For most of us, spending every day in the kitchen whipping up nutritious, delicious recipes just isn’t possible. After all, there is that little thing called life that just gets in the way. But there are ways you can balance healthy eating habits with responsibilities, commitments, and, let’s be honest, just low-motivational days, and one of them is to choose a meal delivery service that suits you.
There are many vegan meal delivery options out there (such as Sakara Life and Purple Carrot, for example ), but today, we’re focusing on Daily Harvest. Here we’ve compiled some of our top choices to try from the plant-based, sustainability-focused brand. But first, why choose Daily Harvest? And how does it work, exactly?
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Why choose Daily Harvest for meal delivery?
First up, one of the best parts about Daily Harvest is that it is totally animal-free. All of its delicious food options, including smoothies, bowls, soups, and snacks, are made with 100 percent plant-based ingredients. This is already one big tick for sustainability, but Daily Harvest also takes things a few steps further when it comes to respecting the planet.
For example, most of its ingredients are sourced from farms that practice regenerative agriculture. Essentially, this means that crops are grown in a way that doesn’t deplete the soil. As Daily Harvest says, regenerative farming “works with nature, not against it.”
Daily Harvest
Daily Harvest is trying to help more farms transition to regenerative, organic farming methods by supporting them with costs and operational changes. “It’s easy to sit in a corporate office and say, ‘Farmers should really do X,’” said Daily Harvest CEO Ricky Silver, per Agfunder News. “What needs to happen both in public and private investment is to take the risk off the table as much as possible and show that you’re part of the journey.”
The brand also aims to reduce food waste by shipping its meals frozen. Not only does this mean your food won’t spoil while it’s languishing in the fridge waiting for you to eat it, but it also means that no harmful preservatives are needed, notes the brand. And to ensure everything arrives to you in the best state possible, it also ships its deliveries in dry ice (using recycled shipping materials).
But of course, Daily Harvest wouldn’t be worth trying if it wasn’t delicious, and fortunately, it ticks this box, too. Its recipes are unique, flavorful, and easy to prepare (for the smoothies, you just need a blender—we recommend a Vitamix!), and will leave you wanting more each time.
To order, all you need to do is select a plan (small, medium, or large), each of which gives you a different number of items to choose from. After that, select the foods you want to include in your order and schedule your delivery time. The boxes arrive weekly, but you can amend and adapt at any time (just pay attention to your emails so you can edit or skip a delivery).
But if you’re not interested in delivery, Daily Harvest has also been expanding its retail presence, too. Back in March of this year, for example, the brand launched in Costco. And in May, its products landed on the shelves of select Target stores.
“Our availability at Target makes it even easier for more people to enjoy sustainably grown fruits and vegetables every day. We look forward to building on this foundation with a prominent national retailer that’s beloved for helping families discover the joy of everyday life.” — Daily Harvest’s chief commercial officer Annie Streit
Our top 10 choices from Daily Harvest
Ready to give Daily Harvest a whirl? There are many delicious options to choose from, but if you’re struggling to narrow it down, here are 10 of our favorites.
Daily Harvest
1 Chocolate + Blueberry Smoothie
For mornings when you need a kickstart of energy, this chocolate and blueberry smoothie (which tastes just like a chocolate shake) is a great choice. It’s loaded with nutrient-packed ingredients, like blueberries, bananas, cacao, and maca, and can be blended with coconut water or oat milk (depending on how creamy you like your smoothies to be).
FIND it here
Daily Harvest
2 Carrot + Cinnamon Smoothie
If you’re a big fan of carrot cake, this perfectly spiced, sweet, nutty smoothie—which features bananas, carrots (of course), walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and even sweet potato—is about to become your new favorite way to start the day. It’s just like the addictive dessert in liquid form. Seriously.
FIND it here
Daily Harvest
3 Passion Fruit + Greens Smoothie
A lassi is a smoothie-like Indian yogurt-based beverage. But while it is undeniably delicious, it’s usually made with dairy. However, good news: you can get a very similar taste and experience with this Passion Fruit + Greens Smoothie, which features creamy, nutty tahini, mango, passion fruit, hemp seeds, spinach, and moringa.
FIND it here
Daily Harvest
4 Strawberry + Goji Berry Oat Bowl
Those with a sweet tooth will love this simple, tasty oat bowl, which is loaded with nutritious strawberries, goji berries, haskap berries, and vanilla beans. It’s a great choice for dessert, but you can also enjoy it first thing in the morning (or any time of day, really—there are no rules!).
FIND it here
Daily Harvest
5 Spinach + Shiitake Grits Harvest Bowl
Grits (a type of porridge made with boiled cornmeal) are usually combined with dairy butter or milk, but not in this case. Instead, these grits are made with millet and combined with spinach, basil, nutritional yeast, and cashew butter to make a delicious, nutritious, filling breakfast or brunch.
FIND it here
Daily Harvest
6 Artichoke + Spinach Flatbread
If you’re stuck in a lunchtime rut, this flatbread is about to come and shake things up. Not only is it loaded with vitamins (thanks to broccoli, artichoke, spinach, and cauliflower) but it’s also ultra-tasty, too. Plus, it’s easy to prepare—all you need to do is bake for around 20 minutes and you’re good to go!
FIND it here
Daily Harvest
7 Tomato + Zucchini Minestrone Soup
For days when you need something hearty, warming, and nutritious to give you a pick-me-up, soup is a great option. Inspired by the flavors of Italy, this tasty option (which can be heated on the stove or in the microwave) is loaded with zucchini, tomatoes, chickpeas, kale, black garlic, and basil.FIND it here
Daily Harvest
8 Raspberry + Fig Bites
When you’re craving a little treat with your morning (or afternoon) coffee, reach for these nutritious bites. The unique flavor is kind of like a truffle and a cookie mixed together, so expect them to become a mainstay on your weekly order.
FIND it here
Daily Harvest
9 Broccoli + Cheeze Bowl
This comforting, nourishing dish of broccoli and cauliflower is nostalgia in a bowl, thanks to the creamy, whole-food-based vegan cheese sauce. It makes for a hearty and satisfying lunch option, perfect with a little bread on the side.
FIND IT HERE
Daily Harvest
10 Tomato + Basil Flatbread
Sometimes, the simpler a dish is, the better it tastes, and that is certainly the case for this flatbread. Made with a handful of nutrient-dense ingredients, including tomato, broccoli, and kale, this flavorful pie is set to become your new go-to for a lunchtime treat.
FIND IT HERE
For more on vegan meal delivery, read:
Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the vegan lifestyle, and only recommend products we feel make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may include shopping links where we might earn a small commission. In no way does this effect the editorial integrity of VegNews.
