F.A.Q - La Vie

How can we help you?

NUTRITION AND HEALTH

DO YOUR LARDONS HAVE THE SAME NUTRITIONAL VALUE AS THE “REAL DEAL”?

Nope, and it’s pretty much for the best: Just take a look at Nutriscore and our Yuka score**.

There’s 11 times less saturated fats and around 33% less calories in our lardons. We’re also pretty proud to say that our lardons contain 15 times more fibre than pork lardons  (7.5% fibre versus less than 0.5%).

True, our bacon does contain less iron – given that we don’t use blood to make them – and we decided not to start adding extra things in to limit the number of ingredients.

For more info, pop on over to our Nutrition page.

*Nutriscore C
*We are green on Yuka

WHY DON’T YOUR LARDONS HAVE A NUTRISCORE OF A ?

We could do it, but our fake bacon would be a lot less good.

We’re pretty sure that the key to the transition from animal-based eating to a meat-free diet lies in satisfying our dear tastebuds, we’ve made flavour a priority.

Most pork-based lardons have a score of E. We have a score of C – not so bad, hey? We’re rolling our sleeves up and aiming to get to B by next September. Watch this space!

WHY DON’T YOUR VEGAN LARDONS HAVE A NUTRISCORE OF A ?

We could do it, but our fake bacon would be a lot less good.

We’re pretty sure that the key to the transition from animal-based eating to a meat-free diet lies in satisfying our dear tastebuds, we’ve made flavour a priority.

Most pork-based lardons have a score of E. We have a score of C – not so bad, hey? We’re rolling our sleeves up and aiming to get to B by next September. Watch this space!

INGREDIENTS AND PROCESS

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU USE IN YOUR MEAT-FREE LARDONS ?

Our ingredient list is in the green on Yuka  (pink wasn’t an option) and we’re pretty chuffed about it.

There are 7 ingredients across the product’s whole life cycle.

We’ll say it a little louder for those at the back: The leading brand of pork-based bacon lardons may only have 8 ingredients, but that doesn’t include all the ingredients that go into the pig (feed and origin, treatments, etc.).

We give you the low-down (no details spared!) in our ingredients section.

ISN’T THE USE OF SOYA A CAUSE OF DEFORESTATION ?

Yes, it is. We’re not usually ones to point the finger, but intensive cattle farming is where most of the damage comes from. Around 90% of the soya used in the EU feeds pigs, chickens, cows and our other farmyard friends, which are then used for meat and milk*, according to a report from Greenpeace. That means that we’re all consuming a lot of soya, but indirectly and without even realising, as it’s not clearly written in the lists of ingredients for ham and beefburgers, etc.

With our products, not only do we leave the lovely little (or big – we love them all!) animals out of the meat production process, we also make sure the soya we use is more responsible and of better quality. CQFD.

WHERE DOES THE SOYA IN OUR VEGAN PRODUCTS COME FROM?

90% of our ingredients are European. We’re working to go 100% European in the next few months – and believe us, it’s not a smooth ride! (Our soya is of course 100% GMO-free and deforestation-free).

WHY DO YOU USE SOYA IN YOUR VEGAN LARDONS ?

Well, first of all, we use it because it tastes good.

Our pals in the R&D team have tried and tested over 5000 plant-based recipes over 3 years (yep, you could say they’re perfectionists) to recreate everything we love about pig meat, just minus the pig. Soya-based recipes came out on top, a good snout and a tail above the rest!

Soya also has loads of nutritional benefits: For example, it’s rich in high-quality proteins (including all of the essential amino acids!). Of course, we didn’t want to make a pig’s ear of it: Our soya is GMO-free.

After all, when we’re not sure about something, we like to dig into what doctors and nutritionists think, and this article sums this topic up pretty well: control-C control-V and you’re all sorted ! voilà !

TASTE, USE, RECIPES

ANY MEAT-FREE RECIPES TO RECOMMEND ?

One of our little lardon’s many plus points is that you can use them to replace pork in pretty much any recipe that you already know and love, including the classics like carbonara, quiches, salads, etc. You just need to make sure that you pre-cook our lardons, otherwise you won’t get the full-of-love effect that you deserve.

For the classics, check out our recipe inspo here.

HOW CAN I COOK YOUR VEGAN LARDONS WITH LOVE AT HOME ?

The best way is to cook our little plant-based lardons for 5-8 minutes in a pan over medium heat and a dash of oil and a generous splash of love, stirring them regularly (trust us, they love that!). Remember, for dishes like quiches, pizzas and pasta bakes, etc., you’ll need to cook the lardons first, otherwise… Well, otherwise it just won’t be as good!

WHY ARE OUR VEGAN LARDONS SO TASTY?

You noticed it too, didn’t you?
In fact, if we had earned a euro every time someone had said to us “frankly, it’s bluffing”, we would have had to change our piggy bank.
In fact, if it’s so good, it’s because we focused all our efforts on the fat.
Because yes: fat is Life! It caramelizes, it crackles, it infuses, it crumbles…
As a result, our patented recipe naturally reproduces from plants everything we love about fat, without the animal.

That’s the secret of La Vie™.

DISTRIBUTION, PRICE, AVAILABILITY

HOW MUCH DO YOUR VEGAN LARDONS COST ?

Our mission is to bring everyone together, eating around the same table, and getting our products down to an accessible price is an essential part of that challenge. So, our 2 x 75 g tray of little lardons can be found in supermarkets at an RRP of €2.69. We can’t quite match the low prices of animal-based meat yet, but we’re still 35% cheaper than the organic reference on the market. We’re heading in the right direction!

WHERE CAN I FIND YOUR DELICIOUS VEGAN PRODUCTS ?

Well, you’ll be able to find our lardons in Carrefour stores and most large supermarkets from October, and from November most local Carrefour and smaller supermarkets, and then from January 2022, you’ll be able to find them in most stores and soon all around the wooooooooorld (evil laugh).

For now, our bacon is reserved for our partner restaurants in France, and will be available in stores from March 2022.

Because La Vie™ is here to simplify things, we’ve put together a little store locator that you can find right here.