Is Realgood Stuffed Chicken with Uncured Ham & Cheddar Cheese Vegan?

The Ingredient Breakdown

As a food scientist, I analyze ingredient lists to determine dietary suitability, and this product's label leaves no room for ambiguity regarding vegan status. The product is divided into two main components: the crust and the filling, both of which contain animal products.

The most obvious flag is the chicken crust. The primary ingredient is chicken itself, which immediately disqualifies the product from being vegan or vegetarian. Furthermore, the crust includes parmesan cheese, a dairy product derived from cow's milk. Even if the chicken were removed, the presence of dairy in the base makes it non-vegan.

The filling is equally problematic for a vegan diet. It contains swiss cheese, monterey jack cheese, heavy cream, milk, egg yolk, and butter. All of these are animal-derived. Specifically, the inclusion of egg yolk acts as a binding agent but is a direct animal product. Additionally, the filling features smoked ham, which is processed meat. The ham is noted as having no added nitrates except those naturally occurring in cultured celery and cherry powders, but it remains a meat product.

Finally, the Dijon mustard included in the filling contains Chardonnay wine. While wine is plant-based, some vegans avoid wines processed with animal-derived fining agents (like isinglass). However, the primary barriers remain the chicken, ham, dairy, and eggs.

Nutritional Value

From a nutritional standpoint, this product is designed for those seeking high protein and low carbohydrates. Because it relies heavily on meat and cheese, it is naturally high in protein (typically around 20-25g per serving) and very low in sugar and net carbs. It fits well into Keto, Paleo, or low-carb diets.

However, the trade-off for high protein and low carbs is often high saturated fat and sodium. This product contains significant amounts of saturated fat due to the butter, cream, and cheese. While this fits specific diet limits, it may not align with heart-healthy dietary guidelines that recommend limiting saturated fat intake. It is a calorie-dense food despite being low in sugar.