In a country full of greasy takeout options, opting for a healthy meal kit delivered straight to your door is a convenient way to keep your diet fresh and nutritious. After a busy day at work, nobody wants to prep an elaborate meal, which is where Thistle meals comes into play. Founded in 2014 by Ashwin Cheryian and Shiri Avnery, this eco-conscious and anti-inflammatory meal delivery service is helping families all around the country eat more delicious superfoods. Here’s everything you need to know about Thistle meal delivery.
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Performance/Experience
Thistle meals consist of breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also offer snacks, juices and wellness shots. Just pick the frequency of your delivery (between three to six days) and you’re good to go. The menus run the gamut, from decadent smoothie bowls to filling salads and more globally inspired meals like Biryani or Korean veggie and rice noodles. They offer a total of 10 meal plans. Those inside the local delivery range include major cities in California along with Las Vegas. If you’re not in that zone, you qualify for shipment boxes. This includes their Essentials Box, Enhanced Box, Cold-Pressed Juice Box and Lite Bites Box. Here’s an example of what a daily meal might look like:
- Breakfast: Balsamic Peach Crumble With Vanilla Cashew Cream
- Lunch: Grilled Corn and Poblano Chile Salad
- Dinner: Miso Glazed Courgette Curry
- Snack: Cherry Cheesecake Mousse
With a farm-to-table approach, Thistle is different from other meal kits in that they post their weekly meal menus in advance – two weeks, to be precise. The meals are designed by nutritionists, and local deliveries are sent out with ice packs whereas shipped deliveries are packed in a refrigerated box.
While customers generally seem to love the fresh and flavorful components of meals, snacks and drinks, some people do find them a little bland, so you might need to add your own seasoning in. Reviewers love the balanced and complex range of veggies with different nutritional profiles, and the fact that no prep is needed besides heating up food is a big perk.
Other other meal kits may offer a fresher experience, they also require you to meal prep, which you already have to do when buying groceries from the store. Instead, Thistle food delivery is a blessing for anyone who rarely has time to cook. Their dinners and lunches typically contain up to 550 calories and are portion-controlled, making this service suitable for those looking to stop overeating or mindlessly snacking.
Price
Meals start at $11.50 – the more meals you purchase, the more you save on every meal. The pricing is highly customizable based on what you order. Some buyers do mention that the food is slightly more expensive than other meal kits, but you get what you pay for. For instance, a comprehensive, full six-day meal plan can cost you up to $234. Still, when you consider how much you would spend on groceries or pre-made meals at your local Whole Foods, that cost a whole lot more than $11.50, it’s a steal.
Aesthetic/Design
Some other meals do contain single-use plastic utensils, but their sauce containers and ramekins are completely compostable. Meals arrive in an insulated, green Thistle bag. If it’s not your first delivery, you can leave your bag out for your driver – they clean and re-use customer bags, which does give them some more points in terms of minimizing waste.
The meals come in clear, stackable containers that can be recycled, making them easy to organize and see what’s inside. Soups and jarred salads come in 100% recyclable PET plastic, which can be upcycled into planters. Meanwhile, dinner stews and taco kits come in polypropylene containers, which are dishwasher and microwave safe. We do wish that more of the meals came in glass mason jars and non-plastic containers, as some meal delivery kits do, but for the most part, their carbon footprint is pretty small.
Features
The best feature about Thistle meals is that they use organic and locally sourced produce. Their scientific method of meal planning also stands out – they carefully curate the vegetables they match to provide optimized nutrients to every customer. And finally, the fact that they offer 100% plant-based meals is a major benefit, especially for vegans.
All the meals are created with dairy-free products that are made in-house, including butter, milk, creams and cheese made from a range of nuts and plants. Normally, the amount of thought and money that would go into this process is extensive, but with Thistle meals doing the work for you, the process becomes easier.
Menus change weekly and meals can always be personalized. Meanwhile, subscriptions can be paused or canceled whenever you want, and shipping and delivery are free. All these flexible features make Thistle one of the best meal delivery kits out there.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Convenient, prepped meals at your doorstep
- Tasty, nutritious food with a home-cooked feel
- A diverse range of balanced dishes
- Plant-based options for vegans/vegetarians
- Ideal for those looking to reduce meat consumption
Cons
- Shipped meals aren’t always as fresh
- They don’t ship everywhere in the USA
- Meals often laid on a bed of greens, making them hard to heat
- Occasionally delivery issues with shipped meals
- Not ideal for those with severe allergies
Conclusion
While they do try to be fully organic, these claims aren’t always backed up and we’re not sure that we state that Thistle offers only `100% organic meals. Still, for the affordable price point The issues that arise seem to mostly be from issues with shipped deliveries, which is no fault o the company. These fully prepped meals are a great choice for anyone pregnant, lactose intolerant or dealing with diabetes, thanks to the nutritionally dense balanced profile. Thistle meals also make a fantastic gift for a loved one. While it’s not yet available throughout the entire United States, if you’re lucky enough to be in one of the West Coast locations that offer local deliveries and shipments, consider trying out a Thistle meal delivery subscription – you might just be surprised and end up getting hooked!
FAQs
We deliver locally to the San Francisco Bay Area, North Bay, Sacramento, Davis, Los Angeles, San Diego + Orange County, and Las Vegas. We ship across California and parts of Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
For local customers only, they accommodate for eggs, wheat, tree nuts, soy, dairy, coconut, peanuts, seafood, beef and pork.
Thistle food delivery cost differs based on your location and meal plan. It can range from $44 (a three-day lunch plan) to $234 (a six-day Full Day Omnivore Plan) offering a large range of choices.
Go to your account and press the cancel button but be sure to do so before Thursday at 11:50 pm, otherwise, it won’t apply to the next week.
They offer free shipping and free delivery on all orders.
For those going with shipping, meals will arrive on Monday or Thursday by 8pm – the time of day can’t be requested, unfortunately. For local deliveries, meals are sent out in the morning on Mondays and Thursdays, or in the evening on Sundays and Wednesdays.
