Eating healthy involves planning, but sometimes our busy schedules make it difficult to choose recipes for the week, purchase all the necessary ingredients, and have time to actually cook after long days of work or school.
Luckily, eating well can be easy with MissFresh, a Canadian company founded in Quebec that strives to help you lead a healthier lifestyle by making eating healthy at home easy and accessible.
MissFresh delivers weekly pre-portioned fresh ingredients and delicious recipes across Canada. Each week, you get to choose from a range of different recipes and then the ingredients and directions are shipped to you overnight. This completely takes the guesswork out of planning meals, figuring out which ingredients are necessary, and making a trip to the store to purchase what you need. All you have to do is cook, and you won’t spend the entire evening in the kitchen since all meals are ready in 30 minutes or less.
There are four different dinner meal kits to choose from.
Vegetarian Box - Vegetarian recipes packed with seasonal vegetables, hearty grains, and animal-free proteins.
Chef Box - A family-friendly selection of meat, fish, produce, and grains.
Custom Box - Your selection from all available gourmet recipes including meat, fish, produce, and grains.
Kilo Solution Box - Nutritionist Dr. Isabelle Huot’s calorie-controlled selection of healthy, delicious, and tasty recipes that are developed following rigorous nutritional criteria.
Depending on the needs of your household, you can customize your meal kit by choosing 2-5 meals per week and 2-6 portions per meal. Meal kits start at $7.99 per portion with free shipping, and you can use the coupon code BEAUTYWRITER for $25 off your first meal kit. MissFresh also offers ready-to-eat snacks in four different box options starting at $14.99 per box.
I was lucky enough to try the Vegetarian Box* meal kit. Read on for my review and photos of each recipe.
Inside the box there’s detailed recipe cards with an explanation of the dish, a list of ingredients, preparation directions, preparation time, nutritional facts, and calories. The cards also include a photo of the prepared dish and a photo for each preparation step. I found it very helpful to see how everything should look in advance. The box also comes with a chart of recommended storage times for meat, fish, and poultry. Since no items have been previously frozen, you can freeze anything you wish to cook at a later time.
All food items are specially packaged so they always arrive fresh. Meats are vacuum sealed to prolong freshness and fish are purchased when available or flash frozen. MissFresh also supports local suppliers by working closely with them to get the best seasonal produce and meats. Items arrive in an insulated box with biodegradable ice packs. All packaging, including insulation and ice packs, is recyclable.
For the most part, my items were separated into plastic bags and labelled by recipe which made it very easy to grab the appropriate ingredients from the fridge when I was ready to make a meal.
Here are the three recipes I received.
Spicy Baked Cauliflower Bites with Ranch Sauce
Included ingredients: Cauliflower, unbleached flour, white rice, spice mix (chill powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika), cashews, coconut milk, breadcrumbs, cider vinegar, and dried parsley.
Preparation: This recipe was very easy to make. I cut the cauliflower into bouquets, soaked them in a mixture of spices, coconut milk, and water, rolled them in a breadcrumb mixture, and drizzled them with olive oil before baking them on a cookie sheet for 25 minutes. I then made the ranch dressing by mixing crushed cashews with coconut milk, olive oil, dried parsley, and cider vinegar. The recipe says to cook the rice in a pan of boiling water on the stovetop for 15 minutes, but I just used my rice cooker.
We made this dish for lunch one afternoon and it turned out well. The rice was perfectly cooked and the cauliflower bites had a great flavour that was satisfying without being too spicy. I think I may have under baked them or over breaded them because mine were not particularly crispy, but that didn’t stop us from eating the entire pan. Even Mr. Writing Beauty, a chicken wing lover, enjoyed these meat-free bites. As for the sauce, it didn’t taste exactly like ranch since the cashew flavour was present, but it was delicious. I added a bit of dijon mustard to make it less sweet. This dish is a great lunch, dinner, or snack option when you’re in the mood for something savoury yet nutritious.
Ash Reshteh garnished with Sour Cream
Included ingredients: Baby spinach, brown lentils, sour cream, red kidney beans, fresh mint, fresh coriander, turmeric, garlic cloves, green onions, chickpeas, yellow onion, and Chinese dried egg noodles.
Preparation: This recipe was very quick to make. First, I cooked the lentils, beans, and chickpeas in water before adding herbs, spinach, chopped green onions, salt, pepper, and noodles. Next, I sautéed garlic, yellow onion, and turmeric in an oiled skillet. To serve, I added the soup to bowls and garnished with sour cream and the onion mixture.
Ash Reshteh is a thick Persian soup filled with noodles, lentils, and spices. We made this dish on a cold day and it was perfect. The beans and spinach were tender and the broth infused with the flavours of onion, garlic, turmeric, mint, and coriander. The sour cream was a great addition that gave the soup a creamy texture and made it more filling. It reminded me of something I would order at a restaurant on a day when I was trying to eat healthier. I could see myself making this recipe again in the future, especially when I’m sick or looking for a lighter meal option that’s packed with nutrients and heathy ingredients.
Tofu Stirfry full of Cashews and Bok Choy
Included Ingredients: Bok choy, firm tofu, mirin sauce, sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce, cashews, pure honey, thai red chili pepper, garlic cloves, and green onions.
Preparation: While all three recipes were quick to prepare, this one took the least amount of time. I first fried cubed tofu with salt and then removed it from the pan before adding garlic, green onions, chili pepper, and bok choy. I prepared the sauce by combining mirin sauce, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil and then poured it over the bok choy. I then added the tofu to the pan, sprinkled on the cashews, and served.
I must admit that I was a bit nervous to try this dish since I’ve never been a fan of tofu; however, I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was with the flavourful sauce. In fact, this recipe was the most flavourful of the three and was a perfect quick and healthy dinner option after a busy day. There was a unique combination of textures in this dish (juicy bok choy, crunchy cashews, soft tofu) that made it interesting and pleasant to eat. It was also nice to have a dish that wasn’t refined carb heavy since my dinners often include large portions of pasta or rice. I felt full after this meal but not uncomfortable like I do sometimes after lots of carbs. I think this is a great weeknight dinner option that’s healthy and quick to prepare.
Overall, I am very impressed with MissFresh. This service provides a convenient way to eat healthy, home-cooked meals without the time-consuming meal planning and shopping. As someone who often eats the same few meals for dinner each night, it was very exciting for me to try something different. I never would have thought of these recipes, but I really enjoyed them and they have expanded my meal options and inspiration. It was also nice that I didn't have to run around my city looking for all the ingredients or spend time figuring out appropriate measurements. This concept also reduces waste since the meal kits provide the proper amount of ingredients for each recipe. There’s been many times that I had to buy a huge bunch of herbs for a recipe that only called for a tablespoon, so it felt good to have exactly what I needed for each meal with no left over food. It’s also nice that the boxes can be customized by number of meals and portions to fit your household. It prevents over-eating while ensuring that there’s enough for everyone. I highly recommend this service for anyone looking for an easy, accessible way to cook healthy and delicious meals at home.
To learn more about MissFresh, visit https://www.missfresh.com
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