# Meat-Free Mandarin Chicken Gardein's Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n is Vegan-Friendly By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2014-12-31 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chickn References: [gardein](http://gardein.com/products/mandarin-orange-crispy-chickn-cnd/) If Chinese takeout just doesn't provide enough options for you as a [vegetarian or vegan](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vegetarian-frozen-entrees), [Gardein's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pea-wheat-plantbased-chickn) Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n is a tasty option that you can easily pick up from the grocery store and whip up at home. The meat-free substitute is made from non-GMO soy, wheat and canola oil, combined with other certified vegan and dairy-free ingredients that are easy to pronounce like organic cane sugar, low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, turmeric and chopped orange peels. What gives the mock chicken its convincing texture comes from a combination of soy plus a variety of plant-based proteins. To prepare, the pack of [frozen imitation chicken](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/just-meat-chicken) is comes packaged with a Mandarin sauce packet which can easily be heated on the stove. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.5/10 - Popularity: 3% | Activity: 5% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Health](https://www.trendhunter.com/health) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Plant-based Protein Meat Substitutes:** Food industry can innovate by developing more plant-based protein meat substitutes that can appeal to consumers who want to avoid meat. - **Certified Vegan and Dairy-free Ingredients:** Food industry can innovate by using plant-based, certified vegan and dairy-free ingredients, which are easy to pronounce, to appeal to consumers who care about their health. - **Convenient Frozen Meat Substitutes:** Food industry can innovate by developing more convenient frozen meat substitutes that are easy to prepare, and appeal to consumers who want to whip up meals quickly. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Plant-based Food Industry:** Plant-based food industry can innovate by developing more meat substitutes that cater to consumers who want to avoid meat. - **Frozen Food Industry:** Frozen food industry can innovate by developing more convenient frozen meat substitutes that are easy to prepare and appeal to consumers who want to whip up meals quickly. - **Health Food Industry:** Health food industry can innovate by using more certified vegan and dairy-free ingredients that appeal to consumers who care about their health. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Meatless Orange Chicken](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/meatless-orange-chicken.md) - [Meatless Indian Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shicken.md) - [Katsu-Style Vegan Chicken Fillets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vegan-chicken-fillet.md) - [Plant-Based Chicken Sandwiches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beyond-the-original-orange.md) - [Chicken-Inspired Sandwich Cutlets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chiqin-cutlets.md) - [Frozen Vegan Chicken Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/perfect-chick-n.md) - [Plant-Based Popcorn Chicken Bites](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plantbased-popcorn-chicken.md) - [Pea-Based Chicken Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pea-wheat-plantbased-chickn.md) - [Chicken-Free Vegan Pops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vegan-pop.md)