This healthy vegetarian twist on spaghetti and meatballs is not only delicious but super simple to make and ready in under a half an hour.

When people find out that I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 12, after they get all the jokes out of their system, they almost always ask “do you miss meat?” Often they’re surprised when I respond “nope, not at all.”

See the reason I became a vegetarian when I was younger was 2 fold. The first reason was because I was going to a week long Zoo Camp at Busch Garden’s and I thought if I was the only kid eating meat I’d feel like a real tool. That’s not a joke. Side note: I was one of only 2 vegetarians there, clearly my logic was flawed. The second and more lasting reason is because I don’t like meat. I never had when I was a kid so when I realized that by calling myself a vegetarian I never had to deal with meat again I was like “cool, sign me up.”

Because I never loved meat, I typically don’t seek out meat replacements like tofurky, tofupups or other veggie meats, however I have to share with you a product that actually swept me off my meat (get it? get it? ok, I’ll stop.)

When I was asked if I wanted to participate in Gardein’s sponsored campaign, I was a little hesitant. Like I said, I don’t eat a lot of meat substitutes, but I wanted to give it a try before I decided yes or no. Plus I wouldn’t want to share a product that I wouldn’t honestly recommend to my family and friends. After my first mouthful of veggie meatballs, I thought to myself “Ok, damn, these are legit.” The texture was hearty, but what really sold me were the hints of fennel. These veggie meat balls weren’t fucking around

Now I can’t give you an honest opinion about whether these taste like actual meatballs because I have literally no idea what meatballs taste like anymore – for that, I’ll have to consult my stepdad who’s a meatball enthusiast. However, I do know that I’ll be throwing these bad boys into my rotation especially come zoodle time, which funny enough is on my clock a lot.)

Beyond being pretty damn tasty I felt good about eating these little meatless balls. One serving (3 balls) has 17g of protein! (Not too shabby) Plus all Gardein’s products are made from non-GMO veggies, soy and ancient grains. These are great products if you’re looking to cater to any visiting vegetarians or vegans, but you’re not sure what to make for them (aka my family for the first couple years).

The folks over at Gardein are offering a $1 off coupon on any of their products. we bought mine from Stop & Shop in the frozen section but they’re also sold at Target and most grocery chains.

Oh yeah, I haven’t even told you the deal sealer, besides obviously tasting great. These meatless meatballs are super easy to prepare. After getting home from work ravenous, I made these pesto zoodles with meatless balls in under 30 minutes—about as long as my patience lasts when I need dinner fast.

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Your Turn:

• Have you ever tried veggie meatballs?
• Did you ever have a vegetarian phase as a kid?

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