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I enjoy cooking and used to whip up meals often until life got extra busy recently. As a result, I found myself eating more processed foods or ordering take-out, which is not ideal, but as a vegan, I felt that a little plant-based fast food never hurt anyone (you can put that on my headstone). And maybe it didn’t hurt that much, but with less time for exercise, too, my jeans started getting uncomfortably snug. I began to think about ways to get back on track before needing to swap my pant zippers for elastic–or, even worse, letting my health be affected. I was also feeling low on energy; I’d gotten in the habit of not eating an appropriate breakfast and lunch, so I wasn’t fueled for the day. By the evening time, I’d scavenge anything that made it to my mouth quickest.
While I love my job, it doesn’t put me in the upper tax brackets, so to speak. So, like everyone else, budget is a consideration while researching new spends, and meal subscription services seemed too costly. But since one ad-hoc lunch delivery with fees put me out $30-40 for a sandwich and salad (OK, and maybe a cookie), eating was becoming a budget-buster anyway. After doing some research, I started to weigh options to help both my scale and bank account see better numbers while not pressing my already precious time. There are many meal subscription services to choose from, so I narrowed it down to one based on cost, service, and plant-based offerings and decided to give Splendid Spoon a try.
The brand stood out to me for its reasonable pricing, an on-demand box to try without commitment, the ability to select which meals I wanted, no cooking or prep, and the fact that all of the meals are animal and gluten-free, which is great for a variety of people with different eating habits. The health benefits of a balanced, plant-based diet are well established in the medical community with impressive–even Presidential, proponents.
Due to my erratic eating habits, I also tend to get hungry late at night, which affects my sleep too. The night before the first package came, I stood in my kitchen at 11 p.m. eating vegan chicken and red bean pancakes–a revelatory moment. The next day, I eagerly ripped into the Splendid Spoon box to see if I’d be disappointed or elated–thankfully, it was the latter. The ordering process had been easy, with the opportunity to select preferences like no soy or caffeine (obvi, nothing I’d eschew, but it’s nice to have options). I really like to eat, and was concerned the portions would be small, but both the individual sizes and overall haul were surprisingly pleasing.
The offerings come in five groups: smoothies, soup and grain bowls, noodle bowls, meals, and extras, which include juices. My inner kid was hoping for a dessert category, but alas, I’ll file a request. The smoothies come in flavors like Coffee Frappé or Blackberry Basil; those and the 12-ounce soup and grain bowls are my favorites. The first one I tried, a roasted brussel sprout and quinoa recipe, was a flavor explosion and surprisingly filling. For dinner, I devoured a tasty Roasted Cauliflower and Falafel dish. If I had cooked something similar, I would’ve doused it in tahini and Maldon salt, my favorite condiments. While not unhealthy, it can significantly add fat, calories, and sodium, which I’d lost sight of until trying this service.
Splendid Spoon Meal Delivery
$105 off first 3 boxes on plans $100+
Why was everything so good? These meals tasted like provisions from a gourmet NYC deli. As it turns out, Splendid Spoon’s founder is a French Culinary Institute graduate. Chef, cookbook author, and CEO Nicole Centeno also holds a science degree and has taught cooking and nutrition courses at Columbia University, but it was her personal journey as a busy mom of three that propelled her to launch the company. While as women, we are taught to want it all, she thought–do we also have to do it all–ourselves? Well, thank you for saying that because, yes, I’d love some help.
I’ve found a wealth of energy now that I’m eating three square, balanced meals a day and not fretting about getting groceries and cooking. Compared to my decidedly less-healthy grocery hauls, the cost is equal… it might even be cheaper. The brand offers different meal plans, allowing you to select or take suggested items, so as customizable as you’d prefer. The more you order, the lower the cost per meal. With my newfound time and energy, I’m more productive at work, getting quality walks in with my rescue dog, and generally less hectic–hence happier; and now, I’m also a Splendid Spoon subscriber.
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The post How Splendid Spoon’s Plant-Based Meal Service Exposed My Unhealthy Eating Habits appeared first on The Daily Beast.
