We were gifted Juicy Marbles to try and review. We were not paid for this review. All the thoughts are our own.
A few months ago, Juicy Marbles a new-ish plant-based meat brand reached out to us with the offer to try their soy-based meat. They sent us both a sample package of their whole-cut loin. It arrived in an orange-colored package that looked quite a bit like actual meat.
In case you don’t know, as founders of this website, we have completely different POVs on nutrition. Lauren is plant-based and does not eat any animal products whatsoever. (We even had an interesting convo about whether bugs are “sentient” beings after she wrote this article about bug candy).
I lean more towards the Paleo nutrition side of things if I had to classify my “philosophy”, where I believe your diet should be based on high-quality MEAT, fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds. But, I am a foodie at heart and don’t really avoid any foods or food groups.
While we are technically on the “opposite” sides of the spectrum, we can still get along and run this site together AND work together every day at RWS: Content + Strategy. Amazing how far a little mutual respect can go…maybe we should tell our politicians. :)
Anyway, I thought we would write this Juicy Marbles review from two different points of view, so you can get a better understanding of the pros and cons of a plant-based product like this. At the end of the day, it’s nice to have options when it comes to protein sources. Maybe you want to go all in and go veg like Lauren, or maybe you just enjoy trying to trick your carnivore husband into thinking it’s actually steak. (Read below to see if he noticed).
Here’s our Juicy Marbles review, how we prepared it, and whether we would recommend it from the POV of two different RDs.
What is Juicy Marbles?
Juicy Marbles is a plant-based meat company started by Vladimir Mićković and Luka Sinček from Slovenia. In case you aren’t 100% sure where Slovenia is (I had to look it up), it is bordered by Italy to the West, Austria to the North, Croatia to the South, and Hungary to the East.
From what I have gathered from other reviews, Juicy Marbles started its vegan meat line with a plant-based filet mignon, which seemed to have upset a lot of people. I guess people just really love their filet. And based on other reviews I read around the ‘net, it wasn’t great. it didn’t seem to live up to most people’s expectations in terms of texture and taste.
They then launched the whole cut loin, which is what Lauren and I were gifted to try. Just this week (July 2024) they launched their version of plant-based ribs, which comes with bones and all. Kinda freaky.
At the moment, Juicy Marbles is not available in stores, it can only be purchased online. While the loin they sent was fairly large (27 ounces), the cost is $55 for one loin. When I checked at Walmart, you can get 27 ounces of filet mignon for $36, so it is pricier than a similar cut of meat and I would generally consider filet mignon pretty expensive.
If you want to compare it to plant-based meat, you can get Beyond Meat Steak for $6.98 for 10 ounces (or about $18 for 27 ounces).
Yeah, the Juicy Marbles are pricey.
But, is the cost worth it? Is Juicy Marbles healthy? Let’s talk about the nutrition first.
Juicy Marbles Nutrition
When it comes to nutrition, how much “better for you” is Juicy Marbles compared to meat? Here’s how it breaks down.
Per 4 ounces Juicy Marbles loin has:
- 180 calories
- 8 grams of fat (less than 1g saturated)
- 9 grams of carbohydrates
- 7 grams of fiber
- 20 grams of protein
Compared to a lean beef loin, the nutrition is fairly similar, except beef has slightly more saturated fat (by only a couple of grams) and no carbs or fiber. Choosing a plant-based meat like this could help you get more fiber into your diet, but overall based on the nutrition profile alone, it isn’t that much “healthier” than meat.
Juicy Marbles Ingredients
What about the ingredients? What is this stuff made from? The main ingredient in Juicy Marbles is soy protein. It also contains sunflower oil, “natural” flavors, coloring (beets and acerola to make it red), thickeners (carrageenan, methylcellulose), and vitamin B12 (a great addition for those vegans who need to supplement it!).
Let’s start with the soy. Most of the soy in the United States is GMO soy. While the general scientific consensus is that GMOs are safe, there are still many concerns about GMOs and their safety profile. All that being said since the Juicy Marbles does not come from the US, they do NOT use GMO soy!
One thing to note about soy, it is one of the 8 major allergens, so if you have an allergy just skip this one.
While there is some concern about soy being a hormone disruptor or having other negative health effects (particularly for men), these concerns have been mostly debunked. Overall soy is a great source of protein and one of the few plant-based proteins that has all nine essential amino acids. It is also a source of fiber.
Sunflower oil is a polyunsaturated fat. Although we consume too many polys and not enough omegas in our modern diets, polyunsaturated fats are still considered anti-inflammatory and beneficial for the heart.
The natural flavors are vegetable-derived colorings from beets and acerola. Makes sense that they would add something to make the meat a red color.
Finally the thickeners, carrageenan and methylcellulose. Carrageenan is a common thickener made from seaweed. There has been some concern that it is toxic at high doses or may trigger inflammation, cancer, or cause digestive issues. However, it seems that most of these concerns have been relatively unfounded and it is considered GRAS (generally recognized as safe).
