I have tried enough e-commerce meal programs over the years to be a little skeptical when a new one pops up in my facebook feed.
First there was Nourish. A vegan, gluten-free, organic meal delivery service based in Charlotte, NC where we lived at the time. Our family had relative longevity with Nourish (that is my husband and me - the kids had no interest in their faux Mac n Cheese); the dishes were freshly prepared, healthy, and tasty... but after a year of eating food with the same short list of ingredients, the lentil walnut ragu began to taste about the same as the BBQ cauliflower and chickpeas.
Then there was Blue Apron... and after that Sun Basket. As much as I love to cook, I struggled to keep up mid-week with the food prep required for these meals. Veges got tossed, meats frozen - never to see the light of day again. What's more, the subscription services for both companies are set up to make cancellation a chore. I felt duped and frustrated as my VISA card kept getting charged.
Next came Kettle Bell Kitchen, a company based in New York that offers delivery of healthy, protein-rich, prepared meals to select zip codes including our own south of Boston. My neighbor is a big fan and he happened to have a discount code for me. I was sold - good flavors, ingredient variety, ease of preparation (microwave) - until I approached a bite of honey mustard chicken, only two days in the refrigerator, and it glistened and reeked of microbes. Done with that.
Then my best friend - family of four, kids like mine - recently texted me: "BTW... we started getting Daily Harvest - smoothies, soups, oat bowls. Weekly or monthly delivery. We love them. Great way to get some healthy ingredients." And I thought, hmmm. I'd seen the ads in my facebook feed numerous times - and scrolled by them without thought. But maybe Daily Harvest was worth a try?
Eating a variety of natural foods that are whole and unprocessed is absolutely the healthiest diet approach. Scientific data clearly show that a Mediterranean Diet (MD), which emphasizes whole, unprocessed plant based foods like fruit, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, oils, as well as fresh fish and poultry, reduces the risks of heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, metabolic disorders including Type II diabetes and obesity, and lowers cholesterol and cancer incidence. MD is also generally associated with a longer life span.
Whats more, whole, unprocessed foods give you the best bang for your buck in terms of nutrient to calorie ratio. It's like I tell my grade school students: eat a rainbow. The more natural color you have on your plate, the better the meal is for you - and other than flavor and enjoyment (which, don't get me wrong, these are valuable), the goal of eating is to provide your body with as many different nutrients as possible: vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
This brings us to the idea of essential nutrients. These are molecules that our body requires but cannot produce on its own. So, we must take them in through our diet. There are thirteen essential vitamins (A, C, D, E, and K, and the B vitamins: thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxal (B6), cobalamin (B12), biotin, and folate/folic acid); fifteen essential minerals (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine, sulfur, cobalt, copper, fluoride, manganese, and selenium); nine essential amino acids (phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, and histidine); and two essential fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid). Essential carbohydrates include a variety of sugars and fiber.
If you're like me, I actually love to eat healthy foods, and a variety at that, but easy access is my stumbling block. I just don't have the time (or forethought) (or family) to make slow cooked oats or spiraled squash worth my while. My favorite lunch spot? Whole Food's prepared food bar - I can get a small scoop of steaming brown rice and as many beautiful chilled salads as I desire - shaved brussel sprouts, chicken and white bean, sweet potato and quinoa. Yum. But a daily trip to Whole Foods is totally impractical - and the parking lot a bear.
So Daily Harvest. What I love about Daily Harvest is the quality and variety of their ingredients, the longevity of their product, and the ease of food preparation.
Daily Harvest offers smoothies, harvest bowls, oat and chia bowls, and even lattes - all in 'cups' that you simply add liquid to and either blend or heat. And talk about a rainbow of beautiful colors. Each cup contains a wonderful variety of whole, organic, plant-based ingredients that are packed with both nutrients and flavor. Take for example their Pineapple Matcha smoothie. It has pineapple, coconut, lime, kale, and Japanese matcha green tea, providing vitamins A, C, K, and B, minerals calcium, iron, sulfer and manganese, amino acids, fiber, natural sugars, oils, and anti-oxidants. Another favorite, the Cacao Avocado smoothie with avocado, zucchini, pumpkin seeds, dates, coconut, and cacao nibs, contributing vitamins E, C, and B, minerals potassium, zinc, manganese, iron, and magnesium, amino acids, fiber and natural sugars, omega-3 fatty acids, and anti-oxidants.
The Harvest Bowls contain a delicious assortment of vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. I just tried a fan favorite, Brussel Sprouts + Tahini, which has brussel sprouts, fiber-rich lentils, hazelnuts, leeks, and tender butternut squash in a creamy tahini-turmeric sauce. Delicious. And if you desire some extra protein, just serve the Harvest Bowls alongside some grilled chicken or fish. There are soups, ones you puree and ones you don't. Oat and chia bowls with interesting flavor profiles. Have you ever heard of blue majik, a vitamin-rich bright blue extract derived from blue-green algae? Me neither. But so cool, and in a chia bowl. And finally unique lattes - matcha and lemongrass, ginger and turmeric, coffee and cardamom - add milk, heat and go.
Blackberry + Majik Chia Bowl
Daily Harvest freezes their ingredients immediately upon sourcing and passes along a frozen product to its subscribers. This has two important advantages. First, freezing ripe plant-based foods locks in their nutrient content - some fruits and veggies show nutrient decline at room temperature once harvested. Second, because the cups arrive frozen on your door step, you can easily store them in your freezer until use. No spoilage.
The cups are not cheap. They run $6.99 to $7.99 depending on the plan you choose. But a 16 oz. smoothie at Clean Juice starts at $6.95. So they're on par with other organic juice bars. And in my opinion, its worth the splurge to have a freezer stocked with a variety of healthy meals ready to go.
The only downside as I see it is that with the 24 cup per month subscription, which I currently have, my freezer is 90% occupied with Daily Harvest meals. But then again, maybe it's just a good excuse for me to finally toss that uncooked Sun Basket steak I threw in there years ago.