“Plant-based meals are a popular option for those looking to improve their health, reduce their carbon footprint and add more fruits and vegetables to their diet. But getting access to plant-based meals is not always easy unless you’re prepping it in your own kitchen. Lately though, there’s been a rise in meal delivery services catering to just about every diet and preference. And while Freshly has been in the meal delivery business since 2012, it’s only now that the brand has launched its first 100% plant-based menu. As someone who has followed a vegan diet at various points in life only to give up because of a combination of limited time, energy and lack of easy access to meatless options, I knew I needed to try it out.
Here’s How Freshly Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service Works
While Freshly’s regular meal delivery service offers a rotating menu of 30 vegetarian, meat and seafood dishes, their Purely Plant menu includes six new vegan options made with whole food ingredients. Plans start at $8.99 per meal and you can choose from 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 meals each week meals each week that are delivered right to your doorstep.
A key feature of Freshly’s service is that the meals arrive fresh, not frozen. So to heat up each dish, you simply peel a corner of the plastic seal for venting the steam and pop it in your microwave for up to three minutes. When you’ve finished your meal, you can recycle mostly everything, from the sleeve to the bowl thanks to Freshly’s sustainable packaging.
How Do Freshly’s Plant-Based Meals Taste?
With all of that in mind, I was excited to put Freshly’s plant-based menu to the taste test. I ordered the 6-meal plan which included the Indian-Spiced Chickpea Curry Bowl, Middle Eastern Falafel Bowl, Farmstead Baked Lentil Pasta, Unwrapped Salsa Verde Burrito and two packages of the Buffalo Cauliflower Mac & Cheese with Garlicky Broccoli. Each meal was conceptualized to cover a wide range of cuisines and included ingredients like pea protein, legumes, seeds, pulses, grains and vegetables to ensure that each meal is protein-rich and packed with fiber.
By far my favorite meal from their Purely Plant menu was the Middle Eastern Falafel Bowl with garlicky tahini sauce and whole grains. It was the first dish from the six I tried and the one I’m still dreaming about right now. After heating it in the microwave for three minutes, I plated it as suggested on the packaging and grabbed my fork. Okay, so it didn’t look quite as good as the picture on the sleeve, but one bite in and I got the feeling like I was digging into a comforting home cooked meal. The outside of each falafel still had a bit of a crunch despite sitting in the delicious creamy tahini sauce, while the inside remained bright green, soft and flavorful. The meal was packed with peppers that added another element of crunch and color. The base of lentils, quinoa and rice mix (brown and wild) was both hearty and filling. This bowl definitely set the standard for the next five meals.
Next, I tried out the Indian-Spiced Chickpea Curry Bowl for lunch, followed by the Unwrapped Salsa Verde Burrito for dinner. While the ginger was the star ingredient in the lentils and chickpea-packed curry bowl, the salsa verde and sweet potatoes in the burrito bowl were a surprisingly delicious pairing. The other two options–Farmstead Baked Lentil Pasta with seasonal vegetables and creamy marinara and Buffalo Cauliflower Mac & Cheese with garlicky broccoli–satiated my mid-week carb craving while still ensuring I got my greens….”
View the whole story here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personal-shopper/2021/09/21/freshly-plant-based-meals-review/