Methylcellulose is a type of fiber that acts as a thickener in food. It can cause some digestive issues, like any type of fiber might, but has a pretty solid safety profile.
Overall, when it comes to plant-based meats, I like that Juicy Marbles has fewer ingredients compared to others on the market. As a non-vegan, I never fully understood how fake meat with a huge list of processed ingredients could be considered “healthier” than the real thing. It seems like this brand actually thought a lot about the ingredients it was going to add to its product and kept the list short. This is a plus in my book.
But the important thing is how does it taste?
Does Juicy Marbles Taste Like Meat?
As I mentioned, Juicy Marbles sent a sample to both Lauren and me. Lauren, being a plant-based fanatic, cooked it up right away and made this tasty-looking roast with it. It took me WEEKS to finally try it after I received the product. To be honest, I am not that excited about plant-based meat overall. I finally decided to do it when I was just totally out of dinner ideas.
Here are our reviews of Juicy Marbles and our experience.
Lauren’s Review
As someone who waits in anticipation for new plant-based products to be released, I was totally geeked when Juicy Marbles reached out to see if I wanted to try their vegan roast. Um, yes please!
When I received the frozen loin in the mail, the first thing I thought of was how my mom used to make a crockpot meal using pork roast, broth, carrots, and potatoes. Since that’s literally the only way I would know how to make a roast — and I remember it being delicious — that’s what I went for with Juicy Marbles.
I placed said ingredients in my Instant Pot and let it cook for however long before uncovering it to find a nostalgic aroma and tenderness so convincing I was a little concerned it wasn’t actually vegan. The “meat” literally peeled off of itself into strips, just as I remember.
I scooped it into bowls for my kids (6 and 8) and I for dinner. They’ve never eaten real meat before, so they don’t have anything to compare it to besides the other plant-based meat products I’ve served. Overall, they enjoyed it and asked me to make it again sometime.
I also liked it, finding it hit the spot for a savory craving and a true comfort meal without the animal-derived ingredients. Granted, I haven’t eaten meat in over 11 years, so I’m not sure how close to the “real thing” it comes, but to me, it was definitely close enough. I was also happy with the amount of protein it provided — 20 grams per 4 ounce serving, from soy.
Unfortunately, the product is pretty expensive, so thankfully I only prepared half and saved the other half for another night. I’m not sure this brand would fit into my budget on a regular basis, but is perhaps something I’d splurge on for Thanksgiving. I’d love to have my omnivore family members give it a try.
Ana’s Review
I let the product sit in my freezer for well over a month. I didn’t want to cook it for dinner and then have to throw it all in the trash and give my kids popcorn instead. But, I also wanted to write this article so I took the plunge one afternoon.
I decided to cook it in the way it was recommended on the brand’s website, which now that I look closer may be the ideal prep method for the filet mignon product and not the loin. But, it worked out alright.
I left the “meat” thaw for a few hours and then sliced it into pieces. It didn’t really stay together very well and some of it got shredded. Once it was sliced, I added salt and a little bit of a meat seasoning we enjoy and then let it sit out on the counter for about 15 minutes.
When I was ready to cook it, I used regular butter (not vegan) and olive oil. I was surprised at the smell (very meat-like) and how it caramelized in the pan. I cooked it on both sides for about 3-4 minutes until it was seared.
Enter my family. My little one came into the kitchen to ask what was for dinner and I said “meat”. He tasted a tiny piece and liked it. I served the others and didn’t say anything to them about what it was.
A few bites in they started to get suspicious. The texture threw them off, I think. Overall, my littlest and husband ate their whole portion. The little guy seemed to like it, my husband said he only ate it because he hadn’t eaten all day.
My oldest spit it out and refused to eat it once he found out it was plant-based meat. And personally, I didn’t really enjoy it. Yes, the flavor, smell, and appearance are sort of similar to meat, but something is “off” about it. I ate a few bites and tossed the rest.
Overall, for me, it was a bust, I would not eat it again. But I am a meat eater and really not a fan of foods pretending to be other foods. If I were to choose a meat alternative, I would prefer a “veggie” burger that is made of beans and lentils that I can visibly see, rather than something that is trying to pretend it’s something it’s not. And my husband was grateful I got it for free after I told him the price.
Should You Try Juicy Marbles?
When it comes to plant-based meats, Juicy Marbles gets pretty close to smelling and tasting like meat. I think the texture needs a little more work, but it could be the preparation method that makes the difference, as Lauren seemed to have more success with it than I did.
Overall the ingredients are healthy with plenty of protein and fiber and not full of questionable ingredients.
If you are passionate about following a plant-based diet, I think it’s a good alternative to meat. The only major downside is the price tag. If you are not a plant-based eater, I am not sure why would spend $55 on something like this, when you could buy the same amount of actual filet mignon for less.
In the end, I love trying new and innovative products. Thank you to Juicy Marbles for sending us these samples to try.
