I had ever tasted. Was overjoyed when they started selling them in the UK.
what else would be in that packed lunch? :) Just curious what it would go with. Sounds like a lovely memory.
@@emilily6513 A ham roll, hard boiled egg and an apple if I remember correctly, it was about 35 years ago! I was so taken by the babybel though. It is a lovely memory
Thank you for yet another amazingly presented video! I had no idea that I felt so strongly about babybel or the importance of it's main marketing point being for children's nutrition. I was born in 96 so babybel was often in my lunchbox.
Before everything processed became taboo, it was very much about having your child be able to consume something like a glass of milk while running around in the playground. The adverts may have even given babybel in their glass of milk equivalent as a measurement, although that was common for lots of dairy products at the time.
I ate tinned mackerel (in tomato and basil) on sourdough bread with lots of butter while enjoying this video - if you weren't sure what to have for lunch or a snack one day.
Great video! I haven't seen the dairy free option of Baby Bel in American grocery stores. Quick question -- do you think the plant based "cheese" might have tasted better if they added soybean curd?
Your videos are wonderfully random. And I LOVE IT :D
As someone who has been vegan since the 90s I never thought I'd be annoyed about having more options, but these coconut oil based things with no protein have largely replaced old standbys like hummus as omni caterer go-tos and it makes me sad.
fair enough, it often feels like the vegan option is targeted at omnivores who want to try the "wacky just-like-meat plant burger" as a gimmick rather than providing a good option for vegans
of course, something is better than nothing and I like both more traditional veggie meals and the gimmicky fast-food items, but there's a place for both, I'd rather not have to opt for vegan nuggets with fries before a speech in a foreign city/town, cos that can be risky for my stomach, lol
Perhaps cheaper to produce?
As a non vegan hummus is actually really good and that's at least partially because it's not trying to be something else. It stands on it's own. That's the most annoying thing about most substitutes they're never going to be as good as the original they are trying to replace. Better for them to marketed as something unique and standalone.
Yep. If I couldn't have real cheese, hummus would be the shoulder I would cry on.
I loathe almost everything plant based, but the one exception is the breakfast sausages from Morningstar, I actually prefer those over most real ones.
Your willingness to try all these products out is awesome, you give fair reviews with no bias, just honest opinions.
Richmond veggie stuff mas been pretty great imo. Sausages, meatballs etc
Speaking as a parent with two dairy intolerant kids, the green Babybel is something I'll be finding so they'll be able to have at least a facsimile of the experience without the pain and grumpiness the dairy would cause.
can they have the normal babybel light version, im not sure about the standard ones but they claim they're lactose free
Vegan options really need a vegetable fat and a vegetable protein so that they can mimic things like cheeses. They could make flavors that work with mushrooms, yeast extract and perhaps a tiny bit of hot mustard for sharpness.
Since this version of Babybel is vegan, does it mean it doesn't contain actual babys?
Also, today I travelled back in time to the point before it got listed.
At least those snacks are suitable for us time travellers, even if they contain baby plants.
@@jensgoerke3819 that's true.
neither contain actual babys lol
@@YukoValis What about baby oil? I mean, they make peanut oil from peanuts and olive oil from olives-is baby oil made from squeezed babies?
@YukoValis Sword
keep telling yourself that..
I like to grate up 1 red babybel whenever i need just a bit of cheese for something. Goes great on some eggs or as the topper for a soup. Its also the perfect amount of cheese without having to open an entire block.
Love your reviews of vegan products!
You could try to ferment vegan cheese yourself, there are some videos on youtube on how to do that, would be really interesting :)
That same bag of baby bell cheese in my local American grocery store is just under 7$. Just an observation I made and was reminded of when you said the price of it where you live. They have multiple varieties at my store including a sharp and white cheddar kind. My favorite cheese is from the UK. It's a double Gloucester cheese with chives and onions in it and it keeps switching names.
