In a time such as this when our President-elect has vowed to cut funding to environmental efforts, it is more important than ever to incorporate more plant based meals into your diet to reduce your environmental footprint. For example, you save more water by not consuming one pound of meat than you save by not showering for six months. I don't know about you, but I'm partial to smelling good. Incorporating plant based meals into your diet may seem overwhelming at first, but meal kit services like VegTable make it a lot easier. At the Green Festival Expo this year, I had the pleasure of meeting Ed and Trish, the owners of VegTable, a 100% plant based meal kit subscription service. Like other popular meal kit services, VegTable sends you everything you need to make a super tasty fresh meal at home. You may be thinking to yourself: "Okay, that's all well and good, but won't the packaging required to send the meals be bad for the environment?" They thought of that too. Every aspect of the packaging for the meal kits is biodegradable, recyclable, and/or compostable. Now onto the food.
Every week they come out with new quick and easy global-inspired recipes available with 2 subscription plans. Their "VT1" subscription ($15) includes 1 meal for two people each week, and their "VT3" subscription ($37.50, or $12.50 per meal) includes 3 meals for 2 people each week. I tried out their "Sesame Tofu Bowl" meal kit, and (spoiler alert) it was awesome.
Every week they come out with new quick and easy global-inspired recipes available with 2 subscription plans. Their "VT1" subscription ($15) includes 1 meal for two people each week, and their "VT3" subscription ($37.50, or $12.50 per meal) includes 3 meals for 2 people each week. I tried out their "Sesame Tofu Bowl" meal kit, and (spoiler alert) it was awesome.
When you first open the box you will find the recipe instruction sheet with a picture of the finished meal and a brief description along with cook and prep time and nutrition information. On the flip side it lists out the ingredients and instructions along with equipment needed and some helpful hints, which makes it seriously foolproof. The sheet is packaged in a large (biodegradable) plastic bag, which is a perfect touch for someone like me who almost always splatters food all over my recipe books and everything else in the surrounding area.
Beyond the top layer of insulation are the fresh ingredients, including everything from fresh fruit and veggies to the grains, oils and seasonings needed to make the dish. As pictured above, the "Sesame Tofu Bowl" included brown rice, baby bok choy, sugar snap peas, zucchini, tofu, arrowroot, tamari, orange, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grapeseed oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds and scallions. Here in NYC, it would definitely cost me more than $15 to get all of those ingredients. I know I'm starting to sound like such a fangirl here, but I also LOVE how all of the ingredients are perfectly portioned for the recipe. It makes me feel like that model TV chef who has everything magically measured and ready for them in those impossibly tiny glass bowls.
Beyond the top layer of insulation are the fresh ingredients, including everything from fresh fruit and veggies to the grains, oils and seasonings needed to make the dish. As pictured above, the "Sesame Tofu Bowl" included brown rice, baby bok choy, sugar snap peas, zucchini, tofu, arrowroot, tamari, orange, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grapeseed oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds and scallions. Here in NYC, it would definitely cost me more than $15 to get all of those ingredients. I know I'm starting to sound like such a fangirl here, but I also LOVE how all of the ingredients are perfectly portioned for the recipe. It makes me feel like that model TV chef who has everything magically measured and ready for them in those impossibly tiny glass bowls.
There was some chopping involved, and I would recommend cleaning and chopping all of the ingredients ahead of time so the recipe will be even easier to throw together following the instructions. It definitely made enough (if not more than enough) for two people, and was super delicious! I love the idea of trying new recipes and cooking techniques every week since I can definitely tend to get stuck in a recipe rut. Overall, I think it's so awesome to be able get healthy fun (vegan!) meals sent to my door for less than the cost of McDonald's. This is the future and I'm lovin' it.