By Claire Peretta

Do You Dare To Try It?

Are you looking for a delicious, healthier protein to add to your meals? Or perhaps you’ve been on an all-natural, vegan, or vegetarian diet, and you’re looking for something new and exciting to elevate your dishes. Well, Daring Plant Chicken Pieces are bite-sized nuggets of juicy and tender “chicken,” made up of a short list of simple ingredients, completely plant-based, and, on top of all of that, are gluten-free, non-GMO, kosher, and even halal. I, personally, have never encountered a meat substitute that hit all of these dietary restrictions while continuing to remain additive-free, replicate the same texture, pull, cook, and taste of the meat it is trying to replace—it’s truly amazing!

I came across Daring when having lunch with my brother, who has been vegetarian for around four years. Although he cares deeply for animals, his reason for going vegetarian was actually in support of his girlfriend, so, as a meat lover at heart, he is always on the hunt to find vegetarian cuisine that can accurately mimic the taste of real meat. On his vegetarian journey, he discovered and fell in love with Daring Cajun Plant Chicken Pieces, which he told me to try on top of the salad I was having that day. He had fried the chicken in olive oil for a few minutes, and after I took my first bite, I was left speechless. The “chicken” nuggets were a perfect mix of juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, had the same tender pull a chicken wing would have, and the Cajun seasoning added a mouthwatering, savory, spicy kick. And guess what? The serving size was only 130 calories for 15 grams of protein! Daring has five other flavors you can buy: original, breaded, lemon and herb, teriyaki, and Buffalo, and having tasted how good the Cajun one was, I can’t wait to try all the rest. 

Daring was created in March of 2020 by Ross Mackay and Elliot Kesses. According to the brand’s website, their mission is to “rethink and replace animal chicken in the food system.” Mackay and Kesses prioritize not only their love for animals and the healthy choice of eating more vegetables, but also sustainability. Swapping to plant-based chicken can lower one’s environmental footprint by over 80%, as plant-based chicken uses less water, less land, and fewer CO2 emissions than animal chicken, according to a 2020 Blue Horizon Report. Additionally, Mackay and Kesses agree that when you understand the “certain compromises that have to occur to provide us with all that [animal] chicken. How the animals are raised, what they eat, and the amount of animal waste that’s generated. [And] it’s not sustainable. It might seem hard to believe, but changing your chicken might just change a lot of things. For the better.” (daring.com).

The simple ingredients used to make Daring chicken are soy for the protein, natural flavors and spices such as paprika, pepper, and vegetable oil:. In a comparison between frozen chicken strips and Daring Original Pieces, the plant-based brand had fewer calories, less sodium, an almost equal amount of protein, no cholesterol, or saturated fats, animal antibiotics, animal hormones, preservatives, or sugar, and, because of the soy, is a great source of fiber containing all of the essential amino acids your body can’t make but needs to obtain from foods. Daring is a brand not only looking to do better for animals but also strives to provide healthier alternatives for all of us, delivering, as the brand says, “the full chicken experience—without the chicken.” 

For those in need of meat replacements and who are bored of the same old tofu and mushrooms, or anyone who is looking to eat healthier, with fewer additives, or simply in need of more vegetables in their diet, Daring chicken is the alternative you’re looking for! It has a variety of flavors you can use within a wide range of dishes, such as the breaded or original chicken in a Caesar salad, the Buffalo chicken in a spicy wrap, the teriyaki chicken on a bed of rice or sautéed with other vegetables, or even the lemon and herb chicken served with a bowl of pasta and cream sauce. This brand is so versatile and tastes so delicious; I promise you’ll thank me later.