Hi there, I’m a trained dietitian and would like to say from a nutritional value perspective I actually disagree with the view expressed in the video. Most vegan milk or cheese alternatives are generally quite low in protein (soy and pea based products being higher in this) so it is not surprising this vegan cheese is not high protein. Most people on vegan diets have lots of sources of protein foods such as soya or mycoproteins, beans and pulses, tofu, nuts, even wheat based products such as pasta etc. However it is more difficult to ensure sufficient calcium and b12 in a fully vegan diet, and I can see this vegan babybel has been fortified with both, which is very good news (many vegan cheeses are not fortified). So I would say this is actually nutritionally pretty useful to help vegans towards meeting their calcium and b12 deficit. A protein deficit is still possible but much less likely if they are eating the other foods described previously. As for non vegans, based on national eating habits, it is highly likely they are meeting protein requirements from their habitual diet and given the equal amount of calcium in both products (important for a growing child) they are probably not going to miss out on 5g protein from that vegan babybel
You're disagreeing with something I didn't state. The problem is that the dairy based product is marketed to kids and parents as a 'healthy snack'. This isn't a good alternative to that pitched product.
@@AtomicShrimp
it is more healthy calorie wise.
@@thomasherzog86 Calories are not unhealthy. Not everyone is actively trying to loose weight and being caloey deficient is dangerous
@@Stettafire
theoretically yes, but if you are someone that eats cheese on its own - chances are, you have no deficiency in calories.
I like that you addressed nutrition. It is also more resource intensive to make a factory non-cheese cheese.
The amount of Vegan "substitute" foods that cost more have worse ingredients and worse nutritional value are actually huge, I love me some veg options as there are some good stuff, but man eating a diet only of something like those fake babybels would literally make you nutrient deficient if you didn't take multi-vitamins, which is already a sub-optimal way of getting your nutrients, food is the best way.
haha yeah junk food vegetarian and vegan substitutes need to stop marketing themselves healthy i agree! im not eating a beyond burger for its health benefits, im eating it cos im a slob
lol, eating regular Babybels would make you nutrient deficient too, that's an insane scenario
@@khaddy72632u of course, it depends on product-to-product basis and many vegan alternatives are mostly concerned with recreating the flavor/texture, not nutrition, but many vegan substitutes are perfectly fine nutritionally
like vegan burgers can quite often (if not always) be better than regular ones, I know it was the case (I watched a comparison) with either the Impossible or the Beyond one (neither are available in my country, so I'm not that concerned)
I'd recommend checking out the Nutrivore (Nick Hiebert) on TH-cam -- you may be surprised to discover that processed foods (like vegetable oils or TVP) are often better for you than the "natural" (still processed, "natural" is honestly a buzzword, but people can keep their language, lol) stuff
in general, it obviously depends on your overall diet and nutritional needs (like for me magnesium is a nutrient of concern while iron isn't, due to my genetics, which is the opposite of the general population, so many nutritional analyses will be useless for me in this regard)
I'm an omnivore used to be a veggie about 30 years ago i lived in a student hall of residence and the food they gave me was so bad i had to start eating meat again. Before living in a hall because i had studied nutrition i was fine because i ate the right combination of things and a range of things. I think the current trend of plant based is like the last fad of protein everything. I know a lot of veggies and vegans ( Including my partner of 30 years) that have been like that for decades and i'm not saying its a fad or even a bad thing for them. But some companies are making synthetic foods of questionable nutrition and impact to the planet. My past with being a veggie means that i dont eat meat everyday and i dont eat eggs very often, i do eat seasonally and avoid eating fruit and vegetables that have been grown in far flung places and then air freighted in.
That's because this whole spiel isn't about health, but not eating animals.
One of the problems I've seen with many vegan cheese analogues is that they use high-saturate oils to do their thing. Coconut oil and palm oil are the most common I've seen, and often in amounts rivaling the animal-based saturates of real cheese. There are some vegan cheese-alikes that have a little more favorable balance of non-saturates to saturates, but they are the exceptions, not the rule.
I like the idea that they put the plant based one in a paper bag , & the original in a plastic netting 😂 just put them both in a paper bag …
Then wrap both of them in regular plastic, defeating the purpose of using a paper bag.
Also the vegan babybel uses parrafin wax, which is made from oil 🙁
For babybel, in Australia we pay $5.90 for 100g, we only get 5 portions instead of 6. Its on special at woolies at the moment for $4.00. still at the special price, we pay significantly more for the product when doing currency conversion. Im eating one now.
a bit of starch, vegetable fat and vinegar is more expensive than dairy delights. There must be an insane markup!
Always thought the normal one was strange stuff. Not strong enough for me...my dad used to call it "plastic cheese" and the same for those individually wrapped slices you can buy.
You need to test, if the plant-based Babybel works as glue.
Haha, the Eva test had me laughing. If a dog isn't fussy on eating cheese, the you know it's not good!
One of the better cheese alternatives we buy is the asda free from range garlic and herb cheese spread, it's around 2.30 a tub and is a similar alternative to primula cheese spread. The texture is a halfway house between philledelphia and dairylee (can't remember how to spell that one lol) and the additional flavours probably go a long way to disguising the lack of cheese flavour. It's one of the only cheese type spreads (or in fact cheese type anything) alternatives that iv found acceptable. I admittedly don't buy it for myself but it's a firm fave with my dairy intolerant daughter and what I have tried of it I could happily have on crackers or toast etc. Deffo worth checking out if you're so inclined. Our daughter thankfully does seem to be building up a slight tolerance to dairy now as she can manage the odd packet of crisps with milk additives without throwing up. I'm realy hopeful she will eventually grow out of her intolerance because a life without cheese realy is no life at all lol
life without cheese isn't a problem.. vegans do it..
@@bazza5699 hi I'm steammachine and I'm videogame collector. See.... Nobody cares. But that's exactly how every vegan I know introduces themselves. There's gotta be an underlying problem somewhere if you have to let everyone know your lifestyle choices from the get go. And my moneys on lack of cheese.
@@steammachine3061 didn't say i was a vegan..
@@bazza5699 yeah..... But. You are though. Lol
@@steammachine3061 yeah..... But I didn't introduce myself like you said though. Lol
thanks @
Atomic Shrimp love from cornwall as always
Eva is such an intelligent dog, I really do trust her opinions on these matters.
Eva is a trooper! I was expecting a look of betrayal, maybe she expected another of the good stuff to cleanse her palate haha. (wondering how many times she has done this in the past ;) )
My goodness, this one set the among the pigeons!
I was just so happy that you gave your taste tester, the gorgeous Eva, the reward of an apology and dairy Babybel; I was feeling that it was a bit mean asking her to say please for the plant based. She is the loveliest girl!
I tried the Beyond Meat Teriyaki jerky yesterday. It also comes in regular and spicy. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the different flavors.
You should try vegan Peperami or (Vegerami) as people need to be warned!
Good idea....and it's not made just for kids
As a rule, the plant-based cheese alternatives do not align with dairy cheese from a macro nutrient perspective. They have as much or more saturated fat, much less protein, and much more carbohydrates. As you say, not really what we normally look to cheese for in our diet.
Considering 97% of the fats in coconut oil are saturated, nothing you make it using it as a base is gonna be healthy.
@@BrunodeSouzaLino yeah and dairy cheese is really not a healthy food either. But pizza…
As an adult, I tried these purely from a taste/texture perspective, completely ignoring the health aspects and found that the plant-based ones were completely enjoyable! I wonder if some of the aromas given off by the plan-based ingredients are somewhat like the taste of coriander in that some people interpret them differently to others?
I always enjoy, as a very flexible meat eater, trying the plant based and vegan ranges of various foods. This video and your videos like it are a great way to learn about new products too, thanks Mike!
I don't recall if you've done it before but how about a Quorn vs. competitors video as I know a few people that feel Quorn is inferior even though it's the well known brand?
Quorn is an interesting one, because they don't really have any *direct* competitors - nobody else makes mycoprotein products. Any competitors are most likely made from wheat, soy or pea protein, and I think most people who say it's not as good just don't like the "Quorn flavour".
I don't know if you will see this, but I would like to add my 2 cents. One of the things that vegans struggle with is getting enough b12. The vegan baby bel advertises on the bag that it is a good source of b12. Most vegans take a b12 supplement, but I would imagine it would be easier to get a kid to eat a vegan baby bel than to take a supplement. Just a thought. Have a great day!
As a vegetarian, the lack of protein IS a red flag for me - especially for something that is fatty and normally has a lot of protein.
Fat and protein are filling - so having thing that usually does both but is now just 1 while emulating both is not good for vegan/vegetarian nutrition.
If you're a vegetarian/vegan long term you know to check every single lable before you buy, so theoretically they know? Except of course the newbies.
There are other, far better sources of protein. Look into pea protein, it's usually available in very nice vanilla or chocolate flavours that you can mix with coconut, almond, or oat drink (or even just with water). It's also available unflavoured, so you can put it in whatever you like.
I wouldn't eat cheese as a protein source... Beans... Lentils.... Even a potato is a complete protein....
@@peomastagenuk you wouldn't eat cheese a protein source?
cottage cheese is my shit...
@@AdamOwenBrowning not even worth the time.. just this comment 🤮
@@peomastagenuk That really was a waste of time 🙄
since you have occasionally mentioned your affinity for pepper, would a foods flavoured and containing pepper/peppercorns be an idea for a video? pink.peppercorns in chocolate seems to be a thing. I love salt and pepper crisps myself.
I love how Eva gets a little treat at the end of each food related video. I'm also not surprised she didn't really like the vegan version, says it all really, lol.
Mister atomic, tou are unarguabely the best chill youtuber, thanks to your lovely daily uploads im able to slap on your vids while i go to sleep❤ your voice is so fvcking relaxing thank you so much i cannot stress how great of a youtuber you are. the problem with others arw that most have a fake personality, hard to relate to, whilst you are just a normal guy living a normal life, yet your videos tingle brain in places nothing ever has ever before. thank you
Thank you for giving her the real Babybel again after she had the fake cheese lol
Mike bouncing cheeses reminded me of Mr Bean testing Christmas Baubles!
For my daughter, and others like her, this product allows her to have something similar to her friends. She has an inborn error of metabolism called Phenylketonuria (PKU). The fact that this cheese has so little protein is exactly the thing that makes it perfect for her!
Can I ask, the lovely Eva, what breed is she? Thanks!
Ooh that's interesting... I always wonder how large of a chance a person grew with Phenylketonuria.
Because, at least in where I am from, there's a quite subtle but still very much readable warning on snacks and processed food packaging usually right under the Nutritional facts table which reads "the product is rich is protein and contains Phenylalanine, may not be suitable to persons with Phenylketonuria." I always wonder how much people get ill for food production companies to put that warning label
I had no idea babybell made nondairy cheese pucs! Eva is such a good focus group taste tester haha! A healthier alternative, that is so easy to prepare: 1 cup fine almond flour, .25 cup boiling water, mix into flour, .25 cup live saurkraut brine. Mix to form a smooth paste, cover, leave in a quiet corner to ferment, like sour dough. Depending on how tangy you want it, leave it a day or two. It should about double in size. If you like, stir down the fluffy ferment first, then refrigerate. You can spread it in sandwiches, drop on salad, pizza, etc. I keep it about a week. It can be flavored with herbs or even cinnamon and vanilla to use on French toast. Of course, if mold appears, throw it away. Enjoy!
Vegan doesn't always mean healthy!!! It's just a snack ....
Interesting, as always. I remember eating 'Bonbel' ages ago, and liking it. Have to find some, now.
Had they fortified that 'almost cheese' with vitamins, it might have been worthwhile. As it is, it's just empty carbs. You might as well snack on a bag of liquorice allsorts. (And they'd taste nicer).
I think I'll stick to lovely Ossau Iraty sheeps' milk cheese.
I remember Bonbel too but some years ago stores here stopped selling it and only have Baybel now. Sadly I don't think I've seen Bonbel for a good 20 years or more.
I always thought it was given to kids cause it looks yummy and kids like yummy things, including cheese. My parents would just give us vitamins if they thought we needed more.
I like eating Babybel with summer sausage, whenever I can find summer sausage, that is. Wish we had more varieties at my store, we mostly just have the regular one.
While I can't speak on the oils and whatnot in the product, I suppose the lack of protein would just be made up for with eating something else.
Just some input as a mom of 3 vegan children. Giving them enough nutritious food is luckily not an issue for us (not even protein. They eat beans, veggies, tofu etc) but these type of alternatives are a good option for them to not to feel left out from what other kids eat 😊
I wonder how it works with vegan children. Do parents forbid them to eat animal products even when they're out with their friends? What if you give them some real cheese so they don't feel left out, will they say "no" or is it you as a parent who always say "no"? I understand and respect the conscious choice of being a vegan as an adult, but children need to learn to form their own opinions first, don't they?
They have the option to choose nonvegan things when they start to understand the weight of these choices. But since they grow up with vegan parents, they have a vegan viewpoint from start. My kids do not want to eat nonvegan things even if somebody else offers them.