Taste test: Are the latest food substitutes worth a try? Find out

Cashew milk cappuccinoIt came to us in a steel tumbler frothy and stark white The aroma reminded us of fresh milk but in reality this was cashew milk This simple ingredient is the star of many of the drinks at the health bar Vibe Liquiteria In particular their bestselling drink the Cashew Milk Cappuccino 210 The coffee drink was a simple concoction of cashew milk espresso and just the faintest hint of foam as a sweetener they add in molasses We liked the lightness that this nut milk brought to the drink although the flavour was strong enough to overpower that of the coffee The molasses added an unnatural sweetness that we couldrsquove done withoutTaste test The coffee scores high on creaminess and froth and costs as much as a regular cappuccino For those who donrsquot like their coffee strong this works wellExpert view Cashew milk is nut milk which has similar fats as fullfat milk and similar calories It works as an occasional treat but otherwise yoursquore fine consuming skimmed milkTime 9 am to 1130At Shop 4 Rafi Mansion 28th Road near Guru Nanak Park Bandra WCall 30151837Quinoa puffsQuinoa puffs appear to be the most popular health food product to hit supermarket shelves We tried the Roasted Quinoa Puff with Olive and Herb from Healthy Alternatives 149 for 125 gm The puffs received mixed reviews We liked the crunchiness and chatpata taste but didnrsquot return for seconds For an expert view on this and other items we spoke to Karishma Chawla nutritionist and founder of Eat Rite 24x7Taste test Given the choice between puffs and popcorn we would go with the latter Popcorn is addictive and actually makes you feel like yoursquove eaten something substantialExpert view I like the base but not the added salt sugar and milk solids in it Quinoa is a complex carb it doesnrsquot increase your sugar levels like popcorn does and it has a lower GI than popcorn which is goodVegetable sausagesIf yoursquove ever eaten it you know therersquos nothing quite like chicken or pork sausages Theyrsquore an addictive if unhealthy treat In our hunt for a healthier substitute we bought the Classic Sausage from Veggie Champ 212 for 180 gm In terms of texture and the way they had to be cooked they were similar to typical sausages but they lacked taste and felt a tad dryTaste test Even though we arenrsquot fans of regular processed meat this product didnrsquot appeal to us Besides it isnrsquot easily available in major supermarkets or onlineExpert view Any cold cuts will have large amounts of fat and salt I wouldnrsquot recommend it at all whether vegetarian or notAvailable at Foodhall Lower ParelLog on to ahimsafoodinQuinoa zucchini choc cakeWhen you think chocolate cake zucchini is not an ingredient that comes to mind So naturally when we ordered the Quinoa Zucchini Gooey Chocolate with Roasted Almonds from the online store Healthy Treats we werenrsquot expecting much The cake when it arrived had a slight burned smell and look to it But the taste won us over It was perfectly moist on the inside and crunchy on the top The roasted almond slivers decorating the cake added texture and a slight sweetness to each slice We liked the fact that the cake wasnrsquot dense and that there wasnrsquot any overpowering taste of zucchini which tends to have a sharp flavourTaste test We preferred this to a chocolate cake because it had the same decadence without the calories Itrsquos the price point that will make us think twice about ordering it againExpert view It works better than any other cake mdash therersquos no fat full points for using quinoa Zucchini is a healthy veggie and dark chocolate is good even though it has sugar If you are dieting and want to indulge this worksLog on to divyashealthytreatscomCost 875 500 gm 1750 1 kg delivery extraCashewnut cheeseMake way for AntiCheese It is made with just cashewnuts mdash soaked overnight ground and then left to ferment for 24 hours We ordered this product from the Orange Bowl the vegan food company started by siblings Shamita and Tushar Goghia Their AntiCheese comes in four flavours mdash Lime and Pepper Herb rsquon Garlic Spicy Scallion and Zesty Jeera flavours priced at 350 each We ordered the Lime and Pepper and the Herb lsquon Garlic The AntiCheese can fool anyone with its creamy and cheesy texture The lime and pepper one had the freshness of pepper without the heat the herb one lacked the flavour of garlicTaste test We liked the creamy smoothness of AntiCheese and despite the corny name it was addictive The price is a tad on the higher side but we donrsquot mind spending on itExpert view In cashewnut cheese the fat that you would find in normal cheese will still be there almonds and walnuts wouldrsquove been slightly better Also cashewnuts are addictive so from a health perspective itrsquos not a better alternative Itrsquos a good option for vegans or those allergic to dairyCall 9820178917Soya chaapItrsquos one of the few places where being fake works The sixmonthold Chaap ki Chhap is a small stall in Andheri which uses mock meat chaap to serve up tasty Punjabi food Their secret soya We tried their lsquofishrsquo dish Machhli Zameen Ki 169 In terms of looks it fit the bill mdash looking like pieces of basa marinated in a spicy masala for hours Instead of frying the lsquofishrsquo they grilled it over an open flame till it is cooked The result was a dish that had the flaky layered texture of fish but none of the flavour associated with the actual thing To complete the dish it came served with lime onions and mint yoghurt chutneyTaste test Soya machhli is interesting and tasty given the right ingredients but doesnrsquot work as a fish substitute That said we prefer its taste to that of basa Expert view Soya is a better protein than cottage cheese but it is a secondclass protein that is low in one or more of the essential amino acids If you want good protein it is best to stick to animal productsTime 5 pm to 1230 amAt Shop 37 Evershine2 Seven Bungalows Andheri WCall 8291493369