In the past I have written about various other meal services, such as:
Every Plate, Methodology, Freshly and Hello Fresh … I am back with another! This time around I gave Sunbasket a shot because 1. The company had a great promo going for a huge discount for the first month, 2. My credit card company also had 10% back offer going for purchases, so even BIGGER savings and 3. I was FINALLY feeling ready to cook again, after a LONG hiatus. Earlier this year I used “Freshly” and while, yes I went to culinary school, I was seriously just burnt out on cooking and felt like the priorities in my life were not aligned with spending a bunch of time meal prepping (or any time for that matter), for one person.
1. Price – I think this is one of the large/most impactful factors for people, so I want to talk about it first. I usually get 2-3 of their meal kits (made for 2 persons) per week, plus sometimes a couple of “quick make” lunch or breakfast options like pre-made oatmeal (just add water) or lunch “salads” like tofu based curry ones. I keep my cost around the $65.00-$70.00 range each week, adjusting of course based on the menu. To be honest – this seems pricey for some, and I recognize that (around $280.00 per month for me), but it is still on point with the budget I had previously, and I love the fact that the price includes the shipping/delivery to my doorstep.
3. Taste/nutrition – I was actually first introduced to the company because I was searching for a “diabetes friendly” meal kit/plan option; however, I have found that their menu is super healthy and mixes it up so much that I love to pick and choose my next menu items. I find that they are MUCH healthier/nutritious than some other options I had in the past, AND because it’s a (usually) “cook it yourself” kit rather than pre-made, I can omit or change ingredients to really make it as healthy as I want, such as reducing the sodium. lessening how much sauce or dressing I put in or adding in extra veggies. The menu rotates and has a LOT of fresh produce and great flavors, so I have not gotten bored. They are certified organic, and I have always gotten good quality, with the rare exception once of when a container got mangled/spilled and some of my salsa was a mess.
4. Ease – SO easy. Direction cards are included, with pictures and typically they take under 30 minutes to prepare. They do assume you will have some basic things like oil, salt and pepper, but for the most part they provide you all the pre-portioned ingredients. I love the sauces and such, in their own little cups, that allow me to vary the flavors without doing so much extra work. As I said earlier, I hadn’t been feeling like doing much cooking this year, so I have really loved the convenience of these, especially during the workday, and I have been so much happier with fewer dishes to wash from cooking/plating meals and/or meal prepping. I also enjoy that they are made for 2 people, so I can grab a bag (the kit comes all packaged together in a paper bag, except for the protein/meat) and go if I want to cook dinner at a friends house or something.
Overall, I love it and totally endorse. As a single person who lives alone, this is SO convenient and worthwhile. I’m certain it’s not for everyone, but I do recommend this company and will likely continue to order from them for the foreseeable future.
DreamerSD 