Product Information and Review: Vegan Tofurkey Deli Slices

Tofurkey Deli Slices are made by family-owned Turtle Island Foods and come in six flavors. Famous for their Tofurkey Roast that is hugely popular for vegan and vegetarian holiday meals, Turtle Island Foods uses only natural or organic ingredients and does not use preservatives, MSG or genetically modified ingredients in any of their products.

All Tofurkey products (and all Turtle Island Foods products) are certified vegan and kosher and are packaged in recycled cardboard packaging, so you can always rest assured that you are buying from a vegan, eco-minded company when you purchase Tofurkey products.

Tofurkey Deli Slices are a meatless lunchmeat substitute made from a wheat gluten and organic tofu base and are available in the following flavors: Original, Peppered, Hickory Smoked, Cranberry & Stuffing, Italian Deli and Philly Style. Depending on the flavor you select, each serving (five slices) has between 3 and 4 grams of fat and between 11 and 13 grams of protein.

Tofurkey Deli Slices are sliced thin and, from my experience, the meat alternative that most closely resembles their animal-derived lunchmeat counterparts. This helps to make them a good transitional product for former - or current - meat eaters who are trying to transition to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, or limit their meat intake. And, of course, they are also a great protein source for vegans and vegetarians and are perfect for making delicious meatless meals.

Out of the flavors I have tried so far, the Peppered Tofurkey Deli Slices are definitely my favorite and, between my partner's work lunches and my Peppered Tofurkey Deli Slices-on-an-English-muffin-with-vegan-butter binging, we go through at least one package per week. Unfortunately, I have never been able to find the Cranberry & Stuffing, Italian Deli or Philly Style flavors, but I am particularly interested in trying the Cranberry & Stuffing flavor as soon as I find them.

The Original Tofurkey Deli Slices are good, they just are little lackluster for me since I prefer quite a bit of flavor. The Hickory Smoked Tofurkey Deli Slices are a favorite among some of my meat eating and recent vegan or vegetarian friends, but the flavor just reminds me of animal-derived turkey a bit too much, so I don't partake in this flavor often.

Tofurkey Deli Slices are a great meat alternative for sandwiches and are delicious as a thinly-sliced meat substitute in salads as well. Tofurkey Deli Slices can also be fried and, with some grilled onions and sauerkraut, the Peppered Tofurkey Deli Slices make a great vegan (or vegetarian if you add cheese) Rueben.

The Tofurkey website (tofurkey.com) is great resource for information on their products and has a few recipes for using their meat substitutes.