Meal delivery services can be tricky. With unpredictable schedules, picky palettes and a lack of unlimited funds, it often feels easier to place that dependable Postmates order to get exactly what you want on demand. But as of last week, L.A.’s new Herb & Seed meal delivery changed my thoughts on such services.
A handful of my friends have used meal delivery services regularly, but I’m frequently out and about and can’t necessarily commit to a selection of pre-made meals in a number of days. I’ve also never been wowed by options. From what I’ve seen online, there’s always one part of the meal I’m averse to, or simply the portions look a little too small for my liking. Why order a tiny sun-dried tomato pasta dish that I don’t even like, when, for around the same price (including delivery cost), I can request a mega-order from Zankou Chicken that’s not only satisfying and delicious, but made with all of my preferences in mind?
When a rep for Herb & Seed meal delivery reached out about reviewing their plant-based dishes, of course I agreed. Even if I didn’t end up loving the selections, at least they’d be in my fridge for convenience while saving me Postmates money. I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but I was intrigued, so why not?
The Service
Herb & Seed meal delivery updates their menu options every Tuesday. Each item is entirely plant-based, and delivered on Monday mornings with each meal given a suggested shelf-life of four days. Each order requires a minimum of $54, and delivery is an additional $10 fee.
The menu consists of dinner options ($15.50 each), lunches ($13.50 each), breakfasts ($11.50 each), beverages (juices and latte types; $9.50 each) and extras (dips and cheeses; $7.50 each). The menu is also entirely organic and whole, so only the freshest, purest ingredients need apply! Meals are also cooked and served in sustainable kitchen and delivery products. There’s no use of plastic—only compostable materials.
The Meals
I was sent a VIP media menu of two breakfast items (apple pie overnight oats and berry banana pancakes), two lunch (pesto bowl and rainbow buddha bowl) and two dinner (creamy stuffed shells and chile relleno).
To begin, the ingredients in each meal tasted extremely fresh. Even the rainbow buddha bowl, which was probably the least flavorful of the five (because it was the most raw), was refreshing with each bite. In the case of that dish, the beet hummus was unlike any dip or dressing type I’d ever tried, and it totally completed the meal.
I was shocked over how each item was extremely filling, still tasted fresh after even 4-5 days and had me forgetting there wasn’t a traditional protein in the mix. I typically opt for chicken, steak or eggs in most of my hearty meals, and the richness in flavor and formulations of these ingredients truly made it easy to sidestep what I was used to eating.
What blew me away the most was the formulation of the cashew cheese. There was just no way this wasn’t actual ricotta. The creamy stuffed shells truly tasted like the slightly healthier (but no less flavorful) version of something I would have snagged at Jon & Vinny’s. That same said cheese accounts for much of the deliciousness of the chile relleno. And speaking of creamy goodness, the pesto sauce in the chickpea pasta bowl could not have tasted more like a dairy-rich delight.
The most common ingredients in the dishes altogether were hemp seeds, cashew, tomato and various greens. The dinner dishes both came with a small side salad.
Bottom Line
Plain and simple, if you’re big on home-cooking, this option may not be for you. But if you’re super busy or often too tired (or lazy) to cook, I promise these meals won’t disappoint. If you line them up next to some of their competitors (Model Meals, for example), these are significantly less expensive. Also, to reiterate above, you’re only obligated to spend $54 (+ delivery fee) to place an order (which can get you approx 3-4 meals). And I don’t know about you, but if I go out to eat or order Postmates, one meal (with tax, tip and whatever else) can end up costing $25 each.
If you enjoy eating whole and healthy but you’re not big on plant-based options, as someone who loves a good steak, I can assure you that you won’t even think about the difference. These meals are so fulfilling. There was an excellent variety, and I really enjoyed my culinary experience with each in different ways.